Felixstowe Family History Society

Our President, a reverend gentleman, did decide to travel afar, even onto the continent of Europe. For this grand tour he did indeed prepare mightily and came the day he and his family departed in their horseless carriage for countries far away.

Now, his trusty carriage, though undoubtedly sound in wind and wheel, was alas, no longer in the first flush of youth and some people remaining in the parish had doubts of it reaching its destination, even less of it returning to its stall at the parsonage.

Amongst those who scoffed was a group who, though aware of our President's calling, did decide to make a book upon the distance the Reverend would travel ere his conveyance did give up the ghost.

His living, being as it is at Felixstowe, it was not exactly a great distance to the East Coast port from which he was to sail, but some unkind gambler did say that the vicar would not pass even the boundary of the town ere he came to grief. In fact the first lay-by at Trimley was prophesied as the actual point whereat his journey would cease.

In spite of all such thoughts and prophesies our President did indeed make a mighty journey travelling unto most Southern Italy, thence back to Wesel in Germany with no trouble at all from his trusty, though maybe a little rusty conveyance.

On the penultimate day of his holiday he journeyed from Wesel to the coast from whence he was to embark for the journey to England.

Again a faultless progress. An overnight rest on the ship and came dawn, preparations to leave the craft to drive the last mile or two home. He confidently used his starter but alas nothing sprang to life; he attempted yet again and again but to no avail. It now came to pass that he was indeed blocking the exit from the ferry and behind him were many juggernauts whose drivers were anxious to be away. One such jehu, a large man with a very loud voice, perhaps unaware of our hero's cloth, spoke harshly words of many meanings.

Help however was to hand; a Good Samaritan aboard the ferry hastened to assist. He opened up the front of the machine and did there espy that the pipe that carried the necessary potion had fractured and fuel was rapidly flowing out, making indeed a highly inflammable situation. Our Samaritan, a knowledge man, bound the fracture with some sticky tape and affected a temporary repair, enough to enable the journey to be completed.

Now indeed, had this pipe fractured just before the end of the previous day's journey when the engine was red hot, then could people have been "cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace".

So would it be trite to describe it as a miracle or was it perhaps a judgement upon those who would gamble upon the outcome of a journey? At least it can be said the drivers trust in his vehicle was well warranted and of the scoffers, "0 thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt".

This article was originally published in the September 1986 magazine.