It's 11.30am Thursday 11th October and here is the news.

We seem to be experiencing accidents recently.

A couple of weeks back we had someone lose control of their car while driving down the hill outside our house, coming to rest part-way into our garden having hit the wall by our gate. The car was quite drivable, but we now have an extra 'rockery' feature from the pile of stones that remain from the wall, plus a permanently open gate. It's not a real problem except for the hassle of getting quotes for the re-build (and no-one wants to give quotes for an insurance job they might not get) and the stress of having to deal with it (thank you my love).

And then Monday Chris borrowed my car so she could take my mother to the hospital (the wheelchair won't easily fit in the beetle) and was rear-ended by someone not paying attention. To add insult to injury, it also meant that the boot could not be opened, negating the purpose of having that car, and the car itself could not be locked because the central locking detected that the boot lid wasn't shut. So again, for her more hassle calling insurance companies, repair & hire centres* etc.

And we've both been coldey this week too, me worse, but none the less neither great. Sleep is less than ideal (partly self-inflicted, but an aspect of having a cold is that my body won't relax and my mind doesn't rest) so I'd rather like to go back & re-start our time from when we came back from France!

The good news is that Ben passed his full motorcycle test this week, and is now driving a Yamaha Fazer 600 instead of having to cycle to work. For non-brits, the test is in 4 parts, with an initial computer based assessment, then compulsory basic training (CBT - you have to demonstrate basic handling skills on a 125 before being allowed on the road) followed by 2 practical riding examinations. Riding conditions in the UK are very demanding due to the density of population & traffic, and much more hazardous than the happy days when I could sling a leg over a 100mph motorcycle on my 17th birthday. We're both hoping and praying that he won't bin it while he's still acquiring riding skills and familiarity over the next couple of weeks (nor afterward).

Ben is not immune though, and received a couple of speeding tickets yesterday in the post from his holiday time in France back in August. Wonder if I'll get some too?

More good news is that I finally got the Rayburn (kitchen range-type cooker & heating unit) running again last weekend. When I'd shut it down in the spring it was running fine, but trying to start it in September was unsuccessful, with it running briefly and then producing clouds of oily smoke. I'd known there were some issues and sent it away to be serviced/repaired (which they did to the tune of £341) but the same pattern of behaviour was repeated when it was refitted. Further investigation showed the section of the rayburn transferring hot gasses to the chimney to be full of soot, thus preventing it running. D'oh. We removed almost a carrier-bag full of soot and it then ran fine. Makes a huge difference to have a source of background heat in the house.

That's pretty much it.

*Hire centres:
I have a courtesy car while the pug is being repaired: a brand new Ford Fiesta, with just 120 miles on the clock. Interesting to compare it with the Peugeot 206+ I had in France a few weeks back. It may be the newness, but it's much harder to drive smoothly than the 206, with brakes being 'sticky' and steering somewhat twitchy. It might be better for hammering round corners and it certainly *looks* sporty by comparison, with smoother lines and a low roof. However the low roof means that I hit my head getting in! The interior is 'nice Ford' and has more gadgets and visually exciting stuff than a typical Peugeot of a similar level, but also looks more 'video gameish' and faffy. A less than impressive aspect was the lump of black material under the clearcoat on the drivers side rear pillar - if this car were mine and brand new then it might well have gone back for that - not good! Over all, on one days driving, this is not a car I'd choose to buy unless it were on looks alone.

The guys at the hire centre were really nice dealing with us, and it's heartwarming to receive pleasant customer service in an industry not particularly noted for it.