Mild and Almost Spring-Like

Today is the last day of Spring Term at Milton Keynes Academy. Carol now has 17 days holiday. We have been deciding what we're doing, where we want to go to for days out. Hopefully, now the car is back up-and-running, we can get back into the swing of going to Nuffield Health for our regular swims. I have to go down to O.K. Garage to pay for the work they did on the car.

The past couple of days have been incredibly warm and sunny. Definitely spring-like. The blossom is coming out on the trees all along the Redway and the pink and white blossom is out on some of the trees opposite our house. The grass is growing rapidly. Not too rapidly I hope as I've only just cut it and don't really want to have to do it for a week or two. We're getting quite a lot of different birds on our bird feeding station. A pair of robins have been seen. So, we're wondering if we might see a small family of robins in the neighbourhood. It's not quite as bright and sunny as I write this, but one hopes it will warm up as the day progresses. Let's hope the weather remains at least dry for the next couple of weeks so we can get out and about.

Daniel came home yesterday evening. We went to collect him from the Milton Keynes coachway. station, somewhere we've never been to before. He would have had a 6-hour journey from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. He has a job interview in Milton Keynes this afternoon. I don't think I could manage to sit on a coach for that distance or even length of time, because in general coaches are uncomfortable. There's never enough leg-room for someone of a little over six foot tall. At least if you're on a train, you can get up and walk about and they have food and drink for sale and decent toilets, although some long-distance coaches have toilets. Mind you, not to put too fine a point on it, try using one when they're moving, no joke.  I had made spaghetti bolognaise for our evening meal. Alfie didn't quite know what to make of Daniel when he came in. As Daniel hasn't been home for at least three years it must have been a bit odd for Alfie, who is used to our routine. He was fine when Daniel sat on the sofa, but when he was sitting on the floor, doing something to Carol's laptop, he wasn't quite so sure. A lot of growling and bearing of teeth.

As I write this, Alfie is outside in the garden barking madly. I'm not sure what it is he's barking at, no doubt a cat or a pigeon has had the brass nerve to enter his own private territory. Anyway, he standing in the middle of the grass-patch (not a lawn. An insult to lawns to call it that.), making a noise, and every time he does, his tails sort of goes all bottle-brushy. I don't think Daniel will want to have an early wake-up call from Alfie, although he won't get much of a choice. We did warn him that, when we take Alfie with us on our walk to the Academy, that Alfie is prone to making his presence known by making a noise.

890th blog post! . . . Car Problem . . . Solved!

I rang O.K. Garage just after 9 this morning. I described the noise and the lady said that someone would come to see the car later during the morning. As good as her word she rang again to say that someone was on their way. A van drew up abut ten minutes later and I tried the car to let them hear the unpleasant grinding noise. They said they'd take it away and find out what the problem was. I wasn't sure that they heard the sound, but as soon as they drove out of the drive I heard it quite distinctly. About half-an-hour later they called me to say they'd found the problem. The front coil-springs were corroded or something. The same things that were replaced when the car was Mot's a few weeks ago. I'm now a bit annoyed that these weren't spotted needing attention at that time. It's going to cost around £200, but I told them to go ahead and do the work, even though we wouldn't be able to pay for the work until Friday. There's no rush for the car to come back as we can manage without it until then. At least if it's roadworthy again we can get out and about next week when Carol is on Holiday for Easter. We have some trips organised so at least we can use the car, hopefully. Just another expense we don't need, but it's one of the things you have to contend with when you have a car. 

On Friday I can walk down to Peartree Bridge where O.K. Garage is situated to collect the car. It is about a ten-minute walk along the Redway from home. At least having a garage so close, it's easy to reach without to many problems.

I'm more than certain that the problems with the car are caused by all the potholes and speed-bumps around here. I may have mentioned this before, but the condition of the roads in and around Milton Keynes are a disgrace. For a modern city it's appalling that the roads are so pot-holed. The local authority should be hanging their heads in shame letting the roads get so bad. It's not doing anyone's car's sub-frame any good, having to drive over so many rough surfaces. Goodness only knows what it does to the tyres and axels of your car and it's no wonder the coil springs on our vehicle have needed to be replaced. If you remember from my earlier post where I mentioned the damage a jolt in a pothole had on our car when we returned from a visit to Ascott a couple of years ago and the fact it set of the alarm which is connected to what is called the E.S.P. device (Electronic Stability Programme.) and how we had to get it repaired a great expense. I think the Council around here should pay compensation when your vehicle is damaged in this way. Or if not, spend more on getting the road surfaces around here bought up to a decent standard. Unfortunately, the more sophisticated cars become, with such things as this E.S.P. thing, computer-assisted mechanical devices, remote door opening, sliding doors (which our car has.) and so on and so forth, then there's far more to go wrong and cause untold problems.

