Thursday 28 March 2013

'6th'

Yet another stupidity! Why have TV presenters and others in this great country of ours suddenly, and for no apparent reason, started pronouncing sixth (SIKSTH ) as SIKTH !!!!!

Some people may attribute my observations and criticism about many aspects of life today to galloping senility, but the continuing abuse of the English language really annoys and depresses me.

It seems that for many, including the BBC, who were once renowned for their standards, the letter 't' is regarded as almost irrelevant, being habitually omitted in speech. I suppose it is indicative of the general sloppiness in much of society......and then there is the ludicrous pronunciation of the name Ralph as RAIF!!!

Why can't everyone be a Morgan driver and talk proper!

The trouble with the sort of weather we're enduring is that it results in 'old gits' like me being reluctant to get off their backsides and do anything, apart from read a newspaper in front of the fire and mull over all the failings of a country that bears little resemblance to the England I once knew and loved.

But yesterday I did get off the old derriere and got the steed out of the stable, driving to Fleetwood, that gem on the north Fylde coast, where I sat in the roasting confines of the Morgan cockpit, with the hood up of course, looking across Morecambe Bay to the snow-capped mountains and watching the seagulls flying backwards in the cold easterly wind which also carried an increasing volume of snowflakes.

It was an excellent drive and fortunately the roads were dry, despite the snowflakes in the wind, so there was no need for me to embark on a massive cleaning programme when I drove it back into the garage. Hopefully the next time it emerges it will be into warm Spring sunshine offering my wife and I the chance for one of our excellent picnics in the fells.

.......and another thing; what about the suggestion that the use of the comma in written English should be curtailed??? Who are these nincompoops?

PS  Frank Lomax, an owner of a Roadster is following the route of the 1900, 1000 Mile Trial, starting on the 29th April and finishing on the 9th May. He is doing the run in aid of 'Help for Heroes' and if you wish to offer a donation please go to his website http://www.franks4x4-solograndetour.co.uk

Thursday 7 March 2013

Petrol

I found it interesting to note that the forensic evidence, from a house where six children died recently after the property was set alight, reputedly by their parents, found traces of both Shell and Tesco petrol!

This would tend to support my long held belief, shared by many other drivers and incidentally I believe, by 'Honest John', the motoring column in the Daily Telegraph, that there is a distinct difference in the quality of the fuel sold by the petrol companies on their forecourts and that sold by supermarkets.

Apparently, I assume to keep costs down, supermarket fuel does not contain many of the additives found in the fuels produced by the major petrol companies, that are there to protect and enhance engines and their performance.

As a result of this I have never put supermarket fuels in any of my vehicles and have noticed that on most occasions I am paying very much the same price as those advertised on supermarket forecourts.