Journey 21st July 2015 - Work

Weather nice again, off to work!

Today : Cloudy
Conditions : Bright and Dry
Temp : 16° (morning) - 25° (afternoon)
Journey : Just to work and back
Distance : 5 miles

Combined photo of Broad Street Wokingham, c. 60 years apart

And couldn't resist doing this over lunch today! I enjoy a bit of Photoshopping, sadly enough. Not great, but good enough for my enjoyment!

Broad Street, Wokingham. 60 years on. Progress???

I feel quite lucky to be able to recreate a picture like this. The old time black and white 50's picture is one that I spotted on the wall in the Broad Street Tavern, Wokingham back in winter. I was gobsmacked to see that an Austin A40 Somerset featured prominently in the foreground. I immediately resolved that one day I would try to recreate the picture with my Somerset at some time.

Finally got around to it today. Also I found that the old picture can be bought online, so therefore copyright acknowledged to Francis Frith Old Photos and I believe fair use for this specific blog post. I will be buying this picture from them and printing my up to date version to frame them together.

I like to think that the tree that I am parked next to is the SAME tree next to the Somerset in the original that was a sapling at the time. The position is about right, the age of the tree is guesswork, but as it has been substantially pollarded over the years, then it is highly likely that it is 60 years old and that very one.

Other trees now hide most of the buildings and there is a proliferation of lights, road markings and other "useful" roadside items to clutter the view, But the scene is unchanged apart from this. The building in the foreground that is now Zizzi's can be seen and recognised by the configuration of it's first floor windows. A bay next to two tall thin rectangular sashes. The writing on the side of the building roughly in the centre of the shot can still be made out, "PITHER English Meat Purveyor" is the full writing and has been a feature since the early 1900's. Finally, what used to be Tudor House Surgery can be clearly recognised in the distance. Now being turned into accommodation.

Progress??.. Hmmm..... But I like the comparison pictures, that contain reference points to each other over the years. Including Amy of course!!!

Journey 19th July 2015 - Dog Walk

Just dropped Izzie off to Gymnastics and then took the dog for a walk.

Today : Sunny
Conditions : Bright and warm
Temp : 23°
Journey : Dog walk in Sandhurst
Distance : 12 miles

Yes, somewhere new. Wildmoor Heath, walked near to Broadmoor too. Nuts!! Stopped off in the High Street to grab a drink! Therefore couple of new pics.

Just in the car park.

This one seemed OK for the Sepia treatment:

Reggie wanted to drive home after getting drinks!

Journey 12th July 2015 - White Lion and Go Karting. 2000 miles!

Austin/Morris marque day at White Lion Antiques Classic Car Meets. So it was a no brainer and has been on the calendar for a long time. Only couple of issues with that: Heavy night on the Saturday equaled a very sore head this morning. Compunded by the need to go early, in order to get Robbie to Go Karting on time! Oh .. and the weather was a bit iffy too. But soldiered on and arrived around 8.30, to get an "early bird" spot in the line up.

Today : Partly Cloudy with Occasional Showers
Conditions : Dull, bright, wet and dry!! Typical English summer day
Temp : 18°
Journey : White Lion Antiques, Hartley Whitney and Go Karting, Woodley
Distance : 31 miles

Turning up early got a good entry spot, but considering the time of year and the weather not being THAT awful, would have hoped for some more. But Amy was in good company. She's been next to the aqua Moggy before. Managed to sneak into their website write up page here too.

More cars turned up for the Austin only day in November last year. The field that can just be seen in the background can often be full in nice weather, but today only half the number of cars turned out. So overall it was a bit quiet.




This affected the Austin/Morris contingent's ability to fill the reserved marque spaces and to top it all off it started to rain. This was around the time we needed to leave for Go Karting anyway so no big deal for us, but of course others drifted away then too.

On the way across to Woodley, the tripometer tuned over to 000. This means 2000 miles since the last head gasket replacement.!! So must have done something right that time!

Got Robbie to take a shot whilst driving through Arborfield!

Journey 10th July 2015 - Work

Weather too nice again, went the long way to work, very pleasant!

Today : Sunny
Conditions : Bright and Dry
Temp : 17° (morning) - 23° (afternoon)
Journey : Just to work and back
Distance : 13 miles

Journey 4th July 2015 - Around and about plus MPG update

Just to petrol station to fill up, shops, pickup / dropoff  and grab takeway. Around town basically.

Today : Mostly Sunny
Conditions : Dry and warm
Temp : 24°
Journey : Around town
Distance : 13 miles

Fuel consumption looking much more promising back to around the 25 mpg mark that I am sure I was getting previously.

Don'f fully understand discrepancies, but two or three possibilities.

1) Much warmer weather, less choke and warming up required to get to efficient running level
2) I had tried two tanks of the higher rated fuel, one of them was the 22 mpg reading, but maybe it actually is WORSE than normal. reverted back for this and the last fill
3) More longer journeys, only a few really short ones

Will monitor the next few fills just to see.

Journey's end next year maybe?

This blog is half personal. Just thinking out loud. Strangely with Amy running pretty much as she should for quite some time and only minor bits and pieces coming up occasionally, I am sensing that by next year enough will be enough. Counter intuitive, as even I would have thought that would have the opposite effect.

In an early post where I was pondering the same, but from a different angle. It was Negative thoughts at that time that made me think of chucking in the towel. Now, after a couple of good driving seasons nearly under my belt and Amy running really well I am thinking of parting ways with her.

A few reasons I think, I don't think I am quite the enthusiast I thought I was long term, it has been great but....

My son will start driving soon and be wanting a car. so driveway space is an issue,

The family is also part of it. As much as I got resounding support when getting Amy and a good deal of interest from them at the start, that has also waned. My son does his own thing more and more, so that's had a knock on effect to my thinking. I don't really want to be just doing this stuff on my own, it was always more fun when he came and the family would turn up from time to time.

The potential for deterioration. She needs to be driven into a garage and kept properly dry, especially in winter. There has been only minor deterioration over the past few years, front bumper has suffered the most, which I'll have re-chromed. There are a few bubbles and patches on the body work in the usual places, only slightly worse than when I got her. But I have NO intention of building a garage and if I keep her for 10 years, out on the driveway all the time, chances are the rot WILL set in.

Finally minor point, got a fair few shows booked in this year, looking forward to them, I still enjoy being an owner rather than just a spectator, but enough of a reason to override the other issues? Especially on my own as mentioned. I have always had a relatively short attention span, and it partly feels like "been here, done that" even with some new shows coming up. Some people have had their cars for decades, but  that's not me it seems! I love driving her when I am behind the wheel, but all the other times when she is just sitting on the driveway and that seems a little pointless.

So it may be that my classic car experience is 3 to 4 years. I have no problem with that if turns out to be the case. Perfect little window of opportunity grasped with both hands and (mostly) enjoyed. But she may be up for sale next summer. We'll see.