Mark collects his Mazda

Yes, Mark has upgraded from his first car, a 1.2 Fiat Punto to a 1.6 Mazda 3 TS. Age wise he has gone from a 1999 "banger" which was run on a shoe string to a 2004 car that is much more in keeping with both his job and the need to make regular trips to visit his girlfriend in Slough.


Mark collects his Mazda from Sunwin, Derby.

The Punto had 82,000+ recorded miles, this Mazda has covered less than 33,000 and has a full 12 months (Mazda backed) warranty, so here's hoping it does him good service over the next few years without costing a fortune along the way.

Parents become old people

Parents - usually nice to have and nice to know. But, they become old people and the same doesn't always apply. Like young kids they become demanding. And they don't just want it, they want it now!

Now I remember that all the way through my formative years we worked on the basis that there were 4 Sundays in a month. These were then allocated on the basis of one for a visit to Dad's mum, one at home, then one at mum's parents and one at home. If there were 5 sundays in the month then that was an extra at home Sunday.

But now our parents are old people, and yes, we still love them but even though we get to see them at least once a week, usually twice and often more frequently than that... it's never enough. They still want to "see more of us". They claim they don't get out. Now for my dad that is true, he does nothing because of his advanced MS, he can't, but mother walks the dog most days, gets into town and round the supermarkets to do her shopping. Likewise Sue's mum, while her dad is transported to an old folks "club" twice a week and every now and then his mate Tony takes him to The Legion for a night out. In the better weather he gets about on a mobility scooter but with sub zero temperatures currently bing the norm, then he's staying in more as we'd expect. Except he doesn't. He wants to be out.

So where does that leave us? Running around after the old folks. Doing the shopping that they forget because they won't write themselves a list but which we won't do unless it's on a list (see the irony there - they won't write a list for themselves but they will for us). Popping in and out, lots of short visits simply because if we just go for a few hours once a week then they say "we never see anything of you".

I love my parents but I'm not so keen on old people.

The banger is going!

Mark needs a reliable car and the Punto is past it's best. It has served him well and been really quite cheap to run but recent events have highlighted it's age. So while his car was off the road waiting on Andy's time to fix it and then the phased repair after the first fix failed to provide the permanent solution, "Dad's Taxi" gets hooked into conveying him around the dealers and car retailers in the local area. After several of weeks searching, initially without any idea as to what he really wanted and all the time mindful that he didn't want to blow all his savings, we finally found the solution.

Late on Sunday afternoon we dropped in on the local Mazda dealership, and after being advised that all the ones in the price bracket we were looking had been sold and leaving our details for then to "get back to us" we took a walk round a corner plot to see a lovely looking example of a 7 year old Mazda 3 TS at half the price we'd set as the upper limit of his budget. We persuade a salesman who obviously wants to be getting off home, to give Mark a test drive. The smile across his face when he returns tells me all I need to know. So, we agree that subject to an inspection by his bigger brother Andy, and the go ahead from him, we are seriously interested.

Andy has seen it, driven it, inspected it and on Tuesday after Christmas Mark will own a low mileage Mazda 3 1.6 TS in a rather nice metallic blue, complete with a 1 year Mazda backed warranty and home start, breakdown and recovery. What a nice way to end the year.

Exensive time of year

Yes, Christmas is upon us and it's traditionally an expensive time of year, but boy, this year takes the biscuit.

First the washing machine decides it wants to be a shopping trolley (i.e. have a mind of it's own) and not wash/dry what's put in it to the program selected on the dial.

Second breakdown was Mark's car. On the main, narrow and twisty road up through Castle Donington on his way to work it stops, having over heated. Due to the sub-zero temperatures it soon cools down without any coolant being added and he gets to work. And later, he drives it home. The water pump is leaking a pretty flow so that's the obvious culprit, and is duly replaced only for a second leak to then be found at the union of the block to the heater matrix part of the system - an elbow piece of plastic with a temperature sensor is having a hard time and leaking coolant at a rate of knots, so a new one is purchased and fitted. Job done, the banger lives again and at least he can get to work.

Next up, the boiler decides to follow suit so we get the local man in who diagnoses the fault and we then have to wait 10 days for the bit to come and for him to fit it, a ten minute job, an expensive ten minute job, but as always he sticks with his quote so we are just happy to get hot radiators when we turn up the thermostat.

Then yesterday Sue gets her car out to drive to work, only to find it's pulling to the left. that might be because the near side front tyre has a damned great big nail through it. That's one new tyre then.

So when I get home to insurance renewal notices for (i) my car insurance, and (ii) the home contents and building insurance I'm not well pleased. All due by the end of the year, they bring the tally for December to £1,600.

And I still have to find £300 from somewhere for a replacement exhaust for the motorbike - so that'll be on hold until February (at least).

Infamy

The old line, "Infamy, Infamy, they've all got it in for me..."

This time my 15 seconds of fame is in Issue 155 of The Riders Digest, where both me and my web site get a mention. Despite that, it's an excellent read and justifies it's place as the only magazine subscription that I currently have (now nearing the end of my 2nd year).

From the weekend

Mother nature decided that she wanted a nice new white coat so we got a dusting of snow, roughly 3 inches worth came down over Friday night and we (like much of the UK) awoke to a blanket covering everything in sight. Now that is bad news where we are as it takes very little to make getting home in the car very difficult, if not impossible. We are at the top of a slope/hill on one of the highest bits of ground inside the Derby City boundary, but we are about 400 metres from the bus route (which gets gritted by the council) and most of that is in shade so the effects of the sun don't get through to assist any thaw. So, out with the broom and shovel. One elderly neighbour gave up a spare snow shovel, which made things easier, and another supplied some salt (that may appear generous but he is self employed so couldn't spare time to shovel snow and dearly wanted to be able to get his van back up to his house, one door up from ours).

So I spent a good part of Saturday morning clearing The Close of snow and laying down salt/grit, just in time for the delivery of our new washing machine (ordered on the internet and delivered from Manchester) which I then had to install. Old machine got stuck outside by the back door, and it will sit there until the weather improves - which could be a long time. Then it was out to do the weekly shop. Then back to do the ironing (my part of the weekend's chores). With a mug of vegetable soup for lunch somewhere in the middle and a quick trip to check on Mum & Dad, Sue and I were glad to put our feet up and spend an evening alone in front of the TV.

Sunday morning, no more snow had fallen so I took myself off to clear Mum & Dad's drive of snow and put down some of the salt/grit I'd got left over from Saturday. I know Dad can't get out and Mum doesn't go out much when the weather is bad like this, but the carers provided by social services, along with the nurses and doctors that regularly call to check on Dad means that I like to keep their drive clear if I can. Anyway, I got it done and called in after work tonight to check on them again and Mum said that everyone had remarked how nice it was that the drive was not slippery and that they felt safe as a result of my efforts, so that's reward enough.

Mum is well. Dad was better at the weekend but wasn't so good again tonight. He still hasn't shaken off the cold and chesty catargh that has palgued him for the last several weeks. Both are now starting to get used to my new tactics of little but often - instead of just seeing them once a week I now try and pop in at least 3 time a week, each time being short and sweet.

Oh, and while I'm on I might as well comment on how much better the VW Passat is in these poor weather conditions when compared to the Mercedes. So far I'm much more impressed with the Passat than I ever was with the Merc. Let's hope it stays that way.

What's around the corner?

It was with great sadness that I learnt on Saturday of the death of Jenny Adcock - wife to Steve - from cancer on Friday. I met Steve and Jenny through the UK Deauville forum, regularly riding out with them after meeting up with them in Rennesse, Holland at DmD in 2006. Steve had only retired a month ago so it is all the more painful that Jenny won't be there with him after all their years of marriage.

