The new news 24 thread

[wesacosa]

Had a knock on the door about 6.30 last night. was the neighbour asking if I spoke French. I don't but Mrs W knows a bit of schoolgirl french so sent her out.  Turns out a French couple with zero English were doing a car rally from France to Scotland and had somehow ended up in SE London when looking to go Cambridge.  I went out for a nosey to be greeted by this beauty outside my house

Mrs W managed to ascertain they were looking for the m25/Dartford crossing but were now about 15 miles from it.  I can only assume they had put avoid tolls on their old looking sat nav and got lost looking for the Blackwall or Woolwich ferry.

After much pointing at a circa 10 year old road atlas I decided it was best to have them follow me the 15 miles down to the Dartford crossing. From the stickers on the car it seems they were doing something called the Savane Adventure. Googled it for a bit of info and saw I got a mention on their website!

 

I like to think they saw my XM outside the house and decided it would be a good place to stop,but I suspect they just saw the neighbour mowing his lawn first 

[High Jetter]

20 hours ago, vulgalour said:

It's still not going to get me to go in there and spend my actual money.

 

18 hours ago, cobblers said:

yup, I'd rather be sober than hand any money over the bar in a wetherspoons. And I really don't like being sober

Yeah but... a pint of Guinness for me &  half of San Miguel for the lady at £4.88 in the South East isn't to be sniffed at!

[Rust Collector]

A few years ago, whilst waiting for my partner to get the train back from London, I wandered into the The London & County without realising it was a Wetherspoons. After buying my pint I was immediately shoved out the way by the dirtiest bloke I've ever seen, who stank of piss and was brandishing a handful of shrapnel. I downed my pint and went and swiftly went and sat on the bench outside the train station. Politics aside, bugger going back there again.

I wandered into the Cornfield Garage a while back before that, again without realising it was a Wetherspoons. I wasn't accosted by a piss soaked hobo in that one, but it did smell like the care home my grandad saw out his last days in - that kind of odour that's a mix of cleaning fluids and body fluids.

Really grim. I'd rather just drink at home if I want to save money, or if I do want a drink in a pub then I think it's worth spending the extra couple of quid to drink somewhere pleasant.

[SRi05]

I won't have a bad word said about Spoons. Outrageously cheap pints , exquisite microwave cookery and a baffling ordeal to the bogs in every single one.

Horse it into me Tim 

[Rust Collector]

5 minutes ago, SRi05 said:

a baffling ordeal to the bogs in every single one

Don't bother looking for the bogs, just piss your pants where you stand and you'll fit in with the rest of the crowd.

[beko1987]

We had a spoons lunch in Norwich and it was alright. £60 for 5 of us with a drink each which was reasonable. Food was OK and the hike to the toilet was cool too! 

 

[Metal Guru]

Not a fan of Weatherspoons but the one in Harrogate is very nice. Looks like an upmarket restaurant even if the food is more microwave than Michel Roux.

[RetroShite]

Some more arrivals and departures in the revolving door of shite, the Cavalier is going this Sunday at 9pm, the Escort is going the following week and I'm not exactly sure what to do with the crown vic, I might raffle that one too at some point.

 

Also have a 300ce going this Sunday, I'm just waiting on it coming back from the garage with 12 months ticket.

 

[TheOtherStu]

1 hour ago, SRi05 said:

I won't have a bad word said about Spoons. Outrageously cheap pints , exquisite microwave cookery and a baffling ordeal to the bogs in every single one.

Horse it into me Tim 

I used to be on a Spoons Facebook group and learned all the secrets.
Only ever eat a burger or a steak. Everything else is either pre-prepared or microwaved.

Those are done on a griddle.

[LightBulbFun]

54 minutes ago, RetroShite said:

I'm not exactly sure what to do with the crown vic, I might raffle that one too at some point.

I am still very much morbidly interested in it if I dont have REV back by the time your done with it, would you be interested in a direct sale?  

(although saying that I have no idea where you/it is based now?, its probably in the outer Hebrides now knowing my luck LOL)

[gm]

34 minutes ago, TheOtherStu said:

I used to be on a Spoons Facebook group and learned all the secrets.
Only ever eat a burger or a steak. Everything else is either pre-prepared or microwaved.

