taxi paul

A rose among thorns at the local aldi this morning.

I am unable to attend . Pity has its not that far this time. My step father passed away last week and emptying his house, before handing back to council is proving time consuming. The charity could only collect his un needed furniture this Saturday. So that's me doing that. Never mind. Weather looks amazing and it's a beautiful place. So enjoy one and all and hopefully it's excellent and it's back there next year.

Was one of a lucky eight people today to have breakfast with and meet David dai bradley. Better known has Billy casper from KES. One of the nicest blokes I have ever met.

Sounds good. I have stayed at lyys Derwen with merris a few times. Are the old cars still parked next to the old garage in Llanrug village. Not sure on spellings there. Easy day visit for me from where I am, 2 hours or so. Will do my best to have a jaunt over on the Saturday. Will probably involve bringing moaning kids. But we shall see.

When riding my little fold up bike I wear a nice bright mustard yellow jacket , £4.00 charity shop bargain. However I only ride on cycle paths void of traffic but with pedestrians. I am not going on a road, Probably get killed. Has for pedestrians. I pick my daughter up from school every day and the drive out the school down the road. This is done at around 10 mph till I come to a stop at the junction. I do this because teenagers have an amazing ability to just wander across the road blissfully unaware that a car is bigger and heavier than them. I can't remember the last time I encountered a horse.

Pinched this off another one. Modern in background so not years ago. Anyway are those wheels and tyres comically thin and normal. Or have we just got used to big wide things on ordinary moderns ?

My alphard beeps when the elecric side door opens. Really annoys the camper conversion owners. Who wake up for a wee at two in the morning. Then have to open the door to access awning for toilet. Only to wake half the site with a very loud beeping. Also beeps in the car when you select reverse. Plus when you leave the lights on and take keys out.

Why do people sit at a red light and ride the clutch edging forward inches at a time. Then the light changes to green and they don't move ?

Trip to tesco was a dull fest. Then got back to car and spotted these two breaking all the cars under 3 years old rule. Had a chat to the toyota owner. A nice older gentleman who said that he didn't need a big expensive car.

Fun fact . When I started driving private hire taxis in St helens around 1990. You could have most 4/5 door cars. Except the Nissan prairie. Apparently it closely resembled the metro taxi of the time. So the public may have become confused and thought it was a Hackney taxi and not a private hire. Couldn't have that could we.

Xmas present for me. The man who has everything apparently. Who didn't love kes and quadrophenia.

Mate sent me this. Made me laugh.

A year ago our little shitzu doggie, aged around ten . Eat some chicken bones my grandson gave it. Next day poorly sick and couldn't move. Off to the vets with my non insured doggie. Vet wanted £2,400 just to make a start. With no guarantees of any remote succes. So doggie was put down for £179.00 . We haven't got another and won't be getting one. I know people who spend hundreds a month for their ailing dogs . Fair play to them but not for me. Although on our estate it's compulsory when getting a dog to spend at least £2,599 on some sausage dog or other fur ball with legs. Then parade round the school gates with the bleeding thing. Dont take it for a walk any other time obviously. Just to school so other people can see how much richer than them you are. Or just highlight that you're fella has a questionable occupation involving class A substances. Also Facebook posts of your massive Xmas tree. With a million lights. Dont see posts of the old mattress and other shite in the front garden though hey Sandra.

I have joined a royal alloy facebook group. There is a quite a few moans around stupid niggles and warning lights on new scooters. One thing I learned is the euro 5 has better paintwork and seems to have a few of the niggles ironed out. Bit dearer but maybe better. The other thing is the lambretta is around £800 dearer than the sym it is the same has. Lot of money to pay for a badge though. I have plenty of time so will go to a different dealer and have another proper look at the royal alloy. They do seem to have a good following though. Also better colour combos.