The last time I saw Jenny was on the BBC Radio Derby ride for Children in Need appeal from Claycross back to the Radio Derby offices. As usual she was her cheerful, smiling, happy self. She was having a few health problems but that was nothing new and it did nothing to change her happy, bouncy demeanour. She posed with Pudsy bear for photographs and if she and Steve knew anything then, they said nothing. On Monday 15th November she went into hospital as aranged, on Friday 19th she was another victim claimed by cancer.

Right now all out thoughts and prayers are with and for Steve in this time of great loss and sadness. I just hope that Jenny has left him with enough happy memories to see him through these difficult times as I know that she will be dearly missed.

Family matters

Angie & John came up and stayed with Mum and Dad at the weekend, popping in to see us on Saturday evening for an hour. It's was real nice to see Angie as she's not stopped by the last few visits, but, with her hand as badly damaged as it is I'm not now surprised. What's more, I'm amazed that she continues to work but like she says, it's her right hand that's damaged and she is left handed.

Earlier in the month John emailed me some pictures of his new home, which he acquired on the cheap and which he has had to put some effort into to get it habitable before winter gets here. But he's done it and the pictures (before and after) take some seeing to believe. Fully rewired and replumbed inside, it now needs just a little cosmetic work on the inside to finish it off, but he's well pleased and has every right ot be so. What's more, we are all pleased for him as his last few years have been spent in cold and draughty accomodation so this is a definite turn for the better. However, I still hope we don't get the severe winter the UK Met Office have predicted - mind you, they didn't predict the summer right so why should we expect them to do better with winter?

VFR1200 - the saga continues

It seems that I have upset more than one VFR1200 owner/fan with my declaration that the VFR1200 is the bike nobody wants or needs. Now the comments are coming in anonomously, so they get deleted. If you can't put your name to a comment it isn't worth anything.

The latest thread is back to the old "Dullsville" theme - implying that I should ride a VFR1200 before commenting on it. Well that particular sword cuts both ways, and as they obviously have never ridden a Deauville (NT650V or NT700V) then they should keep their comments to themselves until they have.

Anyway, it seems that I'm not alone in my view as we have now had 2 UK bike magazines do comparisons of the VFR against it's main rivals. One is a straight shoot out with the Suzuki GSX1250F which the VFR looses because while the Suzi is built around budget suspension it has a stonking engine and everything else the VFR should have, and as the magazine (MSL) points out, a suspension upgrade would cost under £1000 which still leaves it £3000 cheaper and better equiped than the VFR. The other (TRD) was a comparison with the Ducati Multistrada ABS and the BMW R1200RT which it again looses due to it's lack of equipement when compared directly with bikes in the same price bracket (but where it is still the dearest of the 3 which are better equiped while still costing less money).

So the only motorcycle magazines that laud the new VFR are those that don't compare it directly with others in it's class (that probably applies to VFR1200 owners too) and even they comment on it's fuel consumption combined with it's small fuel tank - "low fuel light coming on after "just 120 miles". I'll close this piece with a quote from the end of the road test done by TRD:-

"The VFR has a fantastic engine, but also a heavy chassis and conservative geometry that place handling firmly in the realm of touring. The upside is a stable ride that's extremely comfortable for the rider, and the pillion too with it's wide seat and substantial grab rail. But don't get too comfy as you'll be stopping for petrol soon."

Honda Crosstourer

Seems like I'm not alone in thinking the Crosstourer is a "good move" by Honda and are hoping it will make it into production. About the only possibly "negative" comment is a preference for alloy over spoked wheels. While I can understand the reason for their comments I like the look of the concept bike with spoked wheels, so let's just wait and see what changes Honda make to it if/when it makes it into production.

VFR1200 (again)

Yet another comment in defense of the VFR1200 (which I've published despite the fact it's getting tiresome and tedious) from TSK. According to him...

"Phil:

the 120 mile range on the VFR1200 is a myth. I'm able to easily achieve 6.0L/100Km with normal riding... and I like to cruise at 90mph. That gives a range of 192 miles to empty. If I'm slabbing for long distance and keeping the bike under 5k RPM, I can stretch to 220 miles.

The warning light comes on around 150 miles, indicating that I have another gallon of fuel left so if I back off the throttle I can get another 50 miles easily.

Read my "badlands" post from a couple months ago on my blog. I failed to plan my fuel stops properly and had to stretch it... I rolled into a petrol station with 286 Kms on the clock and put 16L in the tank. I could have done another 50Km if I was careful. "


That's his words, not mine, so now for the maths:-

6.0L/100Km = 46.97mpg (4.546 litres = 1 UK gallon)

Honda says that the VRF1200 has 18.5 litre tank (including reserve)

So that's a theoretical maximum of 191.1667 miles.

Now ALL the UK bike magazines and owners are reporting that in "normal riding" the VRF1200 makes between 35mpg (which is 7.7l/100km or 142.5m/tank) to 37mpg (150.6m/tank) figures that are backed up by the experiences of Deauville owners who have had the opportunity to ride the VFR1200 in the UK. OK - that's more than 120 miles (see Crosstourer post) but still nothing special for a bike that's effectively a Blackbird replacement, so I don't expect many Blackbird owner to swap to the VFR (although some undoubtedly will).

On top of that, on his web site he claims that the VRF1200 isn't fast enough and he's had to de-restrict it. What a waste, because either TSK rides like a nun or he's a complete ------- (your words, not mine).

The worst thing is - it's people like this who have such a total conviction the their choice of bike is THE only bike worth riding that makes them such a bore / pain to other bikers. So as far as I'm concerned, this is the last of his comments that I'll be publishing because he's just lost all credibility in my eyes. Sorry I've made the mistake of inflicting him on the rest of you.

Family

I saw Mum & Dad - popping in twice over the weekend, both times for about an hour. Mum was tired and Dad has a cold. Andy went down there for tea tonight (a regular feature of their week) and he says Dad has some catarrh but Mum's looking better and not so tired. Talking to her it is obvious that she is getting more "cat naps" in than she used to, especially if Dad falls asleep.

During the last week of Dad's stop at Helen Lay we got mum's van Mot'd, taxed, washed and polished. Andy valeted it at his works and threw out the old mats so I got some new ones off eBay. Van is really quite smart now - and it cheered mum up.

Honda Crosstourer

Another announcement in MCN - MotorCycleNews What is that?

It's a BMW GS styled "adventure tourer" based on the VFR1200 with shaft drive and spoked wheels, which many will now expect me to slag off - except that it actually makes sense. It does! A tall, some would say commanding riding position in a chassis that is much more "all rounder" and much less "single purpose" using a new, latest technology, engine which will no doubt produce less power than it does in the VFR1200 but will be both more useable and more economical. So it will get much nearer to 200 miles from a tank of fuel than the measely 120 achieved by the VFR1200. Dual compound tyres will give better mileage and with panniers and topbox it will offer much greater practicality and I wouldn't mind a side bet that Honda will ensure the seat will be comfortable for mega distances.

Honda Crosstourer concept.

