White stiletoes and Ford Escorts
August 19, 2011 5:20 AM Subscribe
I need a picture of a typical 80's Essex Man's car. I refuse to believe there are no pictures of this online.
You know what I mean, Ford Escort, white, go-faster stripers, furry dice and "Sharon & Darren" windscreen sticker.
For more info, see Essexjan's answer to this question about furry dice. The link to the BBC message board - where I assume there were photos - doesn't work anymore.
I have tried googling various compinations of Essex, car, dice, ford, daren, sharon, windscreen sticker with no luck.
You know what I mean, Ford Escort, white, go-faster stripers, furry dice and "Sharon & Darren" windscreen sticker.
For more info, see Essexjan's answer to this question about furry dice. The link to the BBC message board - where I assume there were photos - doesn't work anymore.
I have tried googling various compinations of Essex, car, dice, ford, daren, sharon, windscreen sticker with no luck.
Response by poster: Helpful, but I really am looking for a picture of a car with all the trimmings.
posted by Helga-woo at 7:58 AM on August 19, 2011
posted by Helga-woo at 7:58 AM on August 19, 2011
Having grown up in Essex in the 80s, I don't remember anyone actually having furry dice. Either they were from the 70s, or its just one of those jokes that's grown up since. Adding "boy racer" to the search might help, I got as far as this and this, but literally, no dice.
posted by penguin pie at 8:26 AM on August 19, 2011
posted by penguin pie at 8:26 AM on August 19, 2011
Best answer: What more could you want but this picture? A Ford Escort Mexico, with go-faster stripe, furry dice and photographed in Essex!
posted by essexjan at 8:48 AM on August 19, 2011
posted by essexjan at 8:48 AM on August 19, 2011
Response by poster: Essexjan, that's great! I almost just MeMailed you directly rather than ask the question here. I would still love one with a Darren & Sharon windscreen sticker, if anyone can find one, I just can't believe there is no online record of that.
posted by Helga-woo at 9:10 AM on August 19, 2011
posted by Helga-woo at 9:10 AM on August 19, 2011
The Darren and Tracy anti-glare strip was a bit of an urban myth, I don't recall ever seeing those around Essex in the 70s, 80s or 90s.
posted by essexjan at 9:21 AM on August 19, 2011
posted by essexjan at 9:21 AM on August 19, 2011
@Helga-woo: This one's a clear homage...
@Madamina: Darren, Sharon and Tracy are stereotypical Essex names, where "Essex" is being used as shorthand for a number of cultural and class-related attributes. The Wikipedia article on Essex girls might help.
I spent much of my childhood in Essex, in the 1980s, and don't consider the stereotype to have much grounding in truth; but my first-year form at secondary school did in fact include both a Sharon and a Tracy, and I haven't met anyone with either name since moving away from the area. Darrens, on the other hand, seem to pop up all over the place.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:04 PM on August 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
@Madamina: Darren, Sharon and Tracy are stereotypical Essex names, where "Essex" is being used as shorthand for a number of cultural and class-related attributes. The Wikipedia article on Essex girls might help.
I spent much of my childhood in Essex, in the 1980s, and don't consider the stereotype to have much grounding in truth; but my first-year form at secondary school did in fact include both a Sharon and a Tracy, and I haven't met anyone with either name since moving away from the area. Darrens, on the other hand, seem to pop up all over the place.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:04 PM on August 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
> ...who are Darren, Sharon and/or Tracy, please?
Look here, zoom on ahead to 2:34. (Not that that's Darren, Sharon, or Tracy, but it might help with the concept.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:09 PM on August 22, 2011
Look here, zoom on ahead to 2:34. (Not that that's Darren, Sharon, or Tracy, but it might help with the concept.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:09 PM on August 22, 2011
Response by poster: I am almost willing to accept your assurances that the windscreen stickers didn't exist, almost willing... in the late-90's I had a friend at uni from Dagenham studying archaeology who did a presentation on the material culture of modern Essex, based on her extended family and extensive field research. I swear she included a picture of such a car, but maybe I just wanted that to have happened...
ManyLeggedCreature, there were several Tracy's and a Sharon at my school in Cumbria in the 90's, so rest easy.
Regardless, the throw-away joke in someone's leaving card has been satisfactorily executed, so thank you all!
posted by Helga-woo at 5:48 AM on August 23, 2011
ManyLeggedCreature, there were several Tracy's and a Sharon at my school in Cumbria in the 90's, so rest easy.
Regardless, the throw-away joke in someone's leaving card has been satisfactorily executed, so thank you all!
posted by Helga-woo at 5:48 AM on August 23, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
This man is older now but sounds like he used to be the type you're looking for...
posted by altolinguistic at 5:45 AM on August 19, 2011