Father and mother were both petrol heads but didn't earn much in the early days, father always maintained his cars so from a very early age would hand tools to him and by the time I was moving from short to long trousers was carrying out some elements of service / repair under his watchful eyes. Before the war mother could change a thrust bearing and clutch plate faster than father because she had more nimble hands! He had a BSA Scout and she had an Austin Ruby, before the war both were grammar school science teachers so were relatively well paid