So what's the down side? Firstly, there's BMW's GS1200 - top selling bike in both the Adventure Tourer & the Large Capacity classes of motorcycle. It is established and BMW pamper their owners so don't expect Honda to win sales there.
Then there's the Moto Guzzi Stelvio and NTX - the first is road biased and the other offers just a little bit more off-road - neither are good enough to challenge the BMW GS1200 but then some people like to be that little bit different from the crowd.
KTM - that's for HARD MEN (and very tall ones too).
Triumph are set to release their own Adventure Tourer in 2011 - in 800 cc guise, which is a smart move as it see them competing with the smaller capacity offering from BMW, so not a direct competetor for the R1200GS.
Which leaves the Super Tenere from Yamaha. That's the bike the Crosstourer has to beat. Yamaha have stolen a march on Honda, but, it will be the direct comparisons that matter - the winner will sell, the loser will have to be heavily discounted if it isn't to remain in the showrooms and warehouses across Europe.

So there you have it - a concept that will almost certainly make it into production. About the only thing that I see being a fly in Honda's ointment is the price. Currently Japan is pricing it's bikes beyond the realms of what most people will pay - making it a luxury item. By doing that they are accepting they will not see large volume sales. But large volume sales is what got the big 4 Japanese bike brands the global position they currently enjoy and I'm not sure that many bikers will see Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha as luxury brands. They are not the Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati or Rolls Royce of the motorbike world. They are much more Ford, Mazda, Vauxhall & Volkswagen - none of these have managed to move their image up-market and I wouldn't place money on the Japanese bike manufacturers doing so either.

Honda Crosstourer - I'd put one in my garage, but, I'd never pay full list price for one!

A welcome visitor

It's not every day I get a visitor from France, allbeit an ex-pat who has lived there since 1973. But I proffered Jonathan an invitation to "drop by for a cuppa" if he was passing and that's just what he did this Sunday just past. Taking a break from visiting his elderly mother in Repton, just on 11am there he was at the front door - all smiles and obviously sensing the kettle had just boiled.

What followed was (for me) a rare Sunday treat, just talking bikes with a like minded soul for a little over an hour, ending with a quick pose by the two of us beside my bike for Suzie to do a quick click.


Phil & Jonathan.

Next time we meet could be Bank Holiday Sunday at the end of May 2011 for a ride round the Peak District or DmD Germany in June 2011. It's only a matter of time.

VFR800X part II

Well MCN have said it will be on display at the Milan show next week - see their update here MCN - MotorCycleNews and as I suspected it's a "parts bin special", in the mould of the Triumph Tiger 1050. Proven mechanical parts in a new "adventure style" chassis with revamped bodywork apeing the BMW GS series of look-a-likes. As is to be expected it features the dual-layer fairing of the VFR1200 which means that it too will be very expensive to repair if dropped or crashed. This isn't because the bike needs a dual-layer fairing but because, by producing another bike featuring it, Honda will eventually find justification for adopting and pioneering it on the VFR1200.

Call me a sceptic but unlike bikers 20 years younger than me and who probably wouldn't know an "oval pistoned" Honda NSR or a "twisted barrel" CX500/650 if they were hit by one, I am not persuaded that Honda design is always better (as in better than went before, better than the competition or better for motorcycling).

These are currently the most difficult trading times for many industries, and the motorcycle industry is one of them. The manufacturers that are turning the best results are also delivering the best bikes. Suzuki has always stacked them high and sold them cheap, and now they are having to close dealerships and re-focus their bikes to meet the expectations and aspirations of their potential clients. Neither the VFR1200 or the VFR800X does that, but, that won't stop Honda quietly dropping the "traditionally styled VFR to bolster sales of the VFR800X.

So right now it's a good job Honda produces the NT700 Deauville and expands it's sales in new markets like they did by taking it to the USA in 2010, because right now, if I was to change my bike and the NT700 wasn't being made then it wouldn't be a Honda that I'd buy, and I've owned more Hondas (4 to date) than any other make. Honda need to focus more on brand loyalty and less on technology and expense that we don't want or need.

VFR1200

My post below on the VFR800X has attracted a couple of comments – which I have tried to publish, but, for some reason they appear and disappear for no apparent reason, so here they are, as a post:-

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25 October 2010 21:21 Beacham Owen said...

I think you hit the nail on the head. My local Honda dealer is shutting down soon, even though they are small and own the property. They told me that the Honda line can't compete with the others. They've been open since the 1960s and were one of the first Honda stores in the U.S..

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28 October 2010 18:35 TSK said...

Glad I found your blog. Interesting that you can in one breath dismiss the VFR1200 and in the next breath argue the virtues of your "Dullsville". It's a bit hypocritical. I would invite you to read my blog and test ride a VFR1200 before you label it as a "miss"

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So, being open minded and in deference to TSK, here’s a link to his VFR1200FA blog so that you too can read about his passion for a bike that I consider to be inherently flawed from the design through to the execution, so go have a look (while I ignore his “Dullsville” jibe and personal insults of hypocrasy). Please note that he claims to love the VFR1200, but for me the headline to his blog sums it up just right. he says:- “Interceptor? More like "Fighter Bomber"

And that to me says it all, a fighter bomber is the ultimate compromise, not a fighter (fast and agile), not a bomber (slow and clumbersome) a mixture of both – so that'll be fast and clumbersome then, or agile and slow. Whatever, I do know that the VRF1200 (in the UK) is expensive, very expensive for a bike with limited fuel range. So I’ll save my cash by not buying VFR1200 and should I wish to have a spend with the cash saved I could buy a 700 Deauville and £4,000 of fuel – which to me would be much more fun! But then I choose to ride all year round.

Helen Lay Centre

Took Mum to see Dad in the repite home today and made a day of it, including lunch out and a cross country ride to and from instead of the usual motorway blast.

Dad was looking as good as I've seen him in the last 2 years. He's been taken out to Coventry cathedral during the week and been getting some physio. And he appears to have established a daily pattern while there and is very comfortable with it. He's been able to do some bird spotting from his room, including Partridge, Rook, Magpie, Blue Tit, Pidgeon, Black Cap and Green finches as well as sparrows (but no Robins this time). He is, however, looking forward to coming back home next Saturday, though mum appears to have mixed feelings on that as she's fighting off the dregs of a cold at the moment.

Honda VFR800X

Honda has announced the "new" adventure bike, the VFR800X and the question is, will it sell? You see, Honda has a big problem, and a nuber of smaller ones, that means it has to act now or abandon the European market altogether.

The issues:
* For years it lead the way on technology and build quality, but now the Europeans have taken over
* For years it was a Grand Prix & WSB winner, but Yamaha and Ducati have closed those doors
* For years the UK lead the European thirst for sports motorcycles, but since RWD & LWR sales have dived and continue to do so
* For 2 decades Honda quenched our thirst for new models, in the last decade they have managed 1 a year and nothing REALLY new until...
* The VFR1200 was annouced with all the latest gizmos, but, it's the bike nobody wants, not quick and light enough to be a sports bike, too small a range to be a proper tourer/sports tourer.

And here's the final issue.
* Honda have lost contact with their customers, they don't "know" their client base or what they want.

If you ride a Harley, BMW Ducati, Buell (before they got shut down) Aprillia, Benelli, MV Augusta you are absorbed into "The Family". You get invites to events, sent special offers and are treated as more than a customer. It's the modern way to do business. Contrast that to Honda, until very recently you'd ride/walk in, buy a bike and ride away -- That was it! If you returned nobody knew or cared who you were. So why shop somewhere where you aren't recognised when you can spend your money where you feel "valued"? Honda couldn't even be bothered with attending the UK motobike shows, better to cut costs was their short sighted view.

And now they are paying the price with falling sales. Now they are out to get YOUR name and address so that they can send you details by post, email and SMS, but there's another problem. Honda forced dealers to become SOLUS Honda dealers, and those same dealers don't see the need for this new attitude of customer contact and contact details beyond prising open the wallet for the initial sale.

