Tony_S

It may be classic but it isn’t the current situation. EU and UK rules of origin are very complex due to tariff rules. However of course the public perception may be that something is British but is actually made in Slovakia . Or that a car is Japanese but made in the UK.

I had the same problem with my 1980 Ford Cortina. It could get in but opening the doors was impossible. I was once going to participate in a course that required a very early start on a Saturday so I loaded the Cortima with loads of IT stuff on Friday and went home. I had been told it would only be insured overnight if it was in a car in a brick garage. So I reversed most of the car in, hit out and pushed it back. Dragged it out in the morning. I and colleagues were warned about the insurance as our managers didn’t want us to be inconvenienced financially if it had gone missing. They knew there was a lot of “goodwill” involved in running weekend courses. Later local government financial people were convinced we only took computers, printers and large monitors away so we could claim car expenses not cheap day return on the train. I think someone senior had a “word” afret our team thanked them for their suggestions to help avoid carrying our stuff about and enclosed the rates for hiring 2 men and a van on weekends or evenings.

That is very reassuring. I would hate to think that that one of the few beers I actually enjoy made use of superior barley that might have deprived Irish cattle of their winter fodder. As for the traditional non brewing process gas or nitrogen as we call it round here, I can’t really get excited about its use , just under 80% of the air round me is made of the stuff so I can’t say I really care.

Road tanker now.

We were in Dublin and while joining the queue to visit the Guinness Storehouse we could look down into some substantial roadworks where some large diameter pipes were exposed. I attempted to convince Aditi they they were part of a pipeline carrying Guinness to the UK. She wasn’t at all convinced.

I did mention “my” Range Rover which is much shorter than a Mondeo. It is wider though, probably the big mirrors. My Range Rover does of course look tiny next to other Range and Land Rovers though. The original Evoque was based on the same Ford “platform” as the Mondeo and also used on a Volvo. I don’t think anything of Ford’s previous ownership survives into the present model. Before I had the Evoque I had a Freelander.That was discontinued and replaced by a larger Discovery Sport. I didn’t need a dog or student transporter anymore and really wanted a Jaguar E Pace. Complete muppetry from anywhere I attempted to purchase such a car made me change my mind and return to the Land Rover dealers. The Evoque is definitely smaller than the Freelander as there is no way the dog carrier we had wouid fit. It now lives in the garage as a power tool store! When we first moved to this area all cars seemed to be Fords. Lots of employment at Fords. I suspect if Aditi hadn’t been so shabbily treated by one of the local big Ford dealers we would have had many more but ended up buying Renaults. Different main dealer and Aditi is very happy with her Fiesta. Family over the road have 3 Fords (but the neighbour works at the Dunton Ford research facility. I think assorted BMWs have replaced the cars of other neighbours who previously had Fords. The German cars seem to,go through phases, for a few years Mercedes, then BMW, then Audi. Tony

I think all the Guinness sold in pubs and shops in the UK comes from Ireland now. So if it tastes different it is due to travelling over the Irish Sea. It hasn’t been brewed in London for quite some time now. I have noticed bigger differences in Guinness from different pubs than between Britain and Ireland. Irish friends will not drink the Nitrosurge Guinness available in some establishments! The Nigerian brewed and bottled Guinness is widely available here in supermarkets. People with vans seem to favour VW.

Like Mondeo for instance, definitely longer than my Range Rover. 😇

That has become mine too since the Alberta incident. Aditi also reminded me that we later set off from Jasper and crossed into BC to look at something scenic. When we arrived the visitor centre was shut (until May). With a big sign “ nearest heated washrooms 66km east” which was actually back in Jasper. Fortunately we did find an unheated one.

One outbreak of range anxiety has made me obsessive since. We were driving a Jeep Liberty from Calgary to Jasper. I didn’t top up in Calgary , thinking we would fill up on the highway. Big mistake. There were service stations but they all had signs stating closed until May. We left the highway at Lake Louise and filled up. The garage was really quiet but the owner said in summer there were queues as far as we could see. He was keeping busy that day shovelling snow and ice away. Tony

The lasagna we transported to Enfield (vegetarian, not vegan) was rather nice. MiL asked for some portions to be left for later, so she must have liked it. She was especially pleased it had been created rather than being a ready meal. Apparently, a Mary Berry recipe rather than from an Italian cookbook.

We are off to Enfield soon. Aditi tries to make something different for lunch each time for her Mum. Today she has made a vegetarian version of lasagna. The meat layers are replaced with roasted vegetables. The only problem last night was that she realised she had forgotten to put the lasagna pasta sheets on on the shopping order. Fortunately they were available from the Sainsbury’s Local shop nearby. I couldn’t find them at first, I could only find the gluten free pasta selections but a nice young man took me to the correct shelf. Tony

I have been surprised by that too. They are sent from the Southend Royal Mail depot rather than the usual one in Benfleet. Definitely not complaining!

They all play their part in The Circle of Life …

They looked quite cheerful. In the New York Met production they don't get to enter from the wings. https://www.facebook.com/MusiRecordWW/videos/778119043014797/ When I was at Junior School, Ride of the Valkyries was the Friday music played while we waited for the headteacher to arrive. Tony

The Wiki,page makes it sound like diluted “whatever sweetener isn’t banned”.

I rather like Guinness. When being “designated driver” on our very few pub restaurant outings I have started to order Guinness Zero instead of Diet Coke. It isn’t quite the same as normal Guinness but I prefer it to the Cola.

Do you still have some pliers? Last year my brother had to have some fragments of big toenail root removed. The nurse told him to look away. He assumed she was going to anaesthetise the toe but she just quickly pulled out the toenail fragment while he wasn’t looking!

I went out for my routine blood test this morning. I had to go in the Fiesta as someone had parked their car so close to mine I couldn’t get in. Aditi was very apologetic. I then went to get my hair cut after some unusually subtle suggestions. Business was quiet at the barbers. He was asleep in a chair when I arrived. As it was quite a bright day Aditi suggested a walk at Hyde Hall Gardens. We only got as far as walking across the car park and went in to the restaurant near the entrance for lunch. We usually walk up the hill to the other restaurant! We had a walk round some of the lower level gardens and also had a look at the geese (two varieties) . Aditi bought a plant too. We haven’t done anything since arriving home other than drink tea and read. I didn’t even want anything to eat. Tony

GWR once painted their coaches something that was very very like Crimson Lake.

One of my Freelanders had an occasional refuse to start. Wait a while and it would start. When it did its fail to start at home I called out the Lamd Rover Rescue people. The chap arrived and said that it was almost certainly an earth fault, would probably take 30 secinds to sort. Half an hour later after bypassing loads,of sensors with tiny jump leads , he identified an intermittent fault on the starter motor. This was replaced next day.

All of our recent cars have had darkened rear windows. They don’t impair driving visibility but do make it a bit harder for anyone looking in to see anything on the back seats. That is harder, not impossible. Or is it an aesthetic thing, dark windows on a light car? My car is black paintwork with dark obscured glass in the rear.

Much more elegant than BOGOF

Though free buns are always popular!

Our friend in Connecticut had been in the USNavy and then banking/finance. His wife said it was impossible to get him to commit to holidays and he had no idea of whatever leave he had owing, and his colleagues were similar. Tony