Sunday - it must be Emberton ?

Sunday was overcast but still quite hot.

So before we set off I checked the oil and water. The oil was down a little - just under the high mark again - so I added 1/4 litre. I must move the oil to the correct side of the tool box so it is on the filler side of the car. The water needed a very little too so we topped that up – for that I need a funnel. While we were doing those jobs and packed we chatted to a couple of people about the car. 

Setting off for Emberton to call in on M&K we immediately missed the turning and ended up in Evesham town centre so we stopped for a while to explore. 

It’s worth going back when we’re next in the area. The only route out was show though as it takes one of the two bridges over the river and past the festival they were having – but the car behaved fine. 

Next stop was because we spotted a fun sign to take a snap at - so we sent it the M&F.

We went on to stop at Broadway next – but after chatting to a chap on arrival we realised we were actually falling behind so we just had a flying visit, but not before showing the car off again to people admiring it when we got back to go.

Off again we went - up and down the many hills and missing the odd turning but eventually [after more bloody roundabout in MK] we arrived at M&Ks. More admiring of the car but no photo opportunity as they had scaffolding up across the front of the house. 

Leaving at just after 4 pm the car did not want to start but I spotted I’d left it in reverse – that quickly solved the problem and off we went searching for petrol. We found a really badly designed station full of fast fords and other hot hatches - but very few pumps with any E5 left. It took about 15 mins to actually fill up – just before they closed for a while to sort out problems. A chap in a sporty Civic admired the car though.

We then took a longer run home than usual – actually about 20 miles longer in the end but again the car behaved. It did sound odd at times but I think that was the poor road surfaces.

Home and unpacking there was a ‘clang’ and it appeared that the radiator shutters had opened fully at last – at just over 100 degrees according to the gauge.

So there are several observations. 

1. It is the more ‘mature’ of the population that seem to admire the car – the average of people engaging us must have been well in to the 50/60s. 

2. I need to find a way of packing more luggage securely so I don’t worry about leaving it in the car.

3. Multiple roundabouts are hard on the car and the driver – and with the slow acceleration I need to be very direct and in the right lane unless I want to be cut up.

4. Long up hill stretches make the temperature go up – almost to 100 degrees at one point – just like the Alpine cars reported due to the water not circulating as well – down hill it corrects itself quite quickly.

5. The car sounds as it is has rumbling bearings on some road surfaces – but not on others - and something is knocking/bumping so I will investigate that too.

6. Try for 200 miles before filling up - after adding a spare petrol can that is.

However a total of 432 miles later we're home safe and sound and I suspect the car was less stressed than the driver most of the weekend.