Small update. Been mooching at the Royal alloy scooters. Although I prefer the lambretta v125. Felt a bit nicer to sit on. I think reliability wise it is better, based on a sym 3 I think. Grips are better and fatter, for my knackered fingers. Also same price has a royal alloy. Possibly worth more at the end of finance period. It works out around £62.00 a month over five years. I know it's not as retro as the alloy. But felt a bit more solid. No rush because I wouldn't use it till around march , not riding in the rain or cold that's for mentalist people. Think I will book my CBT and get it out of the way and see how I feel come February. Only two weeks wait for the lambretta. Plus motorbike show on in December at NEC. May try and go for a day and have a proper good look.

4 hrs 25 minutes from mine. Only three roads. M62, M6 and A14. Will look at plans when a date is set. I can camp in my car cos its a massive Japanese thing with curtains.

Yes I have seen the royal alloy scooters , very nice. Although a bit like you I am drawn to a more original scooter. I need to go and have a look at some when kids go back to school. See how the clutch and twisty gears are to operate.

Best quote I have heard lately was from a certain Johnny welly. A local st helens Street dweller. It was " tall people get all the attention but small people draw a crowd, they just take it in turns".

I never got on with lambretta. I preferred the vespa in looks . A long time ago my first was a vespa 150 super when I was around 17. No licence or insurance , i was a bit of a knob. Then I bought a second one to do up in my mums shed. I messed around with them for a while till the inevitable stop by the police one night. Both got sold on for buttons, I got fined and nine points on my licence. Well three endorsements in them days. Then met a girl , got married , kids and it all went away. Fast forward 40 years and still read scooter magazine . Walking round in my suede boots , levis and gabicci t shirts. But sadly no scooter . I did look a year or so ago at them . Due to age related joint problems I think an automatic is the way forward. Dont think I could manage the clutch and gears of an older classic model. Although I may give it a go. I think this year may be my chance to do my motorbike licence to give me more choice , if I purchase one. The other stumbling blocks are somewhere safe to store one, it would be stolen off my drive round here. Also the fact that I am a single dad with an 11 and 12 Yr old. So going for a ride out on a weekend isn't happening anytime soon. A good few of my mates from way back when run the A57 scooter club not far from me. I may get in touch and go and hang around and see what advice they have.

Went for a blood test today. Nothing exciting just my usual yearly one. On my way back to the car park I noticed I have turned into one of them old bastards who walks in the road and not on the path cos path is icy.

Amazing work and levels of skill and detail. Beautiful car.

Watching vintage electrics on quest. Has it says vintage cars converted to electric cars by a company in wales. Haven't seen anything on prices but I imagine its eye watering. They do make a nice car at the end though. Just started another and a bloke wants an Enfield motorbike converted to electric. Budget of £20,000 inc sourcing motorbike.

Giffer Olympic level.

Took the modern to WBAC yesterday and moved it on for a decent enough price. So does all my paperwork and there is a couple of chaps my age waiting. They are getting rid of their recently deceased dads almera. 1.5 petrol 51 plate. So gets chatting and it was owned by the dad since new , serviced and mot every year at same village garage. 45,000 miles. Usual giffer dints and scrapes but sounded fine and overall not bad at all. So quick plan in my head was to hang around see what they get offered and gazump dealer with better offer. So get that sell celica and have back up four door cheap motor for tip and general messing about with. Anyway dealer takes forever and I give chao my number has I have to go . I say I will give him £230.00 cos that's what was mentioned. So WBAC offer him £250.00 and his mum accepts because she didn't want any messing and car gone. Fair enough says I. But kicking myself now that I should have offered £300.00 . Never mind. It will appear on a bomb site dealers soon for £995.00

Bank interest rates on loans have gone covid mental. My lad wants a van and needs around six grand. So I ring bank and ask about a loan to pay my loan off and get the six for him. Mine has 6 months left to run and is currently 3.4%. So want to borrow about nine to do both . Go through all the stuff to be quoted at the end 12.9%. So my lad will have to get finance or wait till my loan is finished and we shall see what's offered. Banks must be losing money and expecting us all to pay for it.