Major or minor, they're off to London

FOR one devoted couple Morris Minors are a major part of life. John Barbour, 67, and his wife Maureen, 62, from Haughley will be travelling up to London to be part of the parade for the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday in their lovingly restored 1956 Morris Minor.

FOR one devoted couple Morris Minors are a major part of life.

John Barbour, 67, and his wife Maureen, 62, from Haughley will be travelling up to London to be part of the parade for the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday in their lovingly restored 1956 Morris Minor.

They will be joining other enthusiasts near the capital's centre, who have been assembled by the Morris Minors Drivers Club to form a column for the parade.

The couple bought the car 17 years ago for £500 from a man, who John thinks "Must have had a narrow garage, as the front two wings of the car had to be replaced."

They are the only parts of the vehicle that are not original, every other part even down to the old fashioned semaphore indicators came with the car 46 years ago.

It was the fact that the semaphore indicators had not been replaced with modern day blinkers that the Barbour's car was selected for the show, as very few Morris Minors have these original features in place.

The couple, who ran the Railway Tavern in Haughley until 1994, have a passion for Morris Minors, owning three of them, with Maureen having passed her driving test in one.

They are delighted to be taking part in the parade, and Maureen added: "We were very glad to have been selected for this event."

The car has a local number plate, starting URT, and has had three owners.

A district nurse was the first owner who sold it to a Mr Keeble, (of the narrow garage) and finally the Barbours.

It has only been driven 52,000 miles in its long history.

John said: "When I bought the car it had never been out of Suffolk."

The couple who got married two years after the car was made, in 1958, will take their two grandsons with them for the big event in their Minor car.