Out with the old car and in with the (relatively) new

Today was dominated by the exchange of our old car, a Renault Megane Scenic which we had had since 1998, for a newer one, a 2008 Honda Jazz.

The Renault's exhaust had finally broken away from its rubber holding rings and was rattling gently on the last journey to the Marshall's used car centre. The remaining two thirds of petrol in its tank reflected it's value almost exactly. It had been a true friend as the children grew up.

It was just in the past years that the leaky sunroof had to be sealed with old bicycle inner tubing . The flood of water gently sloshing between the passenger front seat on braking and and giggling passengers who lifted their feet to keep them dry as the wave crashed back to the back on acceleration was but a past memory of an inadvertent drive through an overdeep puddle after torrential rain. And at least the more recent loud clicking of the ventilation system could be silenced by setting the air circulation to internal. Yes, even we had come around to the fact that we did need a new car.

I left the Marshall's dealership with our 2008 Honda Jazz, currently a trouble free vehicle that should be more economical in these times of increasing fuel prices.

I came home to the imminent arrival of MJ Potts plumbers, who were coming to install new taps in the downstairs cloakroom washbasin. The cold water tap had started leaking profusely and a brief visit by the plumber yesterday was unable to dismantle the 50 year old taps to exchange a washer.

The plumber had started the previous day badly by falling out of a loft and found the rest of his day bedevilled, including the breakage of two screwdrivers in an attempt to remove a protective disk on the leaking tap to reveal an expected fixing screw. Once the disc was removed, he had instead found inaccessible clips that thwarted any attempts at extraction. He left after tightening the tap sufficiently to stop the leakage and with a promise to return for the tap replacement. With an apprentice in tow, this task at least progressed smoothly today. Within half an hour we had new clean and fully functional taps again.

After some work on the NRW report, it was off to see my first published author, Mrs H-T. In her mid eighties, it was lovely to see her again and hear of her newest plans to return to Cornwall for a painting break in the near future. We also made a short excursion to St Andrews, the Parish Church of Chesterton, once visited by Samuel Pepys. It is notable for being picturesquely illuminated at night and for the medieval doom painting that was hidden by a lime wash during the reformation and revealed again more recently.

Then it was back home in the new car, via a short shopping foray into Tesco's, to the curious eyes of the neighbours and the anticipation of Mrs T.