Wrecks to riches

CARS, a house, a boat? Why buy them when you can make them? That's the philosophy of John Horman, 55, who began repairing ancient cars eight years ago and now can't seem to turn his back on his vocation for restoration.

Since John, from Oswaldtwistle, embarked on his pastime he has renovated three Model T Fords, dating from 1911, 1923 and 1926, two 1934 Humbers, a narrowboat from the 1970s and is about to start work on a former Methodist chapel, which he hopes to make his home.

"You have to have a reason to get up in the morning," he said, to explain his industriousness.

"I've always been interested in old cars. I went to Accrington Technical School from the age of 11. It was great -- it gave you a really good grounding in this sort of thing. Right from day one you were going to leave that school and go into a branch of engineering."

Married to Carolyn for 35 years and joint managing director of two businesses, John somehow finds time to indulge his hobby for restoration in amongst his family and work life.

"The first car I got was a 1923 Ford Model T. It was designed to collect people from the station and take them to the hotel, back in the days when they did that."

Each car takes John a considerable chunk of time to perfect - although how long exactly varies according to the car's condition.

"It depends how bad they are," he said. "If it comes as a barn find and some farmer's had to move dozens of bales of hay to get to it, then you're just about starting from scratch.

"On average it takes a couple of years to restore them. A white 1911 Ford I got last year took me three months just to paint it. It was so old, there was no way I could have sprayed it."

In the summer months John enjoys taking his cars to local shows, such as those at Helmshore and Hoghton Tower.

He said: "We've won lots of little prizes -- we normally pick up a rosette or a plaque.

"The reason I find the shows interesting is you often meet an elderly person who used to drive one of these cars, or maybe knows where we can get some spare parts. But if it's raining I can't take these cars out. Any little spot of rain on the brass marks them. There's one of these cars which takes me two days to polish all the brass."

As a bit of a variation on the cars, John decided to turn his attentions to a 50 foot narrow boat.

"We hadn't even seen a lock when we bought it," he said. "I had it craned back to Oswaldtwistle and I worked on it here. They only just managed to reverse it into the drive.

"It was in a really shabby state -- I had to strip everything off it. It would probably have been cheaper to have bought a new boat. We went into it a bit green.

"It had a plastic composition top and I replaced it with steel. It looked great by the time I'd finished with it -- like a Viking long boat."

Unlike the cars, John decked out his boat -- called The Creeping Jenny -- with all the mod cons and now he and Carolyn spend their holidays cruising up and down Britain's canals.

It was, perhaps, this experience of living a life of luxury for a few weeks at a time that inspired John to start work on his next project -- restoring the vacated Green Haworth Methodist Chapel and turning it into a new home for him and Carolyn.

John said: "We're trying to keep the building a semi recognisable version of what it was.

"We don't want it to lose it's identity. It's a project we'll be starting on in the next 12 months.

"I'll oversee it, but there's no way I'm going to do it all myself. It's too big a project."

John and Carolyn's businesses -- Smallbone Brown at Rishton and Metering Systems Limited, at Oswaldtwistle -- ensure John has the facilities to make those car parts that he can't buy.

He said: "Smallbone Brown specialises in stainless steel fabrication, so I've got metal turning lathes on site and welding equipment. Anything I can't buy, I can make."

Unlike many car restorers, John refuses to hire out his cars for weddings. He said: "When I've spent all that time and money on them, I don't want to hire them out like taxis."

And what does Carolyn think of John's hobbies?

Well, helping with the cars apparently isn't her cup of tea at all.

John joked: "She doesn't even polish the brass."

And she's had to get used to her husband's taste for home improvement over the years.

She said: "I've been married to John for 35 years and I've never lived in a house that's been totally finished!"

But there is one of the cars Carolyn is quite enamoured with -- the 1911 Ford Model T.

She said: "It's a real woman's car, that one -- it's a lovely looking car. On a summer's day we go out in it and everybody waves at us. It really puts a smile on people's faces."