Result............

I like to think that I try to live my life right. I recycle, I do my bit for the less fortunate in society by coming to work every (nearly every) day & no matter what, I never ever covet my neighbours oxen (& he's got a fcuking nice one too). As a believer in karma & fate, I was waiting for my turn.

So with the above in mind, I'm happy to announce, to my band of 3 subscribed followers and various curious Facebook "friends" who clearly have little else to occupy their time, that:

THE GEARCHANGE IS FIXED. I CAN GET 1ST GEAR. I DO NOT HAVE TO MENTALLY PLAN EVERY JOURNEY AVOIDING TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR JUNCTIONS ON UPHILL SLOPES.

Enough of the hysterical reportage - after all, this was done last Thursday & I've only just got round to typing it up. Hardly Hold The Front Page.

Story is that Arthur went off for his MOT with some new little neoprene blocks that attach to the bottom of the gearlever. Some more research on Club 80-90 suggested this could be the thing to do so Paul at Minichanics (http://www.minichanics.co.uk/ for all your classic car repairs/maintainance) was tasked to fit them. MOT went well, probably better than expected, failing only on a non-working fog-light and a gay sounding horn that has been getting on my wick since I bought Arty last November. The old Arrugah sounding horn has been replaced by a straight-forward normal sounding horn that releases me into the world of road-rage once more. You can't really beep someone in traffic if you're embarrassed by the sound you make. Maybe that's the solution to road rage, camp sounding horns..........(mental note:  patent this along with replacing airbags with metal spikes to make people more careful drivers and foam rubber cars in dedicated lanes for drunk drivers only).

Anyway, Paul fitted the blocks but said they didn't make much difference. Whilst underneath, he noticed that part of the linkage at the back looked a little worn so stripped it & wrapped the shaft (oooh missus) with tape. The gearshift is now a thing of beauty, slipping like silk between gears (don't go overboard....). I can get 1st easily & everything else is better too. Paul said it might need re-taping every 6 months & to be honest I should probably get a replacement part but at the moment, I'm too giddy at NOT having to lash out £1k on having a gearbox fitted to do anything remotely practical. Besides, you can buy lots of gaffer tape for £1k.

What else?  I've been a little concerned with the harshness of the ride since lowering and the state of some of the bushes on the front suspension. They all passed the MOT but look tatty & near the end of their useful life so decided to invest in a set of Powerflex bushes. Will have the rollbar done first & stash the rest of another time. Will throw on a pair of uprated shocks too.

Have booked a North Wales break in August. 6 nights split between Aberdaron on the Llynn Peninsula and a place just north of Barmouth. £84 for 6 nights including hook-up can't be beaten if the sites are as good as the reviews. We'll see.........................

Not a lot to say really........

.........bus-wise. No trips other than an odd jaunt to Tesco just to stretch Arthurs legs. Looking forward to the MOT & summer hols. Trips to Grizedale, North Wales & the Dales in prospect but nothing is getting booked until I've got the new MOT in hand!

Might be some hope on the gearbox - a couple of other cheap things to try before the cheque book comes out big-stylee

See you soon

So I lost my virginity at last.........

.....bet that got your attention but it's sadly true.

Got Arthur back from Pauls early yesterday am. Leisure battery fitted & various other bits done including gearbox oil change - more of that later. Set off home, all good. As we got close, we noticed a squeaking from the front nearside. Thought nothing of it - he's an old boy & if I've learned nothing else, it's that when one job is done, you notice something else that needs doing.

So finally after 5 months of tootling around, first time starting & a general smug-ness about my perfectly functioning T25, I have a breakdown to report. A wheel bearing gave up when taking Ann (my lovely wife) and Stu to Lyme Park to meet grandkids for A Big Day Out. Ann wasn't happy, I thought it was funny, Ann really didn't think it was funny, I thought this was even funnier. I sat in the back, Ann sat in the front, arms so tightly crossed that it made me feel breathless. Luckily, the eldest was available to pick her & Stu up & deliver them to Lyme Park for a beautiful day in the sun rolling down hills & eating picnic. I got a trip to the garage on the back of a breakdown truck driven by that bloke who knows exactly how to sort this country out. You know him, he's the salt of the earth, that uncomplicated bloke who is fashioned from the common clay, the bedrock on which this fine land of ours solidly stands, or to put it more simply, a moron......................

It's a tick off the list though, been meaning to call Britannia Rescue just to check if campers are covered. Thankfully, they are and we're now proper camper owners. Should be back on the road Wed pm once Paul weaves his magic.

Gearbox? Gearbox, gearbox, gearbox................ It appears that a rebuild/replace will be necessary unless it was part of Mr VWs design for little bits of metal & ball-bearings to come out when you change the oil. Getting into 1st gear has always been a bit of an issue but other than that, it's fine. No crunching/grinding at all but definitely noisier than it should be. Perfectly drivable at the moment but will be sorted as soon as we're back from Hope Valley on Sunday.

I hereby appeal now to all Gods of Motoring, past & present, to grant us an uneventful drive there & back. Oh, & if you could throw in some nice weather & the thick end of £1k for a gearbox, that would be nice