Somewhere in the rural lands surrounding the city of Langley, BC, is a farm, and on that farm is a large blue structure that could contain anything from chickens to tractors. So anyone stepping inside would, if not forewarned, think they'd stepped into a time capsule where the calendar was stuck somewhere in the 1960s. The theme, however, is strictly automotive and anyone who loves old cars or has fond memories of soda bars and jukeboxes would be delighted to spend an hour or two reminiscing. I cannot, however, tell you exactly where the collection is located nor its name. The images shown here came from long-time friend Diana Carter who discovered them on the Web without photo identification. If anyone knows, please use the "comments" box so I can add a proper credit.



Obviously there are many wonderful old cars on display, either restored or in perfect original condition, but what I particularly admire is that the owner chooses to portray a lifestyle as it existed in those years. In my view, that's what makes a museum truly interesting as opposed to row upon row of classics and nothing else, no matter how attractive the cars may be. Look at that lovely old soda bar, for example. In an earlier era it would have been a gathering place for young people who, unlike today's generation, didn't need liquor or drugs to help them socialise. Just order a raspberry soda and the guy or gal on the next stool would be happy to talk. Come to think of it, who in modern times actually knows what a "soda" is made from? And does anyone know a place that still serves sodas?



I'm dating myself with this but I much prefer service stations the way they once were. I'd far rather drive up to a pump (especially the gravity-feed kind) and have the attendant clean the windshield, check the oil and top up the tires, than struggle to get my credit card right side up or dash through the rain to hand it to a surly kid who'd rather sell me a bag of potato chips. And don't even get me started on the subject of modern air pumps! Give me, instead, an old-fashioned service station pump with a clock-sized gauge where the desired pressure could be set simply by turning a handle. Ding! Ding! Ding! ...and when the dinging stopped the tire was ready. Okay, those pumps weren't always accurate but at least they made filling the tires quick and convenient.



Now that we can download any new or old song from iTunes and fit a radio that plays our choice of music via satellite (sans commercials) and now that we can walk or jog with an iPod strapped to our waists, the idea of a jukebox seems quaint, indeed. But you know what? Managing a machine lit up brighter than a theater marquee, selecting a choice of music from flipover cards, inserting a quarter to get the music rolling... offered a satisfaction level comparable to shifting gears manually vs. letting an automatic transmission do the job. Make the right choice and you'd look real cool to every patron in the place. The owner of this car collection has not only honoured the jukebox (I'm assuming it works) but accompanied it with couches made from period autobody parts. As for the cars, there's a diverse group ranging from original Thunderbirds to a Ford GT40 to an exquisite first edition Chevy Nomad wagon and a couple of moderns. A nice place to spend an afternoon sipping a soda and listening to the Erskine Hawkins band play After Hours. (Fooled you with that one, didn't I?)