The last couple of days have started off foggy and cold, but as the days have continued we've had some sunshine. It was like that yesterday, but it's a good deal more over-cast this morning. I think the sun is making a vain attempt to shine as I write this.

Daniel is returning home tomorrow.  He has a job interview on Friday, well, I think it's Friday. Somewhere in Bletchley. I have been clearing space in the spare room, which has been used as something of a dumping ground for all manner of items. We'll have to collect him from the bus station as he's coming back from Newcastle by coach. Carol says we can order a taxi cab and go over to collect him then. Not entirely sure what time he's due in.

Fixing the Car Door and Enabling Mobile Top-Up

I've been back to O.K. Garage this morning. The speed that traffic has been moving is making me feel quite unsafe. The people at the garage were talking about this matter, saying that there should be a lower speed limit on the grid roads around Milton Keynes. So, it's not just me thinking that drivers around here have become excessively aggressive. The mechanics have had a really difficult job trying to find where the thing is in the car that controls the car. I waited in their reception area for around an hour and a half and was eventually told that this 'thing' that controls the sliding doors and which is, presumably, playing up and preventing the driver's side door from working properly, is actually INSIDE THE DOOR!!! I can't believe it. It took most of yesterday and near enough two hours this morning to discover this. I would have thought there would be some sort of diagram somewhere or other, probably on a website, which would show the electrical circuitry for the car. There is, but apparently it doesn't show this electrical thingemy. The garage will let me know when they've managed to track down a replacement so that it can be fitted, but it means we have to drive around for a little bit longer with the door still not working properly. It's beginning to become somewhat annoying and wearing having to use brute force to open and close the door and sometimes having to contend with the alarm going on to tell us that the door isn't closed properly.

The other problem has been not being able to top up my mobile, using the 02 code which I bought in One Stop in Garraways. I decided the only solution was to go into the actual 02 shop in the Central Shopping Centre in Milton Keynes. I wasn't exactly over-enamoured of the idea as it was pouring with rain, and, having just spend so long at the garage I wasn't actually in the right frame of mind to be walking around inside the centre. But I was eager to sort out this problem. So I drove into the centre and parked where I usually do near The Point. It's becoming more and more dilapidated and really needs demolishing. As I've mentioned before, it seems awful that such an iconic building should be allowed to get into such a state of decay. How come nobody has been able to take the site over and refurbish it? It has 'For Sale' signs all over it and no doubt it will eventually be sold and the site cleared for more shops and offices. 

I walked into the centre and reached the 02 shop and explained my problem. I was told they could do nothing, the assistant attempted to top the mobile up with the code on the voucher I'd bought in One Stop. It still would not work. I'm beginning to get heartily sick of the woman's voice you have to listen to who tells you how to top the thing up. I bought a sandwich and drink in Boots and then left to return to the car and drove to Galloways in Coffee Hall. I had to queue at the till and eventually got the assistant to try the top-up once more, but no joy. I don't think she had much idea how to resolve the problem but decided to give me the benefit of the doubt and gave me a fresh voucher. I went home and tried it. Thankfully it worked. So the old voucher must have been wrong, but I can't see how, as these voucher codes must be randomly generated. I'm just glad that it now works and I have my £10 credit on the mobile.

