That's better - and a Lesson

After two days where the planet must have wondered what I was doing it was the turn of the MK2 to get out for a few miles.

After visiting Harkstead and the lanes around it chasing hawks, here we are bird spotting in Tattingstone. 

One thing I spotted was that the side lights stay on if the indicator stalk is left in place. I'd not noticed that before.

Dho !

As to the cars the Caterham won with 122 miles. So I think I'll not SORN it and keep them coming.

Well ... Its got an Engine 2

I suspect it's a small electric motor though.

Dull misty day so I resorted to playing with a small drone. I got it flying in the gloom.

But that's all really. Until I was looking at some pics on the old Canon Ixus camera chip.

Here is the Caterham when I went to see it first in May 2015.

and the Alpine from 2017 - when planning the run for the National.

Well - It's got an Engine

Actually an electric motor.

Dull misty day - so I did jobs instead. I cleaned the chain saw - as you can see it was jammed solid with shavings and wood pulp.

It came up fine though.

Up Country - and Down Country

SAAB out first thing parking at Newborn for a walk to Waldringfield on the Deben.

Then Thorpeness next - up country even further and a blustery North Sea.

Finally we went back to Harkstead for visit.

Backwards and forwards all day in fact.

Seven Tales and a Twitch

So Seven out before lunch in the cloudy sunlight. Good around the block blatt.

Then after lunch the sun came back out so I had a quick tour around again to look for birds [not successful] this time parked near the farm.

... and then back via Harkstead - not before I'd Twitched the back end out as I left the junction - woops.

Another couple of good runs in the cold air. So do I SORN for February ?

SAAB Six : Aston Two : Golf One

So SAAB first thing to the allotment. Then back again.

Then backwards and forwards again.

And again - just to be sure - so six journeys.

PM I treated the Aston to another run - saving the planet again this time.

Sun was out - and so it seems were all the grey cars.

Then late pm 'pick up for one' at the station - this time in the MK7.

Nill ...ish points

Just a quick MK7 lift to Stutton.

Sun tomorrow though so fingers crossed.

Out at Last

Aston out AM in the hazy sunshine - 10 degrees in late January - B&Q and shopping

First time out this year - other than reversing onto the drive to pack chairs away in the garage loft.

Got the 'Change Battery' warning TXT again too.

I'm sure it fails every few months. Good run though and nice to using it again.

Anyway - PM was DIY at Harkstead - so SAAB out again. First a trip down the creek for not a lot until I spotted a hawk on the walk back.

So more jobs completed and home we went.

Driving in the Drizel

More SAAB journeys. Harkstead first am.

In the wet as you can see.

Then into town pm for a bit of shopping - oh and picked up a pallet while we were there. Odd how it slots in exactly into the load bay of the SAAB.

A Flash and A Bang !

Working on the Caterham first thing to fix the indicators. Still windy but sunny and quite warm all of a sudden - 10 degrees ish.

As the hazards worked it was either the indicator switch, or the flasher relay I thought. so having tinkered with the switch it seemed OK so I looked for the relay ...

That bit took me 20 minutes. It was tucked up under the dash high up on the left hand side. Old grubby Halfords branded one so a replacement at some time. Easy to test as I shorted across the two terminals and the indicators came on.

Talking of Halfords I then went to said shop - none in stock. So I tried Wilco in Nacton - none in stock. I then went all the way to Wilco on the old Norwich Road - yes they had it. Then home - so about 20 miles and probably a gallon of petrol for a £5.50 part.

So back working again and 10 mins later we had everything fixed and tidied away.

I took the car out for a test drive after lunch in the sunshine only to hit this.

A large block of firewood - and yes that groove is my sump. Anyway having stopped and checked under the car it all seemed fine so we went around the block to look for hawks.

I parked up when I thought I'd spotted one but no. This could become my new favorite spot though.

Finally two runs as passenger in the MK7 - Harkstead and then Ipswich for a birthday meal.

Move on to the MK2

Back to Harkstead early on - just for a few jobs and company. Weather grotty - wind starting up - clouds dark - car getting very dirty.

