Collection, Fred - mildly damp!

[CaptainBoom]

Another collection thread begins:

Plop count = 0
Rain = True
Childcare arranged = True

St Mary Cray, where all my dream journeys begin (except when there engineering works)

It’s pissing down, I’m too simple minded for umbrellas and parking is a bastard around here, so I trudged to the station.

I am consequently a bit damp, but looking forward to adventure (there and back).

For context, I live over here in the gloom, on a hill so steep your ears pop if you drive down it quickly;

that’s my finger by the way. 
Obligatory cheerful- but-piss-wet-and-nervous-bloke photo.

[CaptainBoom]

And as evidence shows, parking would not have been a bastard, ah well.

Todays steed will come as no surprise for those of you who watched/partook in a recent roffle. My journey involves going up to That London (or near enough) and then back down again South and West near to the coast.

So have two sort-of appropriate tunes:
 

https://youtu.be/dMfb9TRbUJc?si=ZXofCyckj2hw5Y1C

 

 

[grogee]

May your trains be not-buses. 

Awaiting news of your breakfast with great interest. 

[CaptainBoom]

28 minutes ago, grogee said:

Awaiting news of your breakfast with great interest. 

A bowl of very boring cereal, too dull even for a photograph, plus my kitchen is an embarrassing bombshell after Boom_Daughter1 tried to make a mango smoothie. The results were predictable, but all fingers intact!

Tren 1: achieved, was heavingly busy, forgot what that was like. Quite glad events in my life meant that I gave up with commuting in That London.

Now at Denmark Hill (fairly hip bit of south London) awaiting Tren 2. Delightfully shonky bits of wood spacing the cast iron canopy supports from the station wall:

Update: Tren 2 achieved. Pleasingly quiet as we rumble into Clapham Junction. I’ve not been on the Overground in years. Route map is hopeless, I don’t mind the lines being rebranded, it was a confusing mishmash of unconnected routes, in my eyes at least.

[CaptainBoom]

Clapham Junction achieved:

Hot Grindr action:

and a musical interlude based in the area:

My phone battery is getting a bit poorly, so you’ll be glad to hear updates will be a bit more sparse, Tren 3 achieved:

off towards Portsmouth, and as long as I stay awake, I won’t end up there!

 

[Stanky]

See you shortly! The spitfire is flying from the airfield nearby today so hopefully you should get to see/hear that while you're here.

[Stanky]

And he's on his way! Hope the mercedes is as faithful a companion to you as it has been for me.

*Wipes away a tear*

[wesacosa]

enjoy. I have to say I'm enjoying W203 ownership so far

[stuboy]

any updates?

[CaptainBoom]

14 minutes ago, stuboy said:

any updates?

Yeah apologies, my phone decided to go from 18% to 1% battery in a few seconds when I was on the train.  I decided to leave it alone rather than try and use it to post here.  The joys of running an old smart phone.

I'm home, exactly 100 miles later.  My back feels better now than when I got into the car at 5:15, the seats much have some medicinal properties in them or something!
I averaged 43.7mpg which is very respectable I think.  I certainly didn't go on an economy run, although the A3 was slow when the rain really came down.  The car was really sublime, felt very wafty but made good noises when pushed.  I was very fortunate not have have to use the hand/footbrake at all on the way home.  I wanted some time away from traffic to work out how to use it.  It's more the scrambling for the foot pedal to apply it than the hand lever to release it that I'll need to get used to.  It all seems very pleasant and works incredibly well.  I needed a good work hack in my life again (I really miss my Volvo from two years ago) and this really fits the gap. 

In all, a great day.  Despite the weather.

Thanks again to @Stanky, top buyer 42/10 - would by from again, for making the process smooth and for the lift from the station in the new steed. 

 

[wesacosa]

you get used to the foot/hand brake pedal pretty quickly, to the point where you start going for an imaginary pedal when you are in another car pretty quickly. Same way you no doubt straight for the floor mounted ignition key in your Saab

It's still a bloody silly idea on a manual car though

I'm sure you will have many miles of trouble free motoring but if you do get any rouge warning lights or issues I have the IcarSoft MB2 scanner here which you are welcome to borrow which scans all the vehicle systems, resets service lights etc

[CaptainBoom]

1 hour ago, wesacosa said:

you get used to the foot/hand brake pedal pretty quickly, to the point where you start going for an imaginary pedal when you are in another car pretty quickly. Same way you no doubt straight for the floor mounted ignition key in your Saab

It's still a bloody silly idea on a manual car though

I'm sure you will have many miles of trouble free motoring but if you do get any rouge warning lights or issues I have the IcarSoft MB2 scanner here which you are welcome to borrow which scans all the vehicle systems, resets service lights etc

Thanks, that would be awesome!

[Stanky]

Glad it got you home safe and sound @CaptainBoom - the seats are very comfy, I've done several Fareham > Manchester runs in it over the last couple of years and its always been entirely pleasant. I think the best I saw was a 49.5 MPG average over the ~260 mile journey coming home late one weekday evening in the summer, I wasn't in a rush and did a gentle 60mph drive, no holdups, no stops for food or anything on a warm summer evening. Very nice it was!

I kept coming back to the analogy of an old slipper with the car, its just wafty and comfortable and a little bit shabby.

You'll get used to the hand/foot brake pedal (or just become more ambivalent about rolling backwards!) with time I'm sure. It was a bit scary at first but you do get used to it.

[Rustybullethole]

Pics of said car required, else it didn't happen😂

Thought you'd found a Clio by the title so this is a nice surprise.