Signs of Spring, MoT and Crazy Cyclists

We've had the car booked in for it's MoT. At the O.K. Garage at Peartree Bridge, the grid square just over the other side of Marlborough Street. It was supposed to be there at 8.30. No problem with that, as the sooner the car is done the better as far as I'm concerned. I have to drive out of Eaglestone by going round the circular route and leave next to the shops. I then have to turn left onto Chaffron Way, as I have met with a queue of traffic going right (which is the route I have to take) and then round the roundabout and return onto Chaffron Way and then meet more traffic queuing to get onto the roundabout on Marlborough Street. I just wish most drivers would respect other road-users, and not insist on driving right up my rear bumper, in an attempt to get me to speed up or just get out of their way. It's quite nerve-wracking. Other drivers are under the impression that they don't have to stop when they meet a roundabout and merely continue on without any need to stop and wait for other road-users to go through the roundabout. Anyway, I continue on and come off Marlborough Street where there's a sign for 'Marina' and the OK Garage is a short way off the road. I can't drive straight into the carpark as there are several cars in the way, so I wait until they've moved. When I do eventually drive in I have to leave the car in a position which is obviously blocking other vehicles but then, once I've been in to tell the reception that I've arrived with the car, they have the car keys so they can drive it so that they can do the MoT. I'm told it might be ready by 10, which is fine by me. I don't see the point of waiting, as it's only a relatively short walk along the Redway back home to Eaglestone. I had the presence of mind to bring my G.T.N. spray with me, concealed in one of the very convenient pockets in the sleeve of my fleece hoodie. It's quite a cold and windy morning and the cold brings on a mild angina attack, but a couple of sprays under my tongue and a few minutes pause in my walk relieves the slight pain in my chest.

There are definite signs of spring as I walk along the Redway. Quite a bit of blossom beginning to come out. It's white and I think it's probably may. Also, buds coming out on a lot of the trees and buses and the grass looks a good deal greener.

I have to move out of the way as a couple of cyclists come straight at me. They might not be intentionally aiming themselves at me as I walk, but it seems like it. One, dressed in the brightest and most gariest green imaginable, with a blinking light-thing on his helmet. You wouldn't miss him in a fog and very easy to see, but to me he just looks very amusing, Lycra, the full bit, helmet and gloves. It must cost a fortune, and he looks so serious. EVEN got this little camera on his brightly coloured helmet to take a lovely video to show his friends on Facebook or whatever. But be keeping the shareholders of Halfords well and truly happy and living in the style they rather enjoy. Must have spend several hundred pounds on all this gear. These people don't seem to realise how crazy they look. You wouldn't get me into Lycra at any price. When we were at Salcey Forest on Sunday morning, as we sat and drank our hot chocolate outside the café, a group of middle aged men turned up with their bicycles, clad in Lycra, helmets on heads (although some did carry them). So, this is what they do on the average Sunday morning? "Where are you off to, dear?" one wife to her husband. "A long ride out into the Northamptonshire countryside. Be a couple of hours. Have the lunch on ready for when I get home." Or words to that effect. No likelihood of them actually going more than a couple of miles up the road. Just sitting and eating a sausage roll or two, together with a nicely-filled baguette or bread roll, with a cup of coffee and a few bags of crisps and then off to a pub to drink a couple of pints of best bitter. No actual time-trials on their beloved bicycles at all, just an excuse to get out of the way of the children who are charging around the house making all sorts of noises which wifey spends her time in the kitchen preparing the potatoes for roasting with Yorkshire Pudding and roast beef etc etc. Mind you, I don't expect any of that lot had a little camera on their helmets to show the wives at home where they've  REALLY been. But no doubt they'd have a satnav which might conveniently give a trace of the route they've cycled.

A little later in the day . . .

I had expected to hear back from the garage regarding the MoT. I had been told that they would ring me around 10 o'clock. I hadn't heard by 11.30, so I decided to ring them. I had to find their phone number on their website so I had to go on line. I was told, when I got through, that the car had failed. Something called the 'coil spring' which is part of the suspension system. It was going to cost around £150. They had to find the part to fit in the car. The car was no use having back if it had to have work done on it and, without it's MoT certificate we couldn't legally drive it, so I told them they had better get the part and then fit it. So, once that was done, it was legal to drive with it's MoT certificate in place. Then there was the problem of the car's door. It has sliding doors. The passenger side door is fine. It works, using the remote, but the driver's side door has been faulty for some time now. We've just put up with it, but it's annoying, it doesn't work using the remote, or the controls within the car. We asked if the garage could give us a quote for parts and labour. As I write this they haven't come back on any of this, although Carol found something called an 'actuator' on Amazon for around £50. Don't ask me how this works as I have no idea. No doubt it's got something to do with the remote control system which opens and closes the door. I will come back and write up further on this matter as and when I have it. They may be able to fix the car this afternoon but it all depends on whether they can get the parts, but it may have to stay at the garage until tomorrow when they can complete the job. It really doesn't matter as we don't need the car immediately and it's only a ten-minute walk down to O.K Garage.

Later still . . .