Then on the way back I spotted two Kytes to shoot so returned with the my camera. Not brilliant shots but a start. Here's a picture of the MK2 in the verge instead.

Then back down the road and parked in the Freston lay-by for more shots. Home finally and packed away before Storm Isha batters us tonight.

More SAAB Shuffeling

AM back to Harkstead to jobs.

PM back to Heath and bring back the resident.

With another two wheeled friend - but I suspect it will be left alone.

Finally another night run - Stutton this time - for BB Sitting duties.

Another Night Move

SAAB out AM for jobs and stuff.

Then PM to the Heath with said stuff.

Dark and cold again for the run back.

Then out again much later for a SAAB taxi run to a pub quiz - nice and cold - with slippery roads on the way back.

A Cold Start, a Super SAAB, Broken Britain and a Tense World

The call at 06:50 resulted in a 2 car convoy to Harkstead. Cold start at -4 too.

By 09:10 the ambulance was off to the Heath with it's patient - looking quite perky I was pleased to see.

So later in the morning I was in the Heath car park with no chance of a space so parked next to the other losers on the grass.

I even had to drive across the path to get that slot. The place was heaving inside and out.

So an hour wait in the ambulance and then three hours later still in A&E - but getting better.

Home quickly before we collected the tiles for Oli's garage - they did not think the SAAB would take it all but it was fine.

They will look good when completed.

Next run to the Heath again and eventually a move to the 'Corridor Wing' yes we sat for several hours in the corridor - nice and clean and bright - but still a corridor. Dark and cold when I got back to the car but only -1 on the way back.

ION: Iran and Pakistan are trading missile strikes across their boarder - both attacking 'rebels' - but both cross at each other's actions. Seems like a fourth front may be opening up. Iran is also firing missiles into Syria hitting the Kurds again. Seems like they are sending a loud signal to the West that they have the capabilities. Come on North Korea - don't get left out.

Pottering in one of the Germans

MK2 out and about this time - first to get money for Oli's tiles. No go as the cash machine did not accept my card - strange ?

Then off to the allotment to collect some wood we found clearing up. Dull and cold.

Then pm the other Golf back to the cash point but actually it was broken all the time.

SAAB again

SAAB out to Manningtree late am to place the order for garage tiles for Oli. That was fine. Then looked for some cash.

Manningtree had no banks open [well it was only 11:30 on a Tuesday] so I decided to bite the bullet and go to Ransoms. That was permanently closed, so I got some from Sainburys. Ho Hum.

Then PM Harkstead via the cashpoint at the co-op for a bit more.

Finally out looking for birds in the sun set.

None around - so I snapped the car instead. Still looking remarkably clean - well from a distance.

In Too Deep

MK2 out first thing to the allotment via the Stutton bottle bank.

Then we decided a dump visit was in order - so home for the load luger.

So packed it full and when home only to find the drive blocked with the brown bins.

Anyway we headed for the dump in the afternoon. The river was high again but only just in the road.

However on the way back it was fully flooded and I decided after getting through one section it looked dangerously high compared to the SAAB and decided to turn round and go back as. So the trip took a bit longer than expected. 

Still Aston time though when we got back.

Well out and into the garage anyway - to finish tidying up. Let out a big 'RAW' when started - like it was clearing its throat after a long sleep. Which is sort of was.

Another VW Audi Benefit

Looking at the drive and it was full of German cars - although we know they were probably all made in Poland or Spain, or somewhere else cheap. Oh and I missed the Passat which was there too.

As they were all faffing around trying to leave I took James back to the station - Colchester this time to avoid the inevitable weekend BRS [Bus Replacement Service]. So the Swede managed to squeeze out.

Busy run and roadworks - plus the Strand was flooded on the way back - and a 4x4 was not brave enough to go through the water so had to turn around. FFS it was not even deep.

SAAB and More

AM SAAB out and about to Harkstead - just to guide Florence etc. to the address.

Then PM the MK2 out in the sunshine to pick James up from the station.

