WHEN you’re in need, it’s great to see people volunteering to help out.

On my way home from work on Thursday, driving down A44 College Street, I got stuck in a bit of traffic and – after crawling to the Friar Street junction, my car engine suddenly cut out.

Having tried over and over, it wouldn’t get going again, so I flicked on the hazard lights.

With traffic manoeuvring around my car, a young guy emerged from The Talbot and offered to push me onto Friar Street – and then there I sat outside Nando’s as I called for breakdown assistance.

One of my work colleagues, Matt Dresch, who was in his car behind me on the A44 had seen me having trouble. He had then looped round and parked in a nearby pay-and-display car park and walked over.

Roping in a couple of other guys, who were walking by, one of them explained how to jump start the car and then the three of them pushed while I turned the ignition and held down the clutch – the car in first gear. As we picked up speed, I released the clutch but the engine failed to turnover. We did it again, and again it failed to start the car.

With us running out of road due to parked cars up ahead, we only had one more shot at it.

I pressed down the clutch, they started to push, we picked up speed, they banged on the back window, the clutch came up and, sputtering, the car was alive and running, and everyone cheered.

I turned off onto Union Street and then to City Walls Road, then back onto A44 Sidbury.

Every time I had to stop, I feared the engine would go again. The only other breakdown I’d suffered before that was, while bombing up the M5 from Gloucestershire a couple of years ago, my previous car suddenly started losing speed.

I pulled quickly into the left lane and onto the hard shoulder, white smoke seeping from the engine. That car had been driven to death and it was done.

I tried my current car later the night of the breakdown and it worked, but the next day was dead again – although the key fob and the lights still worked. That’s as far as my mechanical skills go. Anyway, it’s now at Kwik-Fit. The point is, despite all of the division, people will still help you out when you need a hand. Thanks.