Tecalemit was recently contacted by a retired mechanical engineer called Neil with a little story and a request for help. Neil and his friend used to supplement their incomes as apprentice engineers by working as driver and mate on one of his family’s coal delivery lorries. At the time, the friends were petrolheads and read all the motoring magazines they could lay their hands on. There was not a radio in the lorry, so as they were driving along, they used to sing all kinds of silly tunes and ditties, but one that Neil fondly remembers was a poem that was used in one of Tecalemit’s advertisements from the mid to late 1950s.
The advert for Tec-Element oil filters featured a poem and was possibly accompanied by a Brockbank-style cartoon. Neil can recall most of the poem but not the second to last line of the last verse. Sadly, Neil’s friend recently passed away, so he contacted Tecalemit to see if they had a copy of the advert to solve the mystery of the missing line of the poem. Tecalemit has been based in Plymouth for the last 75 years. When this Tec-Element advert would have been produced, the company was located at Marsh Mills. However, it has moved to several other locations across the city since then. Unfortunately, copies of the old adverts have been lost during these moves, so Tecalemit cannot answer Neil’s question.
As Neil remembers it, the poem is below, and Tecalemit would like to ask any motoring enthusiasts if they can help solve this puzzle. Speaking about Neil’s poem, a Tecalemit spokesperson said, “Tecalemit has been a major player in the motor trade over the years, and at the time this advert was produced, we were widely known for our lubrication products. Neil’s story has touched us, and we would love to find the answer to the missing line for him. We hope somebody out there can fill in the gap in Neil’s poem. We know there are a lot of motoring enthusiasts who collect old adverts, and maybe one of them can recall this poem.”
Imagine if you can your engine,
Bravely lugging you along,
Through the highways and the byways,
Trying never to go wrong.
Imagine if you can its bearings,
Standing all this wear and toil,
Ground and worn to near destruction,
By dirty, scratchy engine oil.
Pity Sir your noble engine,
Listen to its loud lament,
>> MISSING LINE <<
Fit a new TEC-ELEMENT.
Anyone with any information about this poem should contact Tecalemit directly on 01752 219111 or [email protected]