So now we have a quick "gap filler". A parts bin special based on a bike that WAS iconic and which the press loved (until they rode 200 miles in one stint on it) using proven mechanicals in a "latest, must have" package. Will it be enough to save Honda in Europe? It had better be because otherwise Honda will be left producing basic motorcycle transport for emerging markets such as Brazil and the South Americas where Honda sell enormous volumes of locally produced machines on the smallest of profit margins.

It's still Honda - but not as we know it.

Job hunting - Update

Andy didn't get a job offer from JCB but they did say he was their next preferred candidate but he'd no welding experience which the #1 candidate did have. To me second is nowhere but it gave him valuable interview experiance.

Respite

Saturday saw Dad being loaded into the ambulance taxi for his trip to the Helen Lay Centre at Lemmington Spa for a 3 week break for both him and mother. I took mum down to book/register Dad in, but, he’s now seen as a regular and it’s much less formal than when he first went there. I stopped off at TGI Fridays (Coventry) on the way back as mother needed food and drink. The fare was good but the venue a bit loud for both of us so that’ll be a one-off visit.

Sunday evening I popped down to make sure mother was OK to find her absolutley shining. She had spent the day emptying the lounge ready for Dennis the decorator who started the stripping off of the old wallpaper today. They say that change is as good as a rest, well she certainly looked well on it last night.

All at work

For the first time ever, myself, Suzie, Andy and Mark are all in full time employment as Mark started his job at BMI today. And he liked it – which is good, so he’s going back tomorrow. It sounds interesting and he’s in an office where there’s a young crowd of twenty somethings, and he’ll be late home every Monday night (in future) as they play 5 or 7 a-side football after work. So now he’s looking forward to his first first game of footy and his first pay day.

Holiday – what holiday?

That’s not a fair comment really – it was a fabulous holiday with good friends for company in an excellent hotel in a lovely location. Neither Suzie or I had ever wanted to visit Tenerife even though we have neighbours who holiday there every year. But what a surprise, we really enjoyed it and will probably return in the future (but not every year).

Costa Adege – not as loud as Playa de las Americas, but with plenty to see and do.
Guayarmina Princess Hotel – fabulous food, excellent facilities and attentive staff.
The promenade – 8 miles almost without contact with traffic of any kind.
Car hire – low rent cars for low bucks money (Fiat Panda 32.89 euros a day)
Island attractions – Loro Parque was a full day out with loads of shows, brilliant.

We drove the island in a day including 6 hours at Loro Parque. We swam in the hotel pool, paddled in the sea, joined in hotel activities (including air rifle shooting where I top scored with 44 out of 50 from my first 5 shots, which is all you get) and we walked miles and miles.

It rained heavily the first day – staff at the hotel told us it was only the 4th time they could remember it raining like that in the last 7 years. Drinks varied a lot in price but were cheaper than Portugal earlier in the year with a pint of local beer from 98 cents along the promenade to 3.20 euros in the hotel bar.

But that was just over 2 weeks ago and it now seems like years ago as we returned to the pressures of normal life back here in the depressing and gloomy UK. Ah well, we can always go back….

Job hunting - Update

Today Andy went back to JCB for the second round interview. I've only spoken to him briefly but he seems really impressed with the work he would be doing and the workshop environment. The downside is a 35 mile each way commute. More later when he's had a chance to update us further.

Puncture

Sunday evening I was checking te motorbike over making sure everything was in order for the coming week when I spot a nail stuck in the rear tyre. I checked the tyre pressure and it was 5 pounds down from the 42 psi it should be. The last time I rode it had been Thursday, so working on the basis that it could only have lost those 5 pounds in a minimum of 3 days then it was obvious the leak was pretty minimal, so I left the nail in the tyre.

I'd pre-booked today as annual leave to take Mark to an interview in Oxford, which he had cancelled after getting the job offer from BMI. So I used today to take the bike over to Tim Booth at MSL Nottingham, for a puncture repair. He took one look at it, got the depth gauge out and proclaimed that Avon would cover the cost of a new tyre if I paid the fitting charge, which would be the same as the cost of a puncture repair. No contest, new Avon Storm Ultra 2 tyre fitted! So that was 1,500 "free" miles on the tyre that is going back to Avon. Excellent!

Eye tests - update

Suzie can't get on with the vari-focals prescribed for her so she's going to have one pair for reading and computer work and another for distance work. Andy found that he could see better using Mark's spectacles than he could with his own, so he went back and retested him - they had got the prescription wrong and he's now waiting on a new pair. And today I was in town so popped into SpecSavers because the right "arm" of my specs had gotten all floppy - and they simply issued me witha new frame and swapped the lenses over for me.

Job hunting - One success

Mark has today received a job offer which he has accepted, to work for BMI at Donington starting 11th October, as a Pricing Analyst.

Well done son!

Safety Cameras are go! Update

Last night's BBC local news - "East Midlands Today" - announced the news that Derby City Council have decided to switch off 12 of the cameras under their control, with the remainder under review (so they must be money earners).

Additionally they announced that the council was going to switch off 15% of the city street lights at various times of the night in order to reduce spend on electricity.

And my view on this? It's a sensible move in the right direction. We don't need a big brother nanny state. Sensible solutions to real problems not over the top solutions to problems that don't exist until the solution is put in place - the imaginary problems of those that have nothing better to do than witter and worry their lives away. A hearty "Well done!" to Derby City Council.

Eye tests

Recently we have all had them, except for Mark. First up, I had to have an upgrade to my varifocals. Then Suzie, now using varifocals (after single focus specs that she never wore) and finally Andy, who now has his first pair of specs for close up work. How did we all manage without them?

Job hunting

No, not me this time. Both the boys are looking for employment.

Andy has become very unhappy at Stratstone and is looking for alternative employment. He’s had a first interview with JCB and has a date for a second interview. There are 2 positions going and only 6 applicants being interviewed. The qualifications required were very specific to the industry, hence the short list for interviews. The only problem Andy has with this opportunity is the commute distance which is over 30 miles each way – he sees this as creating additional wear & tear on his car, increased travel costs and time and no increase in his pocket (possibly being worse off) but it would give him the change he is seeking and a way out of Stratstone.

Mark has had some interviews, 2 in London, 1 at Donington and another coming up next week at Stratford upon Avon. He cried off from an assessment day in Oxford as he’s decided he wants to work closer to home and the expense of living there would have taken all his salary leaving nothing to live on. BMI at Donington would have been good but he felt the interview didn’t go too well and he’s not (yet) been called for a second interview. Next Tuesday he’s got to do a presentation as part of the interview/assessment day at Stratford, which is making him nervous.

Hopefully they will both find something sometime soon.

A holiday beckons

It’s not long to go now, just over 10 days in fact, to our well earned break in Tenerife. Just like Jamaica last year, we are flying out and holidaying with Carole & Giuseppe – that way Sue has company for lazing on the beach and that leave us two guys free to roam and explore. Yes, Suzie and Carole have similar likes and dislikes, as do Giuseppe and I so nobody gets left out on their own or feels guilty of neglecting their partner. It has worked well in the past and should be the correct recipe for the coming one week holiday break.

As usual, us two guys have left the booking and arrangements to the ladies. Suzie loves researching places we are visiting and she has already found a bar called AJ’s Bar None for us to frequent in Tenerife, just a short walk from the hotel. Currently the ladies are reading up on all the tours and (as is fairly usual) we’ll hire a car, I’ll do all the driving, and we’ll get to see everything without the expense of all the individual tours that the tour companies like to persuade tourists to go on. So roll on 21-Sept, I can’t wait.

