Abandoned Mini

A few years ago my wife, @lizzaturnbull, and I took an anniversary trip to Madeira and stayed at a resort hotel near the village of Calheta. While Liz rested in the afternoons I would go for a small wander around the locale, not that there was a hug amount of wandering to be had.

However, walking along the road between our hotel and the next one along, there was this fantastic little spot. The edge of the island we were on has a lower ledge, on which the road and hotels, and a marina, are built on and this runs up to a steep, high, cliff. Here someone, at some point, has tunneled into the cliff or expanded a naturally occuring cave, to create a storage spot. Then, it's been abandoned. At the back it looke like there's a very old boat and then out front, this wonderfully abandoned mini.

It's clear that this was a restoration project for someone, but not for ages. The work required to rub down all the paintwork and prime it is considerable but all that work has been left for naught by the project being abandoned for long enough to rust through again.

I didn't attempt to investigate inside the cave but can't help wonder if I may have found the engine which should be sitting where the dead foliage is.

Not being any kind of car afficionado I can't regale you with the model and year of this lovely little wreck, though shape wise it looks as if it could be Mini 1000 from the sixties. Maybe someone can confirm or suggest otherwise.

The top picture I really love and if I ever get round to it I'll have it printed out on canvas to hang as a picture - I've done that with another pic from that holiday, and with one of my daughter's pics from a trip to Venice.

It's a great way to decorate walls with memories.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my abandoned mini as much as I did.

text and pictures by stuartcturnbull. pictures taken on iPhone 8