Don has been quietly working away in his spare time for 15 years, pursuing his hobby of finding and restoring rare military vehicles. For most of that time, few people were aware of the steadily growing collection of vehicles in the sheds behind his Timaru home, or the dedication that has gone into restoring them to their prime. Don had been working away so quietly that when his collection was revealed at its first public showing in Timaru, other collectors were amazed.
Don chuckles at the memory. He knew a few of his fellow collectors, who had no idea about some of the vehicles he had or where he had found them. Several times they asked, almost incredulously, where this or that vehicle had come from.
The cat’s out of the bag
The secret is out now, and the revelation came about in rather an odd way. It had occurred to Don that keeping this now significant collection to himself, his grandchildren, and the odd visitor was something of a waste. It was always clear to him that people really enjoyed seeing the vehicles, kids especially loving to clamber over them. That prompted Don to approach a local charity to see if it would be interested in hosting a display for the local Poppy Day appeal. It would surely give a boost to their fundraising efforts.
The response took Don by surprise. The organisation’s representatives said they would have to think about it. Russia had just invaded Ukraine, and they thought suddenly bringing out all this machinery of war might send unwanted signals — perhaps glorification of war, or some such sentiment. It wasn’t made entirely clear what the problem was, nor was the decision.
Hotbed of horsepower
Happily, in