New car

On the Friday of the last Bank Holiday weekend Suzie & I took a trip over to Stafford Volkswagen to have a look at a VW Passat that I’d seen on the web, via VW UK. The trip over confirmed that even with all the recent work Andy had put into the Mercedes, that while it was now running as I’d always expected a Mercedes should, it still wasn’t and riding as it should, still a suspension clunk or two along the way. Too bad, it had tried my patience and stretched my bank account once too often and I wanted rid of it.

The car we went to see was a Passat B6 model, 2.0 TDi SE saloon in my preferred colour of Iron Grey and when we got there we were not disappointed – definitely the best pre-owned Passat we’d seen to date. The test drive was quite generous as Tim (the salesman) had been busy and wanted a bit of time to relax. On returning to the dealership Sue and I had a private chat and decided that if I could get the “right deal” then I’d be it’s next owner. And so it is. I collected it on 01-Sept after finishing work and was more than happy to leave the Merc with them for them to put it through the auctions, but not before it threw one last tantrum resulting in me having to fit a new anti-roll link rod to the n/s/f suspension when that collapsed on Saturday morning. At least that finally got rid of the last of the suspension clunks.


VW Passat 2.0 TDi SE saloon, B6 model from May 2007.

So after just over a week with the Passat, how is our relationship developing? Quite nicely, as it happens. One of the central air vents in the dashboard needs replacing, the steering wheel isn’t on straight when driving in the dead-ahead and the chunky rear tyres make some strange noises on some road surfaces. The vent and tracking will be covered by the warranty (one year asit’s an approved used VW) and the tyres I can live with. At the weekend I won a set of genuine VW mats on eBay and I fitted them when they arrived yesterday morning. I’m very impressed with the ride, handling and pulling power. Acceleration is very good in any/all of the 6 gears and while it’s not an automatic, the torque from the engine means you don’t have to be fussy about which gear you select, there’s usually enough urge to get you going as quickly as you wish.

As far as I’m concerned the Passat is the quality of car that I thought I’d bought when I got the Mercedes

Family health news

Dad was seen by the Out of Hours emergency Doctor on the Saturday of the last Bank Holiday weekend as he was unable to keep food or drink down, vomiting within minutes of being given anything. I went with him to check him into the hospital, arriving at just after mid-day it was 22:45 before he was seen by a doctor and admitted. Due to his history of chest and urinary tract problems he was then put onto intravenous antibiotics and moved from the MAU to ward 404 in the Royal Derby hospital.

Sunday we had to get mother to the Out of Hours surgery as she was in agony with pains in her left side of her back. Drugs and rest prescribed, just as well dad was in hospital. Initially it was thought she may have shingles so she was banned from seeing dad in hospital and he was put in isolation in a room of his own on the ward, and there he stayed until the Thursday when mum saw he GP and shingles was ruled out. Dad was sent home on Saturday by ambulance, with me arriving just as they’d got him into the house and in time to get him in the sling and onto his recliner.

Sue & I spent the whole of that week running round for mother and me doing almost all the visits to see father. The boys went up to see him on the Thursday night as I had other commitments. Again the dog became my main bugbear – mother being unfit and unable to walk it, I still maintain her dog is not my problem especially as I was against her having it in the first place. Sheba is too big and too strong. A smaller dog for company? Perhaps, but not Sheba.

Anyway – I spoke to both Mum and Dad last night and both sounded OK, which is a step in the right direction.

Time just flies

Here we are, and it's nearly the end of August already. Weather hasn't been very summery with loads of showers (both heavy and not so) and some sunny periods.

Mark is busy chasing jobs while his girlfriend has just completed her first week in the working world.

My Mum & Dad are both keeping well and have been in good spirits for these last few weeks, while Sue's parents are being as cantankerous and unhelpful as usual. Her sister Janice is coming up to visit tomorrow while my brother and sister have just arrived at Mum's in time for dinner, stopping overnight before returning to Colchester.

Yesterday I had the day off and went to The Car People in Sheffield to test drive a Skoda Octavia TDi vRS. It was damned quick and comfortable but loud road and engine noise has ruled it out for me. I also test drove a VW Passat TDi 140 which was a relevation - so I'm now on the lookout for a Passat with the 170bhp engine.

A day of celebration

Yesterday, Saturday 24th July, was a day of celebration, for a number of reasons...

On the last day of the month brother John will be 50 years old.

Two weeks ago Mark's Girlfriend Eleanor graduated from Manchester with a 2.1 degree after missing a 1st by just 2% (coming 2nd in her year course).

Earlier in the year Andrew passed the final modules to become a BMW senior technician.

And earlier in the week, on Monday we watched Mark graduate from Nottingham University in Mathematics with Statistics, so he is now a BSc (hons).

Our day of celebration saw us throwing the garden and house over to a barbeque and party for friends and family. By all accounts it went down well with all those named above in attendance to share their success.

Graduation Day

Monday 19th of July 2010 was Mark's Graduation Day so to see the family photos click to see the Slideshow

Safety Cameras are go!

Derby City Council announced late last weel that 3 of the 19 "safety camers" will be removed immediately after an initial reveiw (following the government's annoncement that there would be no further funding of the partnerships) revealed that the number of accidents at the scene of these cameras had increased sive they were installed and that the revenue they raised did not cover the cost of the accidents at thise locations. The press release went on to add that the future of the remaining 16 safety cameras was under reveiew and that where cameras are removed electronic speed warning signs will be put up in their place.

Burkhas vs Hoodies

France is taking the steps towards banning the Burkha and the British Immigration Minister says that Parliament won't be banning the wearing of the Burkha in public - defining Britain as a "broad minded society".

So then - on what basis do they ban the wearing of hoodies by the youth of Britain? And the wearing of motorcycle crash helmets in shops and places away from the motorcycle.

How, does the government reconcile their policy against terrorism with allowing muslim women to fully cover their faces (and frequently their whole bodies) in featureless black cloths?

I know and work with many from the Asian community. I don't force my Christian views on them and they don't force their religious views on me. Relion is not part of the workplace, but now the government is making it clear that it does have a place there as muslims will now be completely free to turn up at work fully covered.

Putting a totally different slant on the government's statement - if being British means that we are a "broad minded society" and "more tollerant" then how come there is intollerance of the BNP and speeding? Seems to me this government has opened mouth and spoken before engaging brain and thinking things through.

Bike 76

Were you a member of Bike 76 in Colchester back in the late 1970's & early 80's? If so - get in touch either via this blog, my website or SMS to my mobile phone...
zero seven nine six seven four nine zero eight double four

Why?

Because Duncan McClean is looking to do a reunion in early 2012 to mark 35 years of the founding of Bike 76, Colchester branch.

And if anybody knows the whereabouts of Dave Syrett (formerly employed at Britvic in Chelmsford) please put us in touch.

What do others ride?

While walking down The Strip in Albufiera I shot these 2 photos of somebody's daily rider, not bad for a bike that is probably (like me) the wrong side of 50.


An Old BMW on The Strip, Albufiera.



It appears to be a "daily rider".

A bit different from the British craving for high tech, gadget laden, crotch rockets - long may it continue.

Portugal & Pink

Between 5-June and 12-June Suzie & I enjoyed a week in Albufiera in the Portuguese Algarve. We were really impressed with how friendky the people were and how clean Portugal. The country is best described as Spain cleaned up and without the attitude that the Spanish have towards foreigners. I'll be posting a write-up of the holiday with photos on the family website in a day or so.

