John Veitch: 'My first ever car was built in 1934 - but I loved driving it'
Retired businessman John Veitch went to a car auction with a friend and ended up buying an unusual motor.
He paid £100 for a MG 34 PA in 1961. It was a 1934 model, so it was already an older car. But he loved driving it.
He had gone with a fellow student at Hull University who was interested in buying a car.
“I had no intention of buying one but I ended up with the MG,” he said. “I had to rush around to get insurance because I had to get the vehicle off the premises by 6pm.
“I remember it had water coming in through the bottom of the passenger side but I must say I enjoyed the car. It was great to drive around corners. We had some exciting times in it.”
At the time he was dabbling in shares with some of his fellow students and he says the profits paid for the MG.
John, 86, who lives in Halifax, set up his own import and export business and had some interesting cars over the years including Jaguars and Rovers.
He still drives. “I don’t quite enjoy it like I used to but I still get out and about,” he said.
“I have a Hyundai Tucson which is lovely. It’s a very good car.”
John is still involved with a charity called Hope which supports children in crisis in the Indian state of Kerala. He founded a children’s home in Kerala (www.hopeindia.org).
Since 1996 the charity has helped more than 250 orphaned or destitute children, by offering them long-term family care and educational opportunities.
“All of the children that have come to us have come to us from poverty, from poor backgrounds and many of them have been abused physically or sexually,” John said.
“The whole idea is that we look after children in a family and not just feed them but best educate them...We aim to take them out of poverty.”