Well Chris is still in England but it has been a really busy week with vehicles coming in and out of the garage for various repairs and jobs. A long term job has been on our new coach which is really looking lovely now, as it has had a full re-trim the interior is literally as new but that showed up some lovely wood work which was looking a bit faded and tired so it has been taken out, sanded and varnished and stained – not a big job on the face of it but very time consuming and extremely boring! In fact the kitchen has become a bit of a production line with timber lying everywhere – good job I’am on my own! As well as that I have been steadily working my way through servicing, a few repairs and a couple of oil leaks – so a busy week.
I should also re count the exciting journey bringing the new coach home back last month. We collected the vehicle from our normal coachbuilders – Gardiners at Spennymoor in County Durham and started on the journey across to Liverpool where we were booked on the night P& O sailing to Dublin, we left about 2.00 to give plenty of time as the weather was not great – freezing cold with snow flurries. We headed across the famous A66 over Bowes Moor and Staindrop the weather was glorious with sun and a blanket of snow, the road was fine though Chris had a turn at driving over that stretch and I took over for the next section towards Tebay then onto the M6 motorway as I was heading towards Kirby Stephen I realised all was not well, the engine wasn’t pulling well and we had an awful lot of black smoke, I immediately recognised the problem from my Renault Truck sales days – the exhaust brake had stuck on. We stopped and I managed to get underneath (in deep snow – lovely!) and I was right, we needed some wire to tie the exhaust brake, we found a friendly car garage who helped us out – all for £7.00 – not bad. We then headed to Liverpool a little behind time but with time in hand. I then reversed into the lower vehicle deck on the P & O Ferry Norbank – this was fairly awkward and done entirely on mirrors with inches to spare – Chris didn’t volunteer to drive at that point!
We then retired to the bar for a couple of well earned drinks and a very good dinner before turning for the night in a very nice cabin. Sweet dreams were shattered when we were woken at 4.30 just off Dublin, we arrived in Dublin Port at 5.30 and headed down to start the coach, I turned the key and nothing! Flat batteries now, I must now point out that the batteries were entirely my fault, I had the heated mirrors on when reversing and forgot to turn them off! Anyway P & O were really helpful and provided jump leads and we got a jump start from one of their vehicles, we then headed home and arrived about 9.30 – what a journey!
Just one aside to that I remember bring my last coach Perry over on the same ferry in 2001 and that wouldn’t start so maybe it’s a good omen!
I will post some pics of the journey next week as Chris has them in UK, I’am hopefully heading over by ferry and car next week and even better hopefully bringing Chris back – news next week!
Now for a bit of Music – I have recently re discovered the band Elbow, I heard some of their early stuff and liked it although somehow I never caught up with them until on my last trip to England when I bought their latest album “The Seldom Seen Kid” and I have to say I’am bowled over by it, so much so that I’am going to see them in Newcastle on Thursday night, I will let you know what I think!
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