Last night Andy and Emma went to see Pink at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry - their verdict was that she's the best live artist they have seen with no miming and the sounds in the concert being just like her recordings.

Double celebration

Andrew is 23 today - Happy Birthday Andy! Enjoy your trip to London tomorrow.

Mark got his results today - he is Now Mark Cooper BSc (Hons) in Mathematics & Statistics at Nottingham University. Well done Mark, we are all proud of you.

New government & motorcycles

I am a serious fan of Dr Leon Manning and his lobbying for the users of Powered Two Wheelers in the UK, so see his assessment of how the new coalition givernment could be good for bikes and bikers.

CrossRoadsRider is one of Dr Leon Mannings websites and a good blog of real news on all things transport with a motorcyle focus.

Mercedes need build quality

While all is well with my Honda Deauville the same cannot be said of my Mercedes. Andy has just done a service which (as one would expect of a car with 100,000 miles under it's wheels is a major service. What I didn't expect was to have to replace both front springs as they had both snapped in an identical place, just short of one full turn from the top end. What with that, a full set of filters and fluids, the near-side track rod arm and f/o/s driving lamp the parts bill alone is looking like it will be close to £300 (at mates rates) or over £530 at full retial. I'm very glad Andy is in the motor trade and has his Senior Technician ticket - it's saving me cash and making the Mercedes just about affordable. I still think that it's time for a change though....

Peace and quiet

It's nice now and then to get some peace and quiet, and right now Sue & I are enjoying just that. Andy is away on a course at BWM in Bracknell, learning the latest petrol engine diagnostics for the current BMW model range. Mark is busy revising for, and sitting his degree exam finals - he sat the first today and is very pleased with his performance, which bodes well.

And in just a couple of weeks Sue & I will be in Portugal on a one week holiday to the Algarve - that should be good. Well we arelooking forward to it anyway.

Exercise is good for you!

That's the popular saying. Well I'm not so sure....

Lunchtime today I took a 10 minute walk to the local ATM hole in the wall. By the time I'd got back to the office I'd got a lovely great big (and painfull) blister on my right foot.

So, exercise is good for you? I'm not convinced.

Bike MoT

As I'm on the subject of MoT (see Police Crackdown) I have to say that for the 4th year on the trot, whithout any special preparation, the Deauville sailed straight through it's MoT on Saturday. So that's it given it's fitness certificate for another year. It doesn't stop the expense though. New tyres will be required in a couple of months (the front has been on there for nearly 15,000 miles) and the exhaust is looking decidedly rough, though serviceable, so I'll be keeping an eye out for a bargain replacement.

Coming up at the end of the month, Sunday 30th May, I'll be leading out a group of riders for a tour of the Derbyshire Peak District taking in Snake Pass. Again this is the 4th time round so this year we are heading round the route in an anti-clockwise direction, taking the Snake Pass to Glossop rather down from it. Should be fun if the weather is good, and still enjoyable if it's not so kind to us.

Police crackdown

Last night on the local BBC news, East Midlands Today, they ran a piece on a police crackdown by Leicestershire Constabulary on drivers using mobile phones and hand held devices while driving. The camera crew filmed several drivers while the commentary said what the driver had been done for and whether they'd been cautioned, fined and gained points on their license. It closed with a lady who had been done for using a mobile phone while driving and who had routinely had a vehicle check that revealed her car had no MoT. I thought she looked familiar, but when I saw the car and registration I knew who she was. Wife of my ex-employer Mr John Mills, it was Elizabeth Mills.

Made me smile! John put ZEDA into Voluntary Creditor Liquidation at the end of January 2008 making me and all staff redundant. Small compensation, but, it made me smile! I wonder if he's well enough connected to get it squashed?

Mum's birthday

Hot on the heels of Angie's birthday a couple of weeks ago, tomorrow is Mum's birthday - her 75th. Happy birthday for tomorrow Mum, and yes, your new hair do does look smart, a nice change.

Mercedes build quality

I continue to be highly disappointed with the build quality of my C class Sport Coupe. Returning from a trip into town with Andy last Saturday there was a noise from the steering as I reversed back onto the drive. Andy took it to work on Monday to find the lower track arm has a lot of play and BOTH front suspension springs have snapped. With a service due shortly we've decided that Andy will do it next weekend replacing the bits identified as faulty. On top of that the o/s/f driving lamp has been smashed by a stone so will be replaced at the same time. Fortunately, Andy has already set aside some part used tyres and brought home from work, so they won't add to the cost of this service.

Having said that - the car really comes into it's own on the motorways and long distance drives, but I don't do the amount of driving that I used to so once this service is out the way it might well be time for a change. Might just keep Andy happy and get a BMW.

Election week

It's been a mad, mad week for Suzie especially, with loads of work and some very long days to make the election happen in Derby. Still, it's all over and as a result we have a Tory MP for Oakwood while the other 2 Derby seats went to Labour and just as the National Government is going to be a coalition because no one party has the majority, so it is in Derby City Council. We made sure that everyone locally in the family voted - that's both sets of parents and us and our boys. The televised national debates with the 3 main party leaders seemed to add a level of interest not previously seen and the turn-out was the best seen for years, which can only be good - at least people are getting out there and making the effort and using their vote.

So who will be in number 10 Downing Street? As long as it's not Gordon Brown I really don't care!

Happy birthday sis

April 24th is Angies birthday - so happy birthday sis! Hope you have a good day and if it hasn't arrived then the card is in the post.

Quick update

Things just seem so hectic ALL the time. Mark returns to Uni after the next Bank Holiday weekend for the last few weeks before his finals. So far he's stayed on track for a 1st class degree in Maths, let's hope it stays that way.

Andy got certificated Wednesday to work on car air conditioning systems - from July it's law so Stratstone put him up for the qualification. At the moment he has a back problem gained when trying to change a tyre at work using the supplied, but faulty, tyre changer. So now he is under doctor's orders and is on light duties at work.

Suzie is busy organising the elections - local and general. Monday she had to go to London to proof read the ballot papers being used across Derby - it was a long day with me picking her up at the railway station at 21:30.

Last week was a good week for me - every day I used the bike to commute. This week the frosts have returned and I refuse to ride at below 4 degrees C, so it's back to the car. But I'm lucky, at least I'm in work - the unemployment figures released this week say there are 2.5m unemployed. The bike is as good as ever, the car is in need of some sorting and a service, but that will have to wait until after payday (28th).

On a slightly more serious note - I found out this evening that Chris has got Glandular Fever. Get well soon sis and I hope Wayne and the boys are looking after you.

Murder Mystery - Our 1st One

A weekend away on a Murder Mystery hotel stay in Scarborough – and I lived to tell the tale. Suzie’s birthday treat to the pair of us, and she got a ride in a powerful speedboat as a highlight of the weekend.

It didn’t quite start off as planned though. Suzie pre-booked a taxi to pick us up at 07:15 and despite repetaed phone calls we ended up in a mad cap dash in my car to get to the coach pick-up point in time leaving the car in a local (expensive) city car park – which is why we had booked a cab in the first place. Mark answered the door to the cab when it finally arrived at 08:00 some 15 minutes after the coach left Derby. So if you are looking for a reputable taxi firm in Derby then I can highly recommend that you DON’T use Swift Cabs.

