What made you happy today?

[Nick Sticks]

On 16/03/2024 at 13:10, exeterjeep said:

Wife has had bonds for almost 50 years and not one a penny.

My parents bought £6 of premium bonds for me in 1960, they have never won a thing.
More recently I've bought a few more and get regular wins, this month's was £250.
I read somewhere if you have a large amount bought way back when you would be better off cashing them in and buying them again to get the newer numbers.

[exeterjeep]

13 minutes ago, Nick Sticks said:

I read somewhere if you have a large amount bought way back when you would be better off cashing them in and buying them again to get the newer numbers.

From https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1861219/premium-bonds-nsi-nsandi-savings-win

they say.....

NS&I responds to customer complaining old Premium Bonds rarely win

An X user contacted the savings provider to ask if the old style Bonds are still entered into the monthly prize draw, as Bonds they purchased in the 1970s have never won a prize while more recently issued ones have.

The group explained: "Every £1 Bond has an equal chance of winning a prize, regardless of when or where it was bought. In fact, over 95 percent of eligible Bonds have been bought since the year 2000, which is why newer Bonds seem to win more frequently."

 

still makes me wonder if they 'lost' some old bonds during a IT data transfer. many years ago......we all know how well all IT implementations go.

[Nick Sticks]

1 minute ago, exeterjeep said:

still makes me wonder if they 'lost' some old bonds during a IT data transfer. many years ago......we all know how well all IT implementations go.

Indeed. I know I have significantly increased my chances lately but it does make me think.

[Sparky]

IT by Fujitsu, perchance?

[johnpwalsh]

And here she is. Wendy, (my long suffering important other half) the previous owners partner and her son spent 11 bloody cold and wet hours moving three of the other cars from the group. We changed/swapped/inflated/humped 3 sets of wheels, swapped 3 batteries, pushed a bloody big heavy BM, dragged, pushed pulled one of the Alphas kicking and screaming uphill, up a drive then maneuvered it in front of the big house alongside the other two cars that we had already given the same treatment, so that the garage doors are clear for the final reveal to daylight this coming Wednesday. This will be the first time these garage doors have been opened since April 1995 and that will reveal one of my favourite cars. Yep. Lotus Esprit S3 N/A. Total miles covered, 23,351. 1st owner for 2 years, then the current owner since and up to today where she now belongs to her new owner. ME. Along with the car comes several box's of spare parts which the previous owner had purchased over the years purely in case he would ever need them, that includes a full exhaust system. The stunning part is inside the car there is NO damp, NO mildew or mould which I find truly surprising. Getting her out is going to be a bit of a challenge as all four wheels are none surprisingly flat, the brakes are all stuck on, it's an uphill pull and it's on a loose gravel drive where we can get no traction as we found today while moving the other three cars. But, it will be done, she will be dragged out onto the street through a very narrow wall entrance which if not careful can catch your car door mirror's and rip them off, ( don't ask how I know  ) and onto a main road which just for fun is on a bend and on the brow of a hill. Wonderful.

Now, if someone could tell me how to attach a small video clip, I would do that and take the snapshot pics off. 

 

[Barrykearley]

What a coincidence just as I’m about to need a new project - must be fate @johnpwalsh. I’ll arrange collection 👌

[johnpwalsh]

7 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

What a coincidence just as I’m about to need a new project - must be fate @johnpwalsh. I’ll arrange collection 👌

Swap for a certain Red one as I already have an almost exact copy of this one, only it has a turbo.

[Gjk]

3 things!

1. finally got out in the Esprit today. (Must try harder but lower spine problems get in the way)

2. Car started first turn of the key and ran with no issues whatsoever for the whole journey.

3. induction noise from removing convoluted intake hoses to air box turned a lot of heads in an otherwise Aston Martin and Ferrari rich area of Surrey.

[johnpwalsh]

So here she is after last weeks reveal. I had to take a day out for the rescue. Two vans, 2 cars trailers and an estate car to the 1st location and vans and one trailer loaded with the 1968 MGB GC plus all the parts. Then onto the 2nd location to reveal the S3 N/A. First time the doors have been opened in 29 years. Two hours to clear all the gear that had been stacked up in the garage, another 2 too free off the rear brake callipers, and another couple too free of the cross gate and hokey stick selectors as both were seized. Surprisingly, one tyre was still fully inflated after 29 years !!!. the remaining three took air with no problem. Strategically placed soft slings and a wee tug, and out she comes. Far easier than any of us expected. Big thanks to Wendy Walsh, for her patience today, and a couple of friends who came to help out. Kev, Aaran and Kyle. 

