It is our day off and nothing much is happening. The builders next door are not here today, the re-roofing of the house next to them is now complete and there are no other building sounds around. This is unusual – all the houses round here are from the 1920s, they have mock-Tudor fronts (or in other words, render that crumbles and wood that rots) and small clay roof tiles which have a tendency to crack in the frost.
We had a buzzard fly over earlier this morning, chased by crows, and there is a dunnock singing fitfully from the pear tree. All else is calm. At one time you never even saw a buzzard in the county. Then they started to expand their range. They reached the edge of town about twenty years ago, then ten years ago we started seeing them on the horizon as they soared over a golf course a couple of miles away. Recently I have seen them over the High School playing fields, which are only a few hundred yards away, but this was the first time one has flown over the house.
Enamelled crown – about 200 years old, so you can forgive the damage.
The car is in for servicing, which is going to be a bit of an adventure – we have hardly been anywhere since we returned from Suffolk at the beginning of lockdown – and the oil is looking both low and treacly. I topped up a bit a few weeks ago and kept my fingers crossed. If my calculations are correct, it’s a week over 14 months since we started the first lockdown. In that time we have hardly been anywhere. At least it’s good for the environment, and the fuel bills are cheaper. There is, let’s face it, a silver lining in everything.
Pictures are three different enamelled crowns – different styles and different levels of finish.
1887 Enamelled Crown
I agree there have been some sort of silver lining to the pandemic. It has forced a change on some fronts for the better, but made other things so much more difficult. Where it all comes out in the ledger is unknown at this time.
We still have to drive everywhere to get many things, but haven’t taken any pleasure trips in a long, long time now.
It’s going to be very strange. 🙂
My mileage from the end of May last year to the same time this (car insurance year) was 3500 miles. We did do a couple of big drives when permitted but mostly the car was used because I couldn’t take a bus locally.
Anyway, looking back at your post about the trip to Suffolk and the precipice before lockdown, it shows an interesting snapshot of the ending of one world and the beginning of another.
I know mine was sharply decreased because the garage mentioned it at MOT time.
It’s quite depressing reading the old posts – tonight w start a new age when we go out to eat with in-laws who are up fro the cricket. 🙂
Oh, enjoy your evening!
🙂 I’m still trying to rid myself of the feeling of doom… I am just not used to going out.
I think this is a common reaction after the restrictions.
IT turned out to be OK. Very enjoyable.
Excellent!
It is a sad fact that not using a car much can be worse for its health than using it a lot as a huge bill for replacing corroded brakes has just proved to me. I hope that the damage is not too severe.
Oh, I didn’t know this could happen to breaks if the car wasn’t used much. How little is too little?
Here’s something f4om the AA. I left mine for two or three weeks at a time in the first lockdown but used it regularly in the othger as Julia was back at work.
https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/laying-up
As my veg, eggs and milk come from local farms, I needed to drive at least once a week for this purpose, so fortunately my car got some regular use.
I’m surprised the AA say 15 minutes to keep the battery healthy. I had been told by another car rescue service it was 45 minutes. Anyway, the upshot of this is that approx 1/month or two during the pandemic I have driven for 45 minutes or so.
Overall, I am very pleased to have reduced the amount I drive overall, though. I’m just trying to psyche myself up to using public transport. The thought of wearing a mask when the temperature in the bus might be 30+ degrees does not appeal but driving to work in rush hour doesn’t either. So, a bit of practice is a good idea.
Julia has to use the tram or bus to get home – they are overcrowded, people don’t wear masks and the drivers won’t enforce anything. So far she is healthy…
I think it must be difficult for drivers… but I thought public transport was supposed to be socially distanced?
Not in Nottingham – it’s more like a barely controlled riot according to Julia. To be fair, it isn’t the job of the drivers to get involved in enforcement.
Oh dear!! No words of consolation for Julia, unfortunately.
It is what it is. Eventually it will pass. 🙂
Yes, the situation will change sooner or later 😊
🙂
We hardly used the car for a year so it wasn’t a surprise when it had sat in the open all winter.
Is that because the garage is full of bikes and hedgehogs?
Bikes anyway.
🙂
Sorry to hear that. It seems like cars are less durable and more expensive to run than they used to be..
They are certainly more expensive to repair as hitting them with a hammer is no longer an option.
Yes, I once let the brakes seize on a Morris Minor as it stood all winter- hammer fixed them! 🙂
Never mind the title – the content is good and varied.
🙂 Thank you Derrick.
We, too, have hardly been anywhere in over a year. I thought I would be hesitant to start going out and about again after so much time spent apart from others. Oddly enough, I have not. Somehow, the double vaccination seems to have given me confidence. Tonight, we are actually going to the library for our graphic novel club meeting, which has been a Zoom meeting since it began last year. Won’t even wear a mask. Hoo-boy!
You are very brave! 🙂