On the coach we met up with the rest of our group, friends of Suzie, mostly from her work – the group comprised Suzie & I, Dave & Rona, Scot & Darren, Sharon & Laura, and last but not least Cherry & Tal. After wending our way through Heanor, Chesterfield and Sheffield we met up and swapped some passengers at Wooley Edge services on the M1 between J38 – J39. Then it was non-stop to Scarborough to be dropped off for a wander along the front, a pose by the donkeys then the speedboat ride which was voted a hit by the 8 that went onboard (Sharon & I passed on the chance). This was followed by the obligatory fish & chip lunch and some shopping for those things you never knew you wanted. Then back to the coach to be taken the short ride to the hotel.


Suzie's birthday treat"

Rooms are best described as comfortable, but not exactly modern. Quaint and traditional are also apt descriptions – the Esplanade is not decrepid but it has seen better days and would benefit from some capital expenditure. The views from the windows were fabulous and it is in a great location for those that don’t mind a short walk to get anywhere and want a nice quiet night’s sleep. Our coach provided most of the occupants of the hotel for the duration of our stay so it wasn’t exactly crowded.

The Murder Mystery was simply an aspect of the stay, and the meal around which it unravelled was good without being spectacular. In my view the MM was not that well organised and tasks sprung on us hadn’t been thought through (i.e. write a poem but no pens or paper were available).

Sunday morning started with a hearty breakfast, then the thespians wrapped up the MM without any reference to evidence, clues or tangible quotes. A sojourn along the front, then up one of the many steep walkways/streets to the church on the top of the hill, round to view the north shore, then back into the shopping centre for a light lunch before returning to the coach for the trip home. All in all – very enjoyable with a good group of folks who didn’t rub each other up the wrong way as they all set out to enjoy Suzie’s birthday weekend. Nice.

Busy, busy, busy....

I hadn't realised how long it was since I last posted - it's amazing how quickly time passes when you are busy, and we have all been busy....

Mark turned 21 at the beginning of March - with a family meal out on his (mid-week) birthday and another with girlfriends (his and Andy's), 3 out of 4 grandparents, Angie & John, Janice & Des, Suzie & I, the Saturday after his birthday. He’s managed to spend some time with his young lady while she was back from Manchester Uni for “half term”, and fitted in some stints at work on top of his studies.

Andy bought a neighbours rather knackered Astra to rebuild and sell on, which kept him busy for a couple of weeks. And he's done a couple of turns chauffeuring for his boss at work.

Dad has been in the Helen Lay Centre for the last 2 weeks so I spent last Sunday with mother, took her out for a drive, a meal in Leamington Spa and then spent a couple of hours with dad before heading home. Andy took her down again today, along with a new wheel chair because they don’t have enough to go round all the inmates on respite.

With all the redundancies made at my work’s last year those of us still employed there are finding life a bit busy. On a sad note, none of those that were shown the door have yet found employment. It’s a tough world out there in the job market right now so no complaints about being a bit busy.

Today, Suzie & I spent this morning shopping in Derby for our birthday presents to each to other as we both have a birthday before the end of the month, as well as our wedding anniversary. And next weekend we are away on a "murder mystery" weekend.

Total white out

Yesterday was a really mild, spring like day, bright sunshine quickly dispelled the heavy frost of Friday night and it looked for all the world as if winter had been banished. During the night I got up to let the cat out, and it was well below freezing, the cars all covered in the usual signs of heavy frost. Then this morning we got up to this...


No snow when we went to bed, but we got up to this….

And this...


Overnight snow as winter returns.

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, Lion King & X-Factor

Suzie has been getting out and about to see the events she was given tickets to as Christmas presents.

First it was Chitty at the Nottingham Theatre Royal - written up at the time so I'll not say more than it was an experiance Sue & Mark recommend to anybody who likes to be entertained. Tickets are around £35 - expensive but worth it.

Next up, Sue & Carole took a mid-week day trip last week to London to see Lion King at the Adelphi Theatre in Covent Garden. A good day out apart from the freezing cold weather on the day. Lion King was good but surprisingly, not up to the standards set by Chitty.

Then this week Andy drove the two of them down to the NEC Arena to see X-Factor. Not my cup of tea but they enjoyed it. Heavy snow meant delays getting there and the organisers (to their credit) postponed the start of the show by half an hour, so arriving late they only missed the very first number as they took their seats. And they thoroughly enjoyed the show. The trip home was better that the one there as the conditions were much worse in the Birmingham area which meant things improved the further they got from the venue and closer to home.

Winter weather

There's been loads of talk in the media about the return of the winter weather, of the cost of the snow to businesses in lost trading, the poor preparation and response by councils to keeping roads open during the snow falls and the state of the roads with all the pot holes as a result of the snow and ice.

But it's all very quiet on the "global warming" issue.

So why is that? Nothing to do with the public discreditation of the computer models that have been used to predict future weather trends - No! Or the skewing of those already flawed predictions by the media to blow it up into a sensational story - Heavens Forbid! Or, the spin being put on it by politicians in an attempt to draw public attention away from their greedy expenses claims and letting their banking buddies off the hook for the recession they caused - Of Course Not!

But because of all this snow that we have and still are experiencing - insurance companies are forcasting huge increases in premiums to cover all the motoring accidents that have occurred in the snow. Being my usual sceptical self I've been looking at the bigger picture, and what do I find? Motoring accidents are only marginally up for the time of year for the simple reason that the motoring organisations are reporting that people just abandoned their cars and left them at home. Why? Simply beacause anybody who has passed their driving test in the last 20 years hasn't seen conditions like those we have been experiencing and didn't know how to drive in them, and even if they had, the penchance for wide alloy wheels and fat tyres with traction control and ABS meant that the cars were incapable of coping with the conditions even if the driver could.

So why are premiums getting a hike? It's those bankers again! Loans and mortgages are being defaulted on, new mortgages are being taken out in much lower volumes and premiums for insuring those loans have gone up - so many are opting to not take them out. On top of that the insurance companies are having to pay out on the defaulted loans in their portfolio and they have to make up the deficit somewhere. Cue the good old motorist - they can pay for the mistakes of others. After all, they pay more than everyone else for everything else.

Is it Murphy's or Sod's Law?

Timing or what? I start thinking that maybe, just maybe, I need to start looking for a new job and I get a call from an agency (Elan) saying that they have my C.V. and that there's a role at Capital One in Nottingham and would I like to be considered? Well at least Capital One have moved their initial assessments on-line so I don't have to take time off to do them. But, I've been down this route 3 times with them in the past. First time out I failed the tests simply because I'd never done anything like them and didn't know what to expect. Both the other times I blitzed them getting scores well above average for my peer group. So this time? Can't be bothered and have withdrawn my application. I've got to the final 2 twice and then they chose the younger candidate and this time I'm 5 years older. Plus, Capital One are going nowhere in the UK having only recently made loads of folks redundant, and the parent company in the USA isn't faring so good either....

No, I'll stay put at FIS.

And that would have been that, except I got a call from another agency for another BA role - this time at Experian. This was much easier, as straight no thank you. Again I have "been there, done that", the whole nine yards and been rejected. When I turned up for interview I could tell within minutes who was going to be the preferred choice, and that it was their to loose. Like Capital One, Experian have a policy of constant rounds of redundancy each time they assess individuals performance (normally at end of 6 months and then on the anniversay of joining).

So that's 2 bridges burned. I wonder if there will be any more....?

Banking news

Yesterday Halifax Bank of Ireland announced that it is to withdraw from retail banking in the Republic of Ireland due to the economic turn-down affecting their relatively recent foray into the Republic. This will have a serious impact on FIS (where I work) as we handle thier business in cards and loans processing. The team was told in a short private meeting yesterday afternoon and we wait to see how much it will affect revenues and the implication for jobs in the Leicester office where I am based. Will it affect me? Who knows! Better start looking just in case.

