Happiness is a slow drive

Michael Crawcour is 87, puts out the bins in his 67 year old Morris Minor and looks after his elderly wife. Photo by Damjan Janevski. 331674_01

Star Weekly is looking back at some of the best stories from 2023, this is one of them.

May 1

Werribee’s Michael Crawcour looks and sounds a lot younger than he is.

“I’ve gotta pull my wallet out to show people when I was born because they don’t believe that I’m getting on 90” said the remarkably spritely 87-year-old.

Fittingly, his car does too.

“We bought it 35-36 years ago at least” Mr Crawcour said of the blue 1956 Morris Minor, which at 67 years old, is only 20 years his junior.

Unsurprisingly, neither travel too far these days, the result of a crash both were in years ago.

“I was in a car accident in the Morry and I’ve got bone on bone on one leg and an ACL on the other leg” said Mr Crawcour of the injuries he suffered, which makes household tasks like putting out the rubbish that much more difficult.

Thankfully, he still has the car on hand to help.

“If the bins are full I put them on the back of the car and off I go.“

When not towing wheelie bins down his driveway, Mr Crawcour cares for ailing his wife, Phyllis.

“She’s 83 and 80 per cent bed-ridden, heart problem, kidney problem, diabetic and now fighting blood cancer” he said.

“I’m one of those very fortunate people who unless it’s a matter of life and death they don’t worry.”

Michael and Phyllis’ ability to overcome adversity is what brought them to Werribee 15 years ago, after losing their home in a failed investment.

Forced onto the aged-pension and in need of cheap rent, the parents of three sons and two grandkids moved west and haven’t looked back.

“I love it, absolutely love it” Mr Crawcour said.