Those are done on a griddle.

what is so wrong about using a microwave ? it’s perfectly safe and if used correctly doesn’t compromise the food.

how do you think other pub chains prepare their food ?

 

[loserone]

Aye, not sure I'd fancy a burger half cooked in spoons either! If you want actual food, go to somewhere that makes food surely? 

 

[Rust Collector]

8 minutes ago, loserone said:

Aye, not sure I'd fancy a burger half cooked in spoons either! If you want actual food, go to somewhere that makes food surely? 

 

This is it, surely.

If you want to treat yourself then why would you go for a microwaved meal or a shit cut of grilled meat.

There's a pub in the village down the road that serve local beer and food prepared and cooked in house, with ingredients from local farms where possible. A burger made from rump steak mince is £15, a pint is about £4-5. On the odd occasion that I treat myself, I think it's worth spending the £20 on something that's really enjoyable with the added bonus that you're supporting a locally owned business.

[Split_Pin]

I'm enjoying* my new Mercedes.

Got sent these earlier:

That's the back of the fog light. There's supposed to be most of a car in-between it and the camera .

I'm sure the inner wing is supposed to be joined to the front part of the car.

Thankfully it's with Gingernutzz as we speak and whilst I'm picking my arse up off the floor after seeing these pictures he is battering on with making up repair panels. The outer wing is also shot but will be bolted up using the remaining good part while I try to find a better one in colour.

It's a shame because apart from the outer wing it looks really good from up top. Not even a parking ding that I can see.

[gm]

bloody hell - that looks awful - i had no idea  

 

[Split_Pin]

Par for the course with these things I think. 

[andy18s]

[TheOtherStu]

1 hour ago, gm said:

what is so wrong about using a microwave ? it’s perfectly safe and if used correctly doesn’t compromise the food.

how do you think other pub chains prepare their food ?

 

Oh don't get me wrong, I know a number of other "chains" prepare their foods using microwaved food too. I used to work in the industry (fortunately, my pub had a microwave that was barely used with the exception of vegetables - it's an amazing way to cook veg using a little water that keeps them very fresh and crunchy)

But if I wanted a microwaved curry, I might as well go to Co-op and get one for half the price.

[grogee]

Last night was the last cricket club car meet of the year here in Southam. @Cluffy's Corrado was the wheels of choice. Lots of Yank land yachts which appeal more and more each time I see one. 

The Maestro is still laid up awaiting gearbox refit (bloody work has got in the way) and there was no representation from my mate with the Turbo either. 

Most annoying was the shitty Mk5 Golf lowered on big rimz with a big exhaust, what the fuck is that doing at the show. Back to the normal car park with you. 

Check out the Mitsubishi Roly-Poly. I hope that guy likes scraping along the tarmac on his side. 

The Alfa GTV6 wins for me, no question. 

[Lankytim]

I don’t mind Wetherspoons, always somewhere to sit and usually pretty quiet and a good place for a chat. A few years back there was some numpty blocking the bar I had to elbow out of the way so I could pay for my pint with shrapnel but apart from that it’s all been good. 
 

Moving on, I’ve been working on the 145, filling the repaired tank with 10 litres of fuel and trying to get it to the engine so it’ll run. Absolutely no luck, even when I used my drill operated power steering pump to suck it from the tank. Very annoying, is the fuel pick up not low enough in the tank? Jacking the rear up I undid a fuel pipe and inserted the drill pump to try and suck directly from the tank. Petrol sprayed everywhere! The metal fuel pipe under the car is corroded and holed so will need replacing. Much better to find it now rather than when it’s on the road! 
 

 

[Cluffy]

44 minutes ago, grogee said:

Last night was the last cricket club car meet of the year here in Southam. @Cluffy's Corrado was the wheels of choice. Lots of Yank land yachts which appeal more and more each time I see one. 

The Maestro is still laid up awaiting gearbox refit (bloody work has got in the way) and there was no representation from my mate with the Turbo either. 

Most annoying was the shitty Mk5 Golf lowered on big rimz with a big exhaust, what the fuck is that doing at the show. Back to the normal car park with you. 

Check out the Mitsubishi Roly-Poly. I hope that guy likes scraping along the tarmac on his side. 

The Alfa GTV6 wins for me, no question. 

