What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Insurance renewal time on the Princess again and it continues to be dirt cheap, happily.  For the year it's £230 fully comp with breakdown cover, commuting (which I don't currently need but is no extra cost and might be handy in the future) and a named driver, cannot complain.  Of course, it's a slightly moot point since it's been on axle stands for months while I wade through the welding, my health issues, and the weather... and then I think about the fact Pat pays almost half what I do in a year every month to insure his modern van.  So on balance, I think I'm doing okay.

I paid less than that on a modified Impreza.

[BorniteIdentity]

On 29/11/2025 at 07:03, comfortablynumb said:

Sounds like it's better than the Cambridge ones!

MK2 son and I attend gigs occasionally in Cambridge, which is renowned for being anti car, and difficult to park anywhere.

We usually get the train ( yeah there is one in Norfolk!🙄) and the usual one is right near Cambridge south station.

(As an aside, why does Cambridge need three stations, and are getting a fourth apparently, when they can't even get a train running on the, still existing, march to Wisbech line?)

 

I know this is the happy thread - but Cambridge is not famously anti-car! We have 5 multi-storey's and 5 large street level car parks.  There is no CAZ.  In the evening, some of the city parking doesn't even have resident restriction.  Yes - lots of people cycle, but that's true in many cities.  I've lived here for 20 years and have never once thought "Ah - better not take the car in" - ESPECIALLY at night. 

The south station is there to support the Addenbrookes campus where over 20,000 people work each day - the same amount of people who live in Ely.  You've also got all that new housing at Trumpington with some folk commuting into London.  Cambridge 'East' would be for the East West Line and it makes absolute sense to put the infrastructure in before they build 7,000 houses on the airport ground.  This is the sort of thing we should be celebrating really; a bit of thought going into things.

The March to Wisbech line is a completely separate issue.  Where there is a business and usage case, stations like Soham have reopened.  I'm sure the same will be true of that line if there really is demand.

Sorry to be a grumpy old shit bag but, as someone who calls it home, this is all good.

[comfortablynumb]

Only thing I would say to that @BorniteIdentity, is that around 20 years ago, I had the misfortune to work with Cambridgeshire city and district councils, through a rural transport scheme.

Some of the anti-car sentiment present at some of those meetings etc had to be seen to be believed.

Anyway, as you rightly said, this isn't the grumpy thread, so I'll shut up now 🙏

[paulplom]

22 hours ago, Mally said:

In an unprecedented event. Admiral have reduced my Car premium from £544 to £372.

My van insurance came down from £550 to £450. I din't bother looking elsewhere. First time in 23 years this has happened.

[iainrcz]

Had the pumps for a couple of days.

Some of them have been majestic.

[grizz]

[Metal Guru]

6 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I know this is the happy thread - but Cambridge is not famously anti-car! We have 5 multi-storey's and 5 large street level car parks.  There is no CAZ.  In the evening, some of the city parking doesn't even have resident restriction.  Yes - lots of people cycle, but that's true in many cities.  I've lived here for 20 years and have never once thought "Ah - better not take the car in" - ESPECIALLY at night. 

The south station is there to support the Addenbrookes campus where over 20,000 people work each day - the same amount of people who live in Ely.  You've also got all that new housing at Trumpington with some folk commuting into London.  Cambridge 'East' would be for the East West Line and it makes absolute sense to put the infrastructure in before they build 7,000 houses on the airport ground.  This is the sort of thing we should be celebrating really; a bit of thought going into things.

The March to Wisbech line is a completely separate issue.  Where there is a business and usage case, stations like Soham have reopened.  I'm sure the same will be true of that line if there really is demand.

Sorry to be a grumpy old shit bag but, as someone who calls it home, this is all good.

I’ve only been to Cambridge once and didn’t have much trouble parking. However it was £12 for 4 hours.

[Volksy]

Drunk raccoon found passed out on liquor store floor after breaking in - BBC News

The "masked bandit" was found passed out in the bathroom between the toilet and bin having helped itself to bottles on a bottom shelf. 🤣 

 

We've all done it!

[catsinthewelder]

3 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

I’ve only been to Cambridge once and didn’t have much trouble parking. However it was £12 for 4 hours.

I've spent £18 parking outside a customers flat in Shrewsbury before (and the rates have definitely increased since then).  I'd prefer they offer really expensive parking in the centre of old towns and cities as it means you can usually find a space when you're desperate (or somebody else is paying).  When there's empty carparks most days it needs to be cheaper but you don't see that very often.

[Metal Guru]

16 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

I've spent £18 parking outside a customers flat in Shrewsbury before (and the rates have definitely increased since then).  I'd prefer they offer really expensive parking in the centre of old towns and cities as it means you can usually find a space when you're desperate (or somebody else is paying).  When there's empty carparks most days it needs to be cheaper but you don't see that very often.

Our town has a free car park but you have to walk all of 100 yards to the shops, so there’s always spaces while people park badly on the street. Humans will eventually evolve with no legs.

[myglaren]

4 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

Our town has a free car park but you have to walk all of 100 yards to the shops, so there’s always spaces while people park badly on the street. Humans will eventually evolve with no legs.

Same here.  Lots of free parking in Washington and most of the nearby towns.

Plenty of car parks with a decent time limit to enable visits to at least three nearby shops as long as you don't dawdle.

[hairnet]

watching the plas episode 

and mr and mrs cleckhuddersfax 

lmao @Dave_Q

[angle]

My uncle has a new daily. He has prioritised wider wheels over sorting out the oil leaks - he has an A-Series out of an Ital to go in.

 

[hairnet]

vtec yo

 

[vulgalour]

17 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

I paid less than that on a modified Impreza.

It's a mystery how they get to the figures they do.  I'm happy enough, for me sub-£500 on anything is cheap, so less than half that is a bit of a winner as far as I'm concerned.

[MikeR]

Birkenhead gets some stick , but the Pyramids have had a good try and  put the Xmas bunting up and free parking along with some weekend kiddie activities .. late night pictures so not many people around .

[Tenmil Socket]

I was driving home from work earlier and they said on the radio news that they are going to trial playing classical music in Liverpool town centre at night to try and combat the problem with the youth’s anti-social behaviour.

If they want guaranteed results they could simply play my Mrs singing 😆

[hairnet]

vice grip on dmax now

pontiac tempest that he got going - drove from somewhere in tennessee back to the shop only overheated once

now putting efi in it

oof stacklight

[myglaren]

[grizz]

Makes mr smile

[DavieW]

Managed to avoid all the football shite last night. 

Now to avoid it all for the next 6 months. The challenge starts now. 

[goosey]

the glow plug I’ve been sweating about came out real easy….

[grizz]

A great AI result 

[cobblers]

I think we all know which automotive youtuber to blame for this

[richardmorris]

[hairnet]

just seen a short

tipo with a v6 badge on the back 

theres no other footage

brazilian number plate

wonder if its real

[DavieW]

Have the 2 Minis fallen out and not speaking to each other?

[MikeR]

Came home yesterday to a subway on the pavement at the front of the house ...

Having a video doorbell I looked up how it got there ..

A lad gets his dog and subway out of his van , wind takes sub wrappers down the street which he goes to recover , dog starts eating his subway that dropped by the van , lad comes back with papers and sees dog eating his subway , dog then gets chased ...

Lad looks pissed off ! 

[Westbay]

7 hours ago, DavieW said:

Have the 2 Minis fallen out and not speaking to each other?

It's the same effect as magnets !      🤣

[grizz]

One careful owner