The choice was either to trudge through water looking for a phone box, or staying with the car. That was a simple choice: I slept in the Fiat.Otherwise, it was a very groovy car. Some crucial mechanical parts were less than perfect, which included vague steering and even more vague brakes. The heater was a strange device, which either did not work or jammed on permanently so that after a few minutes’ driving you would have to open all the windows. At that time, though, all you had to do was pay for another five lessons and you could switch to a stick shift.

So when I started to drive the little Fiat full-time, the fun really started.
The clutch went within days. It cost me money straightaway because the Fiat had a manual transmission and I had learnt to drive in an automatic. Berkeley SquareThe Nosh Brothers book ‘Entertaining’ is available from Macmillan Direct 01256 32942. It was my first and worst car A really beautiful 1969 Fiat 124 Sport, finished in red.

I paid A$2,000 (pounds 900) for it and within a year had sunk another $5,000 into the thing. Viaduct St, HuddersfieldLivebait Top fish restaurant nets a mention for its pristine white tiles and all-round fresh feel. The Cut, London SE1The Square High-class modern British nosh with lavs to match. literally.Top five toiletsThe Savoy’s grandeur extends to free colognes and brush-up. Strand, LondonTamasha’s toilets boast framed illustrations from the Karma Sutra.