A nice looking car, hope it continues to give good service.

Last year we had snow and storms on 11th March in southern England, I know that for certain as I was on a ferry to Jersey, it was gusting force 8 and the ferry couldn’t into St Peter Port, Guernsey as it was too rough, we got into St Helier OK., but they’d had worst snow in over 30 years.
This was what it was like a couple of days later:-


The airport was closed for 2 1/2 days, there were drifts 3-5 feet deep, when we left on the 15th there were still roads closed due to the snow!
Don’t write winter off just yet?

Put some plastic or similar inside the plug cap to stop electrical contact and stop the spark plug from working.
However have you thought that he might try to do the work manually which will be much more physical effort which has it’s own dangers?
I say this as my late father was in a similar-ish situation, he wasn’t a safety hazard though, the chainsaw enabled him to do what he wanted to do long after he would have done had he not had the saw.

Don’t do it……………I had to go to our local one twice many years ago when I had a company car and the company accountant said we had to go there, utter rubbish, I wouldn’t trust them to change the ink in a fountain pen.
We have local independents who are far better as they know what they’re talking about and cheaper too.

In addition you’ll need vice to hold the case in, and I don’t mean a Super Record that was bolted to your dads work bench BITD!
See here
I have both a smaller and larger one to allow for the larger cased watches that are around today.

I haven’t had that exact situation, but did loose one for a couple of days when she got shut in some ones garage, she wasn’t very well at the time it was so good to get her back.
We had something similar when we moved and our mature male cat had to go out into the garden for the first time which was some weeks afterwards.
He did a tour of the back garden then headed for the fence that led into the woods, we had a seemingly very long and anxious wait whilst and even thought about leaving some food out in case came home very late.
But after a while the birds alarm calls got closer and then there was a thump on the fence followed by his head looking over at us as if to say you were worrying about nothing, I’ve come back home to where I belong.
You have to let them go out at some point I can understand your anxiety about it, but better to do it when you can be about that when it escapes when you’re trying to go out somewhere?

I think this has been proposed before, but not got any further.
I can see advantages and pitfalls of a system like this, it would also make older cars seem more desirable to some who wouldn’t the State to have that control over their vehicle.

Well almost, an ex-colleague and I were very nearly responsible for Prince Willam and Kate Middleton going on a skiing holiday without their skis?
My ex-colleague now lives in Australia!

When you say full independent service history, what exactly does that mean?, has it been serviced every year or on mileage?
@21,000 miles in 8+ years should have had at least 6 services and one cam belt change, I’m not up to date with the service requirements for that model.
Also has it been checked for any outstanding recalls that Vauxhall would know about, but the independent garage might not?
Low mileage vehicles aren’t always the holy grail people make them out to be, lack of use can cause issues just too.
A good provable by the book service history counts for a lot no matter what the mileage is.

[/quote]Not estate, and not a particularly big car, but the civics rear seats fold up from the base and against the upright, allowing you to sit a bike in the footwell easily. Remove front wheel only.
Great design.

The Jazz has the same ‘magic seat’ arrangment which works really well.
There is a Civic Tourer due out, with the rear seats down it has over 1900 litres.
I’ve had an invitation from Honda for the launch on 14th/15th February, I will be taking a look at that.

Unfortunately there aren’t any flying examples in the UK, there’s one in Canada or the USA I think.
There are several in preservation in the UK, including 3 at the DeHavilland Museum, just off the M25 near St Albans, I went there a couple of years ago, it’s where they were developed.
It’s not the best laid out museum I’ve been to, but I found it facsinating to see so many examples from this once great aircraft manufacturer including the original prototype DH98 (W4050) Mosquito.

It’s horses for courses, both played their part in the battles of the air, but had very different roles.
The Mosquito was a more versitile aircraft and the lowest loss rate in Bomber Command, most probably due to it’s speed and manoverability.
You could shoot great lumps out of the Flying Fortress and it could still get home, a USAAF Colonel just returned from a mission over Germany was asked about the state of his ‘Fortress, he said something along the lines of,’standard operational configuration’ when pressed added ‘two turning, two burning’.

Tern are a newish manufacturer, a breakaway from Dahon, the worlds largest manufacturer of folding bikes.
The Brompton is brillaint at folding into a very neat package, the Tern should be a good ride thanks to it’s larger wheels, but it lacks the spring in the middle of the Brompton.
I’d try both for fit and ride and then make the decission.

It’s not very far from me, it’s not actually on the motorway (M40) you can also access it from the A355 and there is a motel right next door.
It’s not that different from some other non m-way service area’s really, I think the outrage is due to the opening hours, along with the thought of people driving there specifically to drink alcohol?
I almost go past it on my work commute, but won’t be dropping in on way to or from work for a ‘quick one’, although I do use the services sometimes.
I did note that the petrol station on the same site had bottles of spirits behind the till when I got a news paper from there at Christmas.

I do indirectly, a company I worked for some years ago worked with a company who did it, but only on their own products.
I used to have fairly easy access to X-ray and CT machines, but not these days unfortunately or I’d offer to help, all ours are in secure areas now!

