The new news 24 thread

[tommotech]

No snow in Tamworth today.

 

In other news I will be visiting South Africa soon and needed to obtain an International Driving Permit. From today they are available from your local* Post Office (don't wish to start a debate on demise of local services!) and its proper old school service. It has to be stamped and they actually write in it too, took me back a bit as does the item itself. There is also a choice of permits, depending on which convention applies - oh, and it all changes again in March because Brexit!

 

 

[Squire_Dawson]

I don't see how Brexit can affect it as our UK license covers EU driving. An International license covers you in non-EU states and that 1949 Convention predates the EU somewhat.

[Eddie Honda]

There is also a choice of permits, depending on which convention applies - oh, and it all changes again in March because Brexit!

 

JT_IDP.JPG

It doesn't change in March IIRC, it has changed now because after nearly 50 years after signing the '68 Vienna Convention, the UK has finally ratified it.

 

What may change from 29th March is whether you need one for certain countries or not.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

You are somewhere upstairs around 33 Kingsway, WC2. AICMFP

 

That's the Peacock Theatre on the corner of Kingsway / Portugal St. (There used to be a Benjys a bit further down on the opposite side of the road from it.)

 

Do you know what room I'm in tho at 33?

[catsinthewelder]

I tried to get one last year and made sure to go to the bigger post office in town that does car tax.  Obviously I did this on the morning I was due to get on the plane to BG and was told I'd have to go to the main post office in Shrewsbury so fortunately nobody asked to see it (unless they asked in Serbo-Croat then gave up when it became obvious that we were never going to understand each other).

 

I realise that a responsible person who respected other cultures properly would enter a country with a good grasp of the language.  Fortunately I'm not a responsible person and after 5 years of French lessons barely taught me anything I'm not going to attempt to learn more than 5 words for a country I'll be in for 24 hours and generally failed to remember that many.

[tommotech]

It doesn't change in March IIRC, it has changed now because after nearly 50 years after signing the '68 Vienna Convention, the UK has finally ratified it.

 

What may change from 29th March is whether you need one for certain countries or not.

 

The applicable Conventions change apparently, so you may need a different document depending upon where you travel to. The guy in the Post Office was very good and showed me the guidance instruction that they were working to, the lists of countries changes after Brexit date.

[Split_Pin]

What did you win?

320T's 80 Cabriolet

[tommotech]

The difference between winter and ordinary tyres is like chalk and cheese. I bought a set of Vredestein winter tyres a few years ago and fitted them to a set of spare wheels so I could change over during the seasons - they were a revelation. Last year during the winter the static caravan's water supply froze, followed by the drains freezing up. Snow drifted throughout the Welsh valleys. But nothing stopped the car, we were able to push on at a much faster rate in safety and even climbed a snowed up mountain pass okay. There was no wheelspin or slipping. So with the correct equipment and attitude to driving in such conditions ordinary travel is possible.

 

The compound used for Winter Tyres remains pliable below 7 deg C, where Standard Tyres will harden. In snow they are a revelation, cuts in the tread blocks hold snow so that in turn grips to the snow on the ground - much like making a snowball. I had Winters on a BMW 1 Series and never got stuck, even in the deepest snow.

[Eddie Honda]

I don't see how Brexit can affect it as our UK license covers EU driving. An International license covers you in non-EU states and that 1949 Convention predates the EU somewhat.

An International Driving Permit of the appropriate convention covers you in the countries to that recognise them. Otherwise it'll be down to local rules - e.g. in China, you're usually bollocksed.

 

Brexit might affect the licence (please don't start arguing in for/against, just stick to info). It's up in the air so at one end it could be no change, but assuming a worst case scenario:

 

Driving in Europe after Brexit

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019, you might need an IDP to drive in all EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries, apart from Ireland.

 

You will need a:

 

1926 permit to drive in Liechtenstein

1949 permit to drive in Spain, Iceland, Malta and Cyprus

1968 permit to drive in all other EU countries, plus Norway and Switzerland

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Folkestone, hawkinge, densole, denton to canterbury where quite snowy this morning.

Surprised I didn’t see you going the other way!

[Eddie Honda]

Do you know what room I'm in tho at 33?

Nope, but using eyeball trig I reckon you're on the 8th floor.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

That is some good eyeball trig. I was in the shitter for a bit.

[Lord Sterling]

I tried to get one last year and made sure to go to the bigger post office in town that does car tax. Obviously I did this on the morning I was due to get on the plane to BG

Lol, are you in BG now? As I am only 5 hours away in Istanbul.

[Six-cylinder]

Call me a wimp, but I knew my groceries were go to get home safely! 

[Supernaut]

 

The view from my work canteen right now.

 

OMGSNOKAOS in Aberdeen! Hell, my car is parked over in that sunny bit and the ice has melted off it for the first time this week.

[panhard65]

I had to collect this out of storage yesterday after it had been sitting for 3 years. All it took was a new battery and fired straight up. It is in for mot next week then will be up for sale. It belonged to my customers father and has an impressive 30k miles on it.

1996 735i

[Jazoli]

That is lovely.

[Broadsword]

Wow that is nice. Looks like it one of those cases where the car was stored properly, so recommissioning shoudn't take so much?

[catsinthewelder]

Lol, are you in BG now? As I am only 5 hours away in Istanbul.

 

No I'm stuck at home with the kids as usual.  Might take them abroad this year but not having any proper adventures.

[Eddie Honda]

Might take them abroad this year but not having any proper adventures.

Er, if you take them abroad, make sure they have a proper adventure at the same time?

[stuboy]

driving around today i notice some peoples driving grinds to 3mph or there gunning it along lanes that aint been gritted yet

 

did see a mk5 astra that had overshot the junction near a2

[richardmorris]

Cycled home at 2 to carry on with paperwork at home. It wasn’t precipitating then, just very slushy and wet on the ground. Snowing again now though.

[stonedagain]

More runny noses than stiff cocks in my neck of the woods today!

[320touring]

Done less than 28mpg then..

 

Veg on its way

[Guest Hooli]

On & off snow all day here, feck all on the floor though. It just looks like a weak frost in the worst bits.

 

I iz disapoint.

[richardmorris]

Well that’s Surrey gridlocked.

[Guest Hooli]

Rotherham is bollocksed as well tonight. No idea why but when I left work at 4pm there was twice as much traffic as at 5:30pm when it's normally busiest. I dropped down a few back roads as I was dropping a work mate off & still got stuck in stationary traffic for 20mins where the queue is normally 3 cars long...

 

The snow hasn't even settled here ffs!

[richardmorris]

It’s the reason I went in on the bike as you can always get off and walk. Though at 6 this morning and 2pm this afternoon there was very little traffic.

[vulgalour]

Mike's new car passed its MoT, which is great.  Just pick up the Rover at the unit and trundle the handful of miles home.  Learn that the Rover is a TERRIBLE car in the snow because it gives almost no feedback when a skid starts.  Narrowly missed crashing into someone, then could only set off in second because first saw me just spinning my wheels, and then the wanker behind me that saw this happened decided that flashing their lights to make me go faster than the ludicrously low speed I was doing was a good idea.  Incredibly relieved to be home and wishing I'd taken the Princess instead which is much more capable in the snow.

[SiC]

I wished it snowed all the time. So quite on the road it was blissful! As it's been above 0c, the snow on the roads had cleared.

 

-2c overnight might make things interesting tomorrow morning though.