I have a short video of the reveal, but for some reason the system wont allow it.

 

[C8RKH]

Piccies would be good @johnpwalsh

[johnpwalsh]

Just now, C8RKH said:

Piccies would be good @johnpwalsh

I have a short video Andy, but the system wont let me post it. I thought with Gold status I would have some increased allowance, but all I can get is a snipe.

I will get some pics tomorrow once I have more time and she's up the yard.

 

[Escape]

I tried saving the video from FB and posting it, but aal I get is the link.

https://www.facebook.com/100014720204720/videos/3668896573428217/

And that might well be specific to my account. 😕

Hope you get it posted, it's well worth the watch!

 

[johnpwalsh]

Nice one Filip. I managed to open it with the link. Gave her a soft wash today to clear the 29 years of dust and crap. Did some digging into her history as well and found that it was 29 years exactly yesterday (the day we pulled her out) since she went into storage. So it was a happy birthday to A 192 MBF or as Wendy has named her. My Best Friend lol. And No, she is not getting her. Had another great bit of news as well. Had a message from one of our early club members to say that he still had the S3 tailgate from the car he wrote off 10/12 years ago and that it was available for sale too me if I wanted it. Quick phone call, price agreed which was reasonable and plans made to go collect end of this week, company organised to remove from the tailgate and fit to my one. Result. Did I mention that we also got a brand spanking new Stainless Steel exhaust which still has the Lotus products name on it. Result after result. Happy bunny.

 

[bogle]

That's beautiful!  

[johnpwalsh]

And today, it just gets better. I have been offered a tailgate complete with glass  from a friend who wrote off his 1st Esprit about 10/12 years ago. To be collected this weekend, and it's reasonably local. I have a company not too far from me organised to remove the glass from that tailgate and fit to her own one. Another result.

[Dan E]

Yesterday on the 34 mile journey home from the office, I pulled out behind a Ferrari FF, lovely looking thing, now i have to drive through some country lanes to get to the M20 so we had a spirited drive through said country lanes keeping a decent distance between us, then on to the M20, the guy had excellent lane discipline and we followed each other the whole way back to chislehurst, he would let me go, then if the situation was reversed I would give him a quick flash of the headlights to let him go. 

When we split off on 2 different roads he gave me a thumbs up, always kept a respectful distance between us although we did hammer it when we came on to the A20 into silly numbers but safe and fun made my day. 

[pete]

Was you in your van😁

[oneshot]

Just bought one of these...

https://www.husqvarna.com/uk/robotic-lawn-mowers/automower-410xe-nera-with-husqvarna-epos/

So sitting back now watching it do it's thing.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

How much?!! £3097! 

[bogle]

What's it designed for?  small yards or can you go over an acre?

[johnpwalsh]

12 hours ago, johnpwalsh said:

And today, it just gets better. I have been offered a tailgate complete with glass  from a friend who wrote off his 1st Esprit about 10/12 years ago. To be collected this weekend, and it's reasonably local. I have a company not too far from me organised to remove the glass from that tailgate and fit to her own one. Another result.

Update. Complete tailgate collected today. Hopefully the glass will be safely removed and fitted to my car this coming week by a local company that I use to remove and refit windscreens when sending cars for resprays making her complete again.

[oneshot]

4 hours ago, bogle said:

What's it designed for?  small yards or can you go over an acre?

This one can do 1000 square metres but they do others that can do larger. It is very clever - no boundary wires, you set the boundary using an app (it overlays on google maps) you can set multiple areas and also have exclusion zones as well as a schedule for when it should cut.

So far it has done 4 miles!

[Veloce_Rosso]

This in our petrol station. Even the owners wife thought it was amusing.

What a car. Also love the colour.

[Slotus]

Coming back from the North Weald meet this morning, almost back home, stopped at a junction in the village and a young lad was frantically trying to get his phone out of his pocket to take a pic of my Esprit, so I obligingly waited a bit longer than needed so he could get his photo 😇 

... nice to know at least there's someone in the future generation with good taste in cars!

[johnpwalsh]

On 13/04/2024 at 04:13, johnpwalsh said:

And today, it just gets better. I have been offered a tailgate complete with glass  from a friend who wrote off his 1st Esprit about 10/12 years ago. To be collected this weekend, and it's reasonably local. I have a company not too far from me organised to remove the glass from that tailgate and fit to her own one. Another result.

Update. The glass comes out of the replacement tailgate and gets fitted to my one on Wednesday. Hopefully, unbroken and fitted all in one piece.