An X-ray should show any cracks, but delamination between layers could be a bit more tricky, a CT scan would give you a 3d view of the joint.

Hmmm, it’s probably just the paint from some very slight flexing, but needs to be NDT’d (non distructive testing) really.
There’s a carbon frame repair specialist up Silverstone way, can’t remember the name, but some one else might?, would be worth talking to them, as they may have the facility to test it too?

That’s sad news indeed, he seemed like a great guy to me and very supportive of his son.
I wish I could talk to my dad, but sadly I can’t, but I do think of him very often.

I went to Betty’s Cafe & Tea Rooms a few years ago, has a very special feel to it, we had some really good fish and chips there.

Personally I would avoid a Mitsubshi L200, we have then at work and they make the Citroen’s look good!
A colleague also has one and is now having engine issues, but he previous one was OK.
I would go for the van/people carrier option.

I went last year and enjoyed it along with the Boat Show and two other ‘outdoorsie’ shows that were on at the time, but it was in January, hence sharing with the Boat show, the weather was bad as we’d had snow just before the weekend.
Last years was a combination of trade exhibitors and traders actually selling stuff!
I hope it’s the same this year as I’m looking for a new helmet.
This years show is sharing with 3 other ‘outdoorsie’ type shows on London Bike Show[/url].
The London Motorcycle show is also on but entry to that needs it’s own ticket:(
My plan is to go on Friday most probably by train as a weekday trip across London by car isn’t my idea of fun.

That ‘Dale @ Paul’s Cycles looks like a good option, as low as you are too short?

Evans have some on offer that might fit the bill:[http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/bikes/cyclocross-bikes#!!price_from=;price_to=;on_sale=;sort=asc;]

Sorry to hear about your shoulder and elbow keeping you off your bike :
I have a 2000 (2001 YM) Td4 with 112k up (so low mileage!), I’ve had it for almost 9 years, the most serious item replaced so far is the VCU @ £300 fitted, also had a camshaft sensor in 2012 @ £65, everything else has been the normal consumables, tyres, brake pads, wiper blades, bulbs, oil, filters etc.
I have a good local independent LR and 4×4 specialist that does the jobs I can’t or don’t want to do.
This year it will get new discs & pads along a set of almost new sport suspension struts that I got from ebay for £50.
It is a second car so doesn’t get used everyday, it tows a car trailer very well and is superb off road with the right tyres.
This time of year gets move use due to it’s all weather capability, my neighbors are very envious as it gets in and out out of our close when no one else can.
It returns about 400 miles per 13 gallon tank, would be better but I have a roof rack and quite aggressive mud & snow tyres fitted, fuel it on good diesel with 250ml of two stroke plus 50ml of Millers diesel treatment per tank full.
No it isn’t perfect, but I don’t expect that from a 13 1/2 year old vehicle, yes I would get a another one (Td4), but an auto this time.
I know some one who went from a Freelander to new a Jeep and regretted it, she should have stuck to the green oval.
Hope this helps you.

@Markend, nice one, I took mine at Hersham, where was yours taken?

I still love STW, I look forward to the next issue coming out and even have a little ritual when I get it.
It has changed over the years, but then so has everything else?
I look at the latest issues of WhatmountainbikeriderUK? and sometimes can’t tell who’s version I’m reading.
STW is different and all the better for it.

Bradley, on a home run on home turf, 01-08-2012, magic!

Janet Street Porter, not on TV so much now, but she loves the sound of her own voice, but doesn’t realise that nobody else does:x

What Harry the Spider says, Steam loco’s need coaxing into life, Diesels have that growl when taking off and howl when running fast.
Electric is somehow more remote perhaps due to their dependency on being supplied power from external sources?

That’s terrible, it’s already injured a horse and thrown the rider, what if the rider had fallen on one of them?
As they were covered by leaves I would say it was most likely a deliberate act!

Yes, the economy is superb, the DCT is great, my commute to/from work includes the M25 :x so can be slow at times, it really works so well in heavy traffic and the dual mode is a nice option to have too.
I very much like the laid back relaxed attitude the bike gives, the low revving torquey engine is very different from the ‘Street Triple it replaced, a very good bike, but not quite me and my knees and elbows weren’t liking the riding position!
I have a Givi screen, Acerbis hand guards and bigger foot for the side stand, this year it should gain a centre stand and some hard luggage.
The 2014 ‘750 should be better, but I’m in no hurry to change, wouldn’t be worth the cost of changefor the very little I’d gain.

@ Peter Proddy, ‘Honda NC700X 74mpg (that’s just the first fill, I’m hoping to get it up to around the 80mpg mark)’

My NC700X (DCT) has averaged 83 mpg so far, 79.9 being the worst and 85.8 being the best.
I can truly say that I look forward to filling it up :-)

@ Sandwich, it’s shown as Aldwych station which was it’s name when it closed in 1994.

That’s a superb site if you’re interested in the subject.
For London Underground Stations specifically try this one:-
http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk/
There are also several books on the subject. :-)