Interesting Postcards

The Frogmore Shopping Centre,

Lovedean

Not so much a centre as a short parade, these three shops nevertheless can fulfil most of the Hampshire village of Lovedean's more pressing needs, as long as they need a loaf of bread, a paper or a perm. I like the lady emerging from the lane, love the flats above and if there's a better name for a retail operation than 'Mr. Butch', I've yet to hear it.

Regular readers might recognise this from a previous posting on my defunct weblog 'This Is Not The Universe'. Weirdly, this was the most popular thing to ever appear there, with an astounding 72,000 hits. I'm prety sure the internet must have been broken that day.

Interesting Postcards

1972 Outspan Orange

The National Motor Museum

Beaulieu, Hampshire

'Outspan commissioned six of these advertising vehicles in the early 1970s and they were used extensively both in this country and abroad. The engine of the car is from a Mini, though a specially fabricated chassis is used'. 

I'll bet this provided a fantastically embarrassing driving experience, as well as causing whiplash injuries wherever it went as heads snapped around to watch its progress. My only comparable experience is from when I was in the village of Bournville and a Cadburys Creme Egg car from nearby 'Cadbury World' drew up alongside us at the lights. It was the only time in my life when I have literally rubbed my eyes in disbelief. I was so shocked, in fact, that I had to pull over for some chocolate.