PURSUIT
Preface
I wrote this book in the early 1990s; it is set in the late 1980s.
Reading it again for the first time in a quarter of a century, in preparation for its publication on this website, I was struck by a few things which have changed in the intervening years.
The M1, for much of its length, no longer has a metal barrier along the central reservation but a concrete one. That is something I would not have envisaged.
Other changes relate, unsurprisingly, primarily to technology. There was no satellite navigation back then or aids to navigation on a mobile telephone; indeed, mobile phones themselves were practically unheard of. Few cars nowadays open by means of turning a key in the door handle and, accordingly, a screwdriver today is - I suspect - a pretty redundant tool for trying to break into a vehicle. Back in those days keys could be left in the ignition whereas now all sorts of bleeps and alarms tend to sound if the keys are so left. Ignition keys themselves even seem to be becoming obsolete!
Faced with difficulties these days, drivers can simply flick a switch which automatically locks all the doors to prevent access by undesirables. This was not the case in the days of this story but, if such a switch were available to him, I don't think it would have helped our hero much. Another innovation, now fitted as standard in all vehicles, is the airbag. That might have helped somewhat.
Finally, I was struck that, back then, traffic was light on a Sunday and lorries moving on the Lord's day were an usual sight. How different is the situation today!
Aside from these changes down the years, the story - I believe - remains fresh and could happen very similarly today. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Richard Farquharson
© Richard Farquharson, Maulden, Bedfordshire June 2017