First ride-out of the year

Sunday 7th was the first organised ride-out of the year organised through the Deauville Forum. Meet-up was Stratstone Motorcycles in Clay Cross, then a ride along Wooley Edge to Matlock, up past Chatsworth House to Lady Bower Reservoir and then over Snake Pass to lunch at The Cafeteria in Glossop. Return was via Buxton and Ashbourne. Cold, damp and exillerating - a great day's riding.

Theatre

The theatre bug has well and truly bitten. Friday night Suzie takes Mark to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. They were impressed with the whole production, thoroughly enjoyed the event and came home grinning from ear to ear as they walked in the door. If you can, go see it, highly recommended.

Today (Wednesday 10th) started early with Carole knocking on the door and me running her and Suzie down to Derby City Centre to get a bus/coach to London - they have gone to see Lion King. They should be back here around mid-night.

Friday 5th February - Andy's success

I got an text message from Andy mid-morning to say his results had come up on-line and he has passed the final part and is now a fully qualified BMW Senior Technician. Sweet news and a reward for his dedication.

Thursday 4th February - Mark's success

Yes, his results came through and he is still on-line for a First in Maths. Excellent news and he is both relieved and revitalised and looking forward to his finals. And a break before starting working for a living.

Where did January go to?

Here we are and it's February already. Just where did January go to? The good news is that I've at last managed to use the bike for my daily commute, not many times due to the severe frosts we have been having, but use it I have. And I'm hoping that I'll be out on a ride up through Derbyshire Peak District and the Snake Pass this coming Sunday (7th February). If not then there's the "Ride for Heroes" to Wootton Bassett on March 14th, Mothering Sunday (I've pre-registered just in case it's warm enough to go).

Angie and John finally managed to get up to Derby for their "Christmas" visit. Unfortunately Suzie and I were dining out on the Saturday night, celebrating Dave's birthday (he's a friend of ours). That was the evening of the 23rd. Friday 29th saw me on my work's "official" Christmas night out at Bistro Live in Leicester. Everybody had hyped up the Bistro Live, but, in the end it didn't live up to the hype. Good food but poor service and I'll not be recommending it to anybody.

Sister Christine in America has got a Blackberry (mobile/cell phone) and has found the delights of mobile email, the result being more communications with her and family news. Keep it up sis. She's had her first offspring, Wayne jnr, leave home and move into a place of his own a few miles away - so close I can't help wondering why?

Angie has at last found a job - it's cleaning and split shifts which aren't much fun, but, it pays the bills. John got snowed in for a couple of days but his new home is coming round a treat from the sounds of it. Mark has finished his exams and his next one will be his finals in May / June. Andy has taken his final exam for his BMW Senior Technician ticket and should hear in a few days if he passed. Mum & Dad seem to be going through a good spell after Dad had a very painful ear infection which was cured with anti-biotics. Yes, there are time when they both get tired (especially Mum) but overall, they do seem to be in a good spell.

And our little Charlie is now coming up to six month's old and next week he gets spaded. He's settled in nicely and has a daily routine all his own. He terrorises Jasper, our 10 year old cat, but that'll change once he's had the op.

Motorbike blues

Aahhh.... that's the way I feel. Not quite depressed, but, not far from it. Usually I can banish the blues by getting the bike out and going for a ride, but it's been 5 or more weeks since I rode it. Snow and ice is not a biker's friend and I don't bounce as well as I used to. Not wanting to become an accident statistic I put the bike on a trickle charger, plugged into a timer, that sees it getting a one hour top up every night while the world sleeps. Sunday (yesterday) I completed the service I started back in late November, changing the oil and oil filter which I'd left to last. So all is done, MoT is not due until late May / early June and it will need a new rear tyre before then as the current one has done between 5,000 - 6,000 miles and with abit of luck will have done 2,000 - 3,000 more by then.

Suzie got me a new sat-nav for Christmas and the boys clubbed together to get me an Aqua Box and Ram mount - basically a waterproof holder and mounting mechanism for me to fit it to the bike... and I'm really pleased with both my choice and the finished result. Anyway, it's all ready for the first planned ride-out on 7th February, but hopefully, I'll have got a few commute trips in by then.

Back to routine

This evening I got an email from my brother John asking if I'd given up on my blog. The short answer is no, I've just been busy or had other things on my mind. Busy with birthday parties, Christmas & New Year parties and taxi driver for those that want to go to yet more parties. And the parties haven't finished. Fred is 64 on Thursday this week and Dave is 54 at the weekend. Mark will be 21 at the beginning of March (his girlfriend was 21 just into the new year). Suzie went to a 40th birthday party last Saturday and has to go to Cherry's 50th on this coming Friday evening, as well as Dave's do on Saturday night.

None of this has been made any the easier by the rather severe weather conditions that gripped the country for a few weeks, and where we probably got off the lightest. Thing is my car has too much technology, so when conditions are dodgy the traction control cuts in, cuts engine power and leaves you no option but to stop... which is when the ABS cuts in and stops you from braking safely. I really, really do wish I could afford to change my car, but, finances aren't anything special right now so that's out of the question. Hopefully some milder weather is just around the corner and I can get back on the motorbike. At least I haven't missed any days from work, unlike John who has missed a couple after getting snowed in - but I did have one night when I abandonded the car at the local shops and walked the 200 yards home, no way it was coming up the street (too much ice and snow).

All this adverse weather meant checking in more frequently on the old folks and getting them stuff from the shops when they ran short - not often as it happens, they seem to carry a years stock of just about everything. In the middle of it all Suzie's Tigra had to go for an MoT (and passed with flying colours) as did Andy's girlfriend's Ka, which didn't and needed £150 spent on welding to get it through. Mark's little 1200 Punto just keeps going and even with a screw in one of the front tyres... he must get that seen to soon.

Work has been busy, as one would expect after the redundancies that have been dished out on the run-down to Christmas. I don't see how the bosses can hope to increase revenue if they don't have the investment in knowledgeable staff to do the work that is there waiting to be done. Still, not my problem so long as I've got jobs lined up and they pay my salary. Suzie is busier still, having had to cover off for the PA to the Council's Chief Exec while she's been tending to her mother in Cyprus following the death of her father at Christmas.

And then there's the old folks. My mum has struggled to cope with Dad who is deteriorating visibly since the in / out / in / out episode at Royal Derby Hospital in early December and then the week of respite just before Christmas - without that I dread to think what mum would be like now. I pop in as often as I can but there's little I can do because when I'm there Dad doesn't play up, then as soon as I'm gone he's wanting mother to run around fetching drinks (which she then has to tip to his lips) and get him on and off the commode. It's got to the point that when he nods off and has a kip, so does she. I was dreading her falling over in the ice and snow.

To close, it's nice to be able to report that Christine has been a bit more active with her emails recently, as she now has a Blackberry and she uses that to reply to emails and keep in touch. Oh, and her Christmas card to us arrived ten days or so into the new year. Keep it up sis!

New Year! New Decade! New Hope?

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations and that your hangovers aren't too heavy and pass quickly.

And talking of quickly - hasn't the first decade of the new millenium simply ripped through our lives? Now referred to as the "noughties" it has seen us throught the euphoria of promise that mankind reads into numerically significant ghanges of the ages throught to the biggest economic recession since the American "dust bowl" years epitomised by John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath".

So does the new decade bring new hope? Of course it does simply because if it doesn't then the recession will become the norm in the modern and developing world. So I wish you all a Happy, Prosperous and Successful New Year and everything you wish for yourselves.