Sunday, February 2, 2014

The stuff of legends

Post by Rob......

I took delivery today of the rebuilt 'Coolum Victa' from the maestro Adam from Kambah Lawn Mower Centre.  This old lady is vintage 1956 and has links back to the era of the FJ Holden and the 1956 T-Bird and Pontiac; a time when things were built to last.  I think they started to make them after the Second World War and she originally had rubber covered steel wheels (I still have them). 

She has her own poem written for her and ranks with the important pieces of hardware in a man's (or womans') life like old shovels and tools you inherit from your dad, old guitars, a TR and beautiful things given as gifts that encapsulate an expression of true feeling (the things that are a wrench to part with).  

I am told that she is a collectible.     



 Note the hand fashioned handle on the pull chord, a link back to her previous owner (Stan) and her previous life keeping down the buffalo grass at Coolum Beach.
 
Adam has completely rebuilt her internals as they were a bit tired when I took her to him. In fact she had no puff at all. This is a young man who knows a thing or two about the zen of lawn mowers.







I wrote this poem for her about 15 plus years ago when she took a little holiday after I had her doing some hard work over the road on our hill.  I am much older and more respectful now. 


The Coolum Victa

The Coolum Victa has died
Josh said that its’ bearings are fried
This is the diagnosis of our son
He is a Mechanical Top Gun.

It came to me from Stan
And he was the man
Who could make that Coolum Victa sing
And I kept it alive
But it could not survive in my care forever.

It was the pride of my fleet
But it could not meet
The heavy demands
Of a Kenyon tart's* garden
They're pretty hard  'n
Every Victa today
Must pay its’ own way.

It goes now into Victa Heaven
Where it can mow the grass
For Kenyon's First Eleven
Or perhaps prepare the lawn
For SRV** to give a concert on.

I will never forget her
Our family history will not let her
Fade away

So RIP Coolum Victa
You are laid to rest today.

Epilogue

She didn’t die,
Apparently she just had a little holiday.

* term of great admiration and affection
** Stevie Ray Vaughan

3 comments:

Unknown said...

loved this Rob - you need to blog more often.

Unknown said...

You're a star Rob. Not just for your mighty poem, but keeping the old victa girl alive. xx

Malcolm said...

Now that would look good in the garage alongside the TR4!