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1

General Car Chat / Re: Mercedes S500 Ongoing "Project Upgrade"

« on: 15 April 2025, 21:24:03 »

A feature I would REALLY like on the Jag - both of 'em - is a clock that can adjust itself. Every other bloody car has been able to since the 1980s.  No idea what JLR were smoking when they suffered CBA to implement something so simple.

.. a clock that kept decent time and didn't lose a few minutes every month or so would be a start.

.. and one that updated on the display when you're early for a meeting and parked up outside the chip shop with the radio on instead of just freezing until you're late...

Still, the XE will be nice when the firmware's finished.

2

General Discussion Area / Re: Fire

« on: 13 April 2025, 21:32:21 »

Secondly it looks like a VW Passat estate. It might be hybrid, but it's no EV.

Alternative headline: "VAG car in "being a bit shit" shocker!". 

3

General Discussion Area / Re: Prison attack

« on: 13 April 2025, 09:18:01 »

I've been out of the Prison Service since 2020 after 24 years,to say that it is now out of control is an understatement, human rights are now the biggest problem that they have to deal with, also the accelerated promotion scheme which sees morons with a degree being promoted way above their capabilities . Glad to  be out of it & enjoying the pension I risked life & limb for.

I fail to see why, when the inmates are there to have the latter removed, and many don't fit the former category either.

4

General Car Chat / Re: Enough to get even Lord Opti's heart rate up

« on: 01 April 2025, 19:40:45 »

Looks adequate to me.

5

General Discussion Area / Re: Cheap Flights

« on: 24 March 2025, 22:31:20 »

If you want to add accommodation and car hire/transfers most airlines will offer to add these to a booking

Don't bother if you're booking with the Irish git, though, because they'll take your money then the car park will try to charge you £245 on your return. 

In fact, just stay in the UK or drive. Much less of a PITA.

6

General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?

« on: 24 March 2025, 22:27:27 »

I drove an Audi Q7 with cameras instead of door mirrors. The screen for them was positioned at the edge of the dash by the A pillar. At the end of the journey I still hadn't got used to them as I constantly instinctively glanced where the original door mirror would have been - I think they would take a lot of getting used to, and I don't get the point of them? More to go wrong I guess....

Aerodynamics? Fuel saving?

 Fuel saving is about 1 egg cup full a week. I haven't spoken to any HGV driver who has said Cameras are Good,

All undone in about 3 seconds of driving like a merchant banker. (It's an Audi, after all).

7

General Discussion Area / Re: What has P*ssed you off today?

« on: 20 March 2025, 07:32:56 »

His engineer, who I've met a few times through another common interest, wasn't a 100% fan either. (21:00 onwards)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhJbnx660OI

In fact, I recall he wasn't quite as complimentary off the camera.

Lovely bloke whose stories I could listen to for ages. I got talking to him about record players at a Hi-Fi show and he talked about designing suspension for turntables and then casually slipped in "I later applied the idea to F1 cars when I was Technical Director for Williams".

8

General Discussion Area / Re: What has P*ssed you off today?

« on: 18 March 2025, 18:31:30 »

I know, those police drivers.  They get up my arse, flashing wigwam lights and blues and twos, then when I stop to let them past, the also stop and get out, and start with "Evening Nigel Mansell....."

Christ, how long ago did he stop you? It's not even Lewis Hamilton anymore, more like Lando Norris. 

None of them had that many punctures, though...

Mind you, Mansell's were mainly self-inflicted.

9

General Discussion Area / Re: What has P*ssed you off today?

« on: 18 March 2025, 18:30:40 »

I know, those police drivers.  They get up my arse, flashing wigwam lights and blues and twos, then when I stop to let them past, the also stop and get out, and start with "Evening Nigel Mansell....."

Christ, how long ago did he stop you? It's not even Lewis Hamilton anymore, more like Lando Norris. 

None of them had that many punctures, though...

10

General Discussion Area / Re: TV problem?

« on: 02 March 2025, 21:14:31 »

Usual checks - retune, then see if all the impacted channels are on the same Mux, and if so, check the engineering page of your transmitter as it may be a Mux is on reduced power

The muxes carrying the lower budget channels often have lower TX power and / or less robust coding to cram more channels in, so they are often the first to deteriorate. They have also been retuned in recent years, so worth checking that the antenna is still targeting the right group.

11

General Discussion Area / Re: Licence renewal...

« on: 01 March 2025, 10:21:50 »

.. and judging by the omnipresent queue of HGV drivers at the burger van in the layby near my office, if they start binning any that have slightly elevated blood pressure the roads are going to get quite quiet!

12

General Discussion Area / Re: Trump, JD, and Zelenskyy.

« on: 01 March 2025, 10:05:29 »

For all his posturing, Zelenskyy is grudgingly aiming for a ceasefire as a compromise to appease the suppliers of arms rather than a total end to the stalemate they call a war.

The reality is that he's not prepared to concede anything to anyone. And that's a problem.

Dont blame him. His Sovereign country has been invaded by an aggressor who had previously guaranteed Ukraines territorial Sovereignty.
The free world should be united in repelling the aggression, which would also bring about the end of Putin.
This war has been a huge mistake for Putin. It hasnt gone to plan by any stretch of the imagination, and its bankrupting Russia in the meantime.
Thats without even getting into how many Russian families have a son / father / husband who isnt coming home.
Putins position is much weaker than it was three years ago, and for the West to not take full advantage of that makes no sense whatsoever..
At the end of the day, its actually about right and wrong.

Indeed, and a cease fire without any international backing is simply an opportunity for Putin to re-arm, just as he did after annexing Crimea.

13

General Discussion Area / Re: Licence renewal...

« on: 01 March 2025, 10:00:05 »

Licence sent in for renewal, but I have absolutely no idea if it will come back with C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E.and provisional D/DE on it or not.

It might. It might not. They might randomly delete any extra entitlements you've paid for like motorbike, HGV or bus.


If that happens, it's down to you to prove you had them before you sent the licence back, because the new computer record is what DVLA will consider correct. Even though they couldn't update your records properly.


You need to have a good copy of your licence before you even think of sending it away.

I was going to suggest taking a copy of the current licence but as Al has already sent it away I fear our warning could be too late.

I never sent my old one back when I renewed it in December and they've never chased me for it.

14

General Discussion Area / Re: Trump, JD, and Zelenskyy.

« on: 28 February 2025, 18:57:47 »

It did seem a bit premature to be first in the queue for the spoils before showing any evidence of this peace he's going to negotiate nor any commitment to backing it up.

I admire Zelensky for not just holding his nose and kissing a$$, but not sure where this leaves him (and the rest of us).

15

General Discussion Area / Re: Ukraine peace deal

« on: 21 February 2025, 23:02:47 »

I hope we're all watching and learning for next time we buy a new car / have to argue our next insurance premium. This guy's the bestest negotiator. Rote a book n'all.