I hadn't heard a thing from O.K. Garage. until around 4.50. Once Carol had come home I decided to ring them again. They were having problems with the car door. Something to do with some electrical device in the dashboard. I'm not sure exactly what it was or even what it does, but it's the thing that has been causing all the problems with the wretched sliding door. They would need to take off the dashboard cover. They would have it ready by 5.30, which I imagine was when they shut up shop. Carol suggested we walk down, taking Alfie with us. It seemed a good idea. After we'd had a drink of tea we set off down the Redway. Alfie was released from being on his lead and seemed in his element, running ahead as he always does. We came into contact with cyclists, two of whom I'd encountered earlier that morning. The bright green of one of their outfits making him stand out. Why is it that cyclists on the Redway can never slow down when they come to pedestrians? Nearly ran into us and one almost ran over poor Alfie.

We arrived at O.K. Garage and they had got the car ready for us. It has to go back tomorrow morning for around half-an-hour so they can find the correct part number for the electronic piece inside the dashboard and then the car can go back in a few week's time after I get my pension money to have the part put into the car.  We paid for the work the garage had done. £183 which included the MoT and the spring coil (still never heard of it.) So at least we had the car back and the overall cost wasn't as much as I had anticipated, fortunately.

We drove out of the garage carpark and then we discovered the car was low on petrol. By now the traffic was building up, as it was home time for most people. We had to fill up at the Shell station in Grafton Street. Carol drove the car and I had Alfie perched on my lap. A new experience for him, as usually when we take him out in the car, as we did last Sunday when we went to Salcey Forest, he has to travel in the cage in the back of the car. It was worthwhile as he sat still (up to a point) with me holding him tight with his collar. When we got to the Shell petrol station I handed him over to Carol to hold whilst I filled the car with petrol. Then we drove to the Brother's fish and chip shop in Eaglestone. I went in to order our food and Carol walked home with Alfie through Eaglestone Park. By the time I'd got the order and drove home, they had arrived at the house and had the plates and cutlery ready so we could eat immediately I got back.

Foggy Morning

We woke up this morning to thick fog. I suppose a visibility of around 20 yards. It was quite an effort to see along Saxon Street as we came out of Eaglestone. The Academy appeared to have disappeared as we approached. The car is due back at the garage this morning at 9.30 to have new tyres fitted, so I hope the fog has lifted. If other drivers would only moderate their speed as they rush to work things would be a good deal safer. I think, once the sun makes an effort to come out it will heat things up and the fog will melt away. I have some quite nasty memories of fog on the Motorway from when I was touring with DaSilva's puppets during the 1970's. Also, cars speeding along the A1 and crashing into the roundabout near Peterborough, at  Norman Cross , and seeing their mangled remains. The A1 now goes over the top of this intersection, which makes it a good deal safer. Once you've seen that sort of incident, and heard the sound of crashing, it does tend to alter your driving habits. Really quite scary and the memory does make me rather reluctant to drive in fog, however thick.  I'm not sure how many people were injured, but you would think people would have the sense to slow down when there's fog and they can't see clearly what's ahead on the road. Just crazy.

Later.

I took the car to the O.K. Garage at Peartree Bridge. It turned out they didn't have the tyres to put on the car so they had to order them from somewhere in Bletchley. These didn't arrive as quickly as they might have done. Don't ask me what happened, but probably someone wasn't doing their job at the supplier's end, so I had to wait around 2 1/2 hours, but it's now done and we can drive off on holiday in two week's time with a car fully MoT'd and with tyres in a far better condition than they have been in quite a while.

Later still.

I could have started a new post, but decided to write this as a sort of post-script for the day. As I said when I began, the day started off foggy, but by midday it became sunny and really spring-like. There is plenty of blossom on the trees along the grid roads and opposite the house in Eaglestone. There are crocuses beginning to appear at various points around Milton Keynes but the daffodils are beginning to come to the end of their time, particularly those on the roundabout on Standing Way where it meets Saxon Street. We usually go to the Brother's Fish Bar in Eaglestone for fish and chips on a Friday but this week we went to get Kentucky Fried Chicken at the drive-in branch near the football stadium. They have changed the entrance from Saxon Street, it's a good deal wider and made into two carriage-ways. There is also another entrance further along the road, which goes into the site right next to the new complex which houses the Odeon cinema which has an IMAX screen in it.
We didn't actually use the drive-in as it was far to busy with many cars queuing so we parked in the carpark and went inside the restaurant to order our food and then went home to eat it.