It was a good turn out. But where do these Yank Tanks come from....!? As we pondered last night, we never ever see them out and about on the road in/around Southam. Likely the cost to fuel them I suppose..!

 

XJR for me I think. Or the Ford GT just to sell (after a quick hoon) and then have all the choice in the world... $$$$$$$

[stuboy]

Delivered yesterday from amazonian

[egg]

The Wetherspoonies I'd like to go to is T-Wells.

[andyberg]

3 minutes ago, egg said:

The Wetherspoonies I'd like to go to is T-Wells.

Very nice, but a shame it's not still a theatre 😞

[brownnova]

Spoons is great for breakfast. Two breakfasts and drinks for under a tenner, and You can sit there eating your bacon and sausages whilst being entertained by the blokes all around the middle table going to the bar for their second pint of lager… at 8.45am… 

On days when the kids are at nursery it’s our little treat to ourselves! 

[cort1977]

Good day today. Managed to fix the exhaust issue on the lexus, the correct toyota crush gasket made all the difference and it's back to pleasant wafting rather than full NASCAR.

Had an issue with the i3 charging cable yesterday, cable lock pin wasn't quite releasing so had to use the override cable. This didn't go back correctly and as a result the car wouldn't charge. Easy enough fix involving taking the wheel arch liner out for access and resetting the cable. While I was under there I did a quick oil change on the rex engine. 

Going to crack on with the saab tomorrow, welding is complete so just a bit of filler and then fixing an oil leak on the mot fail list.

[grogee]

I hate Tim Martin and his Brexit propaganda in Spoons pubs. 

But, I'm also tight and lazy. 

You can see my dilemma. I once bought a round in Spoons for a fairly big group and nearly fell over when they asked for under £20. 

The one in Tavistock was pretty good when it opened but it's gone a bit downhill since. But I'd still drink in there because you can lazily order from your phone without getting up. 

+1 for the breakfasts @brownnova. They always meet the minimum standard of alright whereas if you decide to chance an independent cafe, there's a 50% chance of it being total shit. Also, I think Spoons is bottomless coffee. 

In summary: cheap beer is hard to argue with. But Tim Martin isn't, the thick twat. 

 

[andyberg]

1 minute ago, grogee said:

I hate Tim Martin and his Brexit propaganda in Spoons pubs. 

But, I'm also tight and lazy. 

You can see my dilemma. I once bought a round in Spoons for a fairly big group and nearly fell over when they asked for under £20. 

The one in Tavistock was pretty good when it opened but it's gone a bit downhill since. But I'd still drink in there because you can lazily order from your phone without getting up. 

+1 for the breakfasts @brownnova. They always meet the minimum standard of alright whereas if you decide to chance an independent cafe, there's a 50% chance of it being total shit. Also, I think Spoons is bottomless coffee. 

In summary: cheap beer is hard to argue with. But Tim Martin isn't, the thick twat. 

 

Ooo I remember the one in Tavi being ok, about 6 or 7 years ago when I lived there.

[cobblers]

7 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

This is it, surely.

If you want to treat yourself then why would you go for a microwaved meal or a shit cut of grilled meat.

There's a pub in the village down the road that serve local beer and food prepared and cooked in house, with ingredients from local farms where possible. A burger made from rump steak mince is £15, a pint is about £4-5. On the odd occasion that I treat myself, I think it's worth spending the £20 on something that's really enjoyable with the added bonus that you're supporting a locally owned business.

100%! You can have a cheap burger and a drink at home.

Same here - there's a nice pub that serves nice beer and really nice food. £14 for a really good burger and about £20 for a steak.

Well kept local ales are £4.60 a pint.

A meal and a couple of pints might set you back £30 here vs £20 in a wetherspoons. IMO it's a much better strategy to go to the nice pub every 3 weeks vs spoons every 2 weeks.

 

£14 burger and chips at a nice pub has probably £7 worth of ingredients. 

£10 burger and chips at spoons? £1.50 . 

 

[grogee]

Just now, andyberg said:

Ooo I remember the one in Tavi being ok, about 6 or 7 years ago when I lived there.

Yeah it's a good space and I've had some good days/nights there. It's also wheelchair friendly so good for meeting my Mum for a meal. 

It's gone downhill because the food is pretty rank now, probably because they get paid peanuts and don't GAF.