Hello Dave,
I know how you feel - the forum sometimes is like a big dark echoey cave and no
one else seems to be there (like the imagery?). Now I know you posted in your region's
cave, and I am from another region, so I am expecting that I will now have to
pay the ultimate price as decreed by the Club Elders, who I am pretty sure all
look like a mixture of Professor Dumbledore, Gandalf and of course, Vitruvius.
The ultimate price? The guilty one has to wear a baseball cap adorned with a
logo of four horizontal circles/rings that I think belong to some foreign
Johnnie called something like “Dirk Tekneek”. Oh the shame.
I hope you will forgive me prattling on here. I just felt, possibly mistakenly,
that a bit of chat – all be it from a dweller from a different dark cave, might
just raise a smile and let you know you are not alone! And no, I'm not talking
Area 51 here.
Preston...I
noticed some of your posts mention Preston, Lancashire (as opposed to Preston,
the young singer blokey who was on Celebrity BB a decade or more ago, so my
niece informed me). I am currently living down south of Sheffield - Eastern
Region territory. However, in the early 2000's, I did live in Garstang and
Preston was my main large town (as it was then, city now, I believe!). I liked
it a lot, not least for a fabulous old Italian cafe/coffee shop in the town on
Fishergate – Bruccianis – amazing decor. I understand it has gone downhill quality-wise
a bit in recent years. Pity.
I also found the cheapest barbers I have found in the last
30 years anywhere... I think it was on Blackpool Road. £2.50 – No1 and trim.
Bargain.
A BMW story from
my time in Preston. One Saturday in October 2003, I was driving about town
buying stuff here and there. A couple of times I had been cut-up by a prat in a
very nice new E46 M3, with a younger prat beside him looking very amused. The
guy was driving like a complete idiot. Entirely by chance, I came across him a
few times through the day, and everytime he should have been nicked for dangerous
driving and without due care etc. Later in the afternoon, I was heading along
Blackpool Road in town on my way home when suddenly the same idiot screamed
past me at a ridiculous speed, yet again.
I decided to find out what was going on... from a discreet
distance (thankfully he had slowed down a bit) and I followed him out of
Preston on the A59 towards J31 (M6). He sped up again, overtaking crazily, and
I lost him. I headed out to the twin roundabouts at J31, went as far as the
second one, and decided he was probably half way to Blackburn by then, so I
swung round to come back into town. But as I approached the bridge to go under
the M6, with my window part open, I heard squealing of ‘out of control’ tyres
and that sickening crunch-thud of plastic bumper in a big shunt with something
hard and at speed.
Coming round the second roundabout, I couldn’t believe my
eyes (OK, I did, just)... I circled round, stopping in a lay by for a minute or
so grabbing a little compact camera and driving past slowly, snapped this:
Bit sad as it was a lovely motor, but also a bit relieved as
it felt like that was some sort of divine intervention crossed with natural
justice... I wondered how the police had got there so quickly but then realised
that one of main Motorway Police Unit stations is located about 50 metres away,
just off the roundabout.
Still not quite sure how the driver managed to get it into
that position... must have been going some. I have a sneaking suspicion it
would have been a bit more than a ‘ChipsAway’ job.
That’s more than enough for now. Fraternal greetings from
the Eastern Cave. I may be mad, but you are not alone!
Best wishes
Peter
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