Back via the Stutton off shoot - then home before the invasion.

Fortune Favours the ...

... slightly mad chap.

I was planning to met up with two more Petrolhead Reprobates in Felixstowe for lunch so as it was a heady 5 degrees I decided on the Caterham. So up early and fan heater on for a while - it started well and I was ready to go. Looked clean and polished.

Then as I wondered back to the house the drizzle started ... umm what to do. After half an hour it was still falling so I decided to get the half hood out. I even found it easily - but then the problems started. First I could not get it out of the bag. Then it turned out that the poppers on the windscreen had rotted off so it would not clip on.

I better get these replaced - not sure how they come off so I might leave it to the professionals. So I had to risk it. By the time I left the skies were a bit clearer - if dark - but we got away with it.

Then as I drove off I noticed I'd left the indicator on - or had I ? Well yes I had - but they were not flashing - so after a few flicks I just forget them. The hazard lights work so the connections should be fine - it's some thing to look at next week.

So back to the meet. What an odd trio we made. Here we are - a 1986 Caterham Seven sandwiched by a 1957 Ford Popular and a 1991 Nissan Prairie. We could not believe the Nissan is 33 years old either.

Cold run back but the car liked it - and it did not seem that dirty as I packed it away again.

However I now have a list of things to fix on the Caterham.

ION: The US and the UK launched air strikes against those pesky Houthi rebels last night - that's fixed it then.

More SAAB'ing in the gloom

SAAB out early afternoon - just the local bottle bank and shop. Lucky me.

Honest the bucked was full. I even left the food in the car it was so cold.

Then a night time run to Stutton - again SAAB in use.

ION: Houthi rebels in Yemen are increasing their drone attacks on commercial vessels as they pass through the narrow (16 mile wide) straits at the end of the Red Sea. They are using the Iranian supplied drones that cost them about $20,000 each where as the missiles used to shoot them down cost $1m a pop. Looks like another flash point.

Backwards and forwards

SAAB out and about for wood and bit and bobs.

Then Harkstead to repair the shed roof in the cold and the wind. I brought this frame back too for my sins - just to return it to the hospital though.

Then MK7 ride back up there for tea and a few easy jobs this time.

Good Timing

So the SAAB was out in the cold for a day being shown sailing safety equipment - including seeing a Life Raft being inflated.

Afterwards we brought ours back for this season. SAAB seemed to match the building too.

On the way back I spotted they have started bloody Salt spreading again though.

ION: 2023 was 1.5c above pre-industrial levels e.g. the hottest year on record - about 200 record hot days on the trot in fact. Said to be hotter than 200m years ago. So as the earth seems to be heating up does that mean 1.5 is still alive ? Just as the 1.5 was not from the pre-industrial point - but we will see. However we still keep dumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere so better get the cars out before they are banned.

All that sailing experience might just come in handy - as I can feel a tipping point coming up.

Just a Dash in the Snow

Actually the snow had stopped - and not stayed on the road.

So just a quick Harkstead jaunt in the SAAB for an errand.

Putting on Weight

SAAB to start in the cold - off to help Oli with a dump run in the Passat - although I had some stuff too.

Only 3 degrees and lower temperatures to come.

Then MK2 out for once - back to Oli's to cut up Christmas tree - then to Harkstead to pick up printer.

I also went off and filled up the empty petrol cans. Whilst there I spotted a nice modern Golf GTi but could not resist shouting to the owner "they've put on a bit of weight !" as I passed him on the way out. 

Luckily he was quite amused.

Deep Clean and Boat Run

Sunny morning so I decided to clean the Caterham. It was filthy from the mud on The Drift.

It took me about an hour to clean one side.

But it came up nicely. Then the other was less caked on mud so that took a bit less. The car looked nice and new when I finished so what next. Go to the boat for a few jobs. I had to squeeze the little ladder in the car but they fitted and off we went.

It was getting cold by the time I made it home but the drive was worth it. I don't think the car got too dirty again as the roads were mainly dry.

I'm glad a did as a cold spell is due so that means no more runs for a while I suspect.