Credit where it’s due – even if you want to pay up

I phoned the car recovery service at 7.30 this morning and, as promised, a breakdown lorry arrived within the hour to take my car the 20 miles to the garage. Cheers to the Co-operative Insurance Service and their Road Rescue Plus cover, where the call centre people are helpful and friendly and, usually, have lovely Manchester accents, and where the service is prompt and efficient.

Unfortunately, the car is a bit buggered and will be very expensive to fix. However, that is not to fault Holden Motors in Norwich, where Mark has phoned back when he promised and they are instilling confidence in me, as well as a new gasket and other things in the car.

I am being philosophical. The car did not break down in the middle of heavy traffic, nor miles from anywhere. No one is injured and the money is in the bank, even if we would prefer to spend it on other things. Apart from a few phone calls, it has required no effort from me or the Sage. Everyone has been helpful.

This evening, the Sage rang the local strawberry grower to order tomorrow’s strawberries. “I’ve got a pocketful of money for you from Al” he said. “Will you be there tomorrow morning?” “No”, replied Tim. “I’ll be too busy. No problem, it’s as good as money in the bank.” Al owes him nearly £1,000 already and it will be well over that by the time Tim is available to be paid. A reputation like that is not easy to win and I feel a mother’s pride…

14 comments on “Credit where it’s due – even if you want to pay up

  1. Z

    Bah gum, darling.

    Cheeky child that you are. I’d give you one of my Looks, but I’ve got a grin on my face so it might not work.

    Why aren’t you listening to The Archers, anyway?

    Reply
  2. Chairwoman of the bored

    Sorry I was so horribly prophetic!

    Katy had a new cylinder head gasket two weeks ago, and on Monday a new starter motor.

    So yesterday, she waved goodbye to the sexy little red MGF, and the nice man at our garage will find something a bit more reliable for her.

    It will German and sporty, and hopefully spend less time being repaired, and more time being driven.

    Reply
  3. Z

    My Rover 75 is not even sexy – well, only in the sense of the deep comfort of the marriage bed after the hurly-burly of the chaise longue sort of way. However, it was dead cheap when I bought it, so I remain placid. Only a car, only money.

    *Excuse me*

    Fuck, fuck, fuck.

    Okay, out of my system now.

    Reply
  4. badgerdaddy

    Bugger, I just spent a minute writing a ‘don’t panic’ comment on the other post…

    If I’d known it was a Rover, I’d have said head gasket. That’s one of the few things I know about cars! SLF has a Rover, and my brother-in-law is a mechanic (and a postman), that’s the only way I know that.

    I know bugger all. Let’s leave it at that.

    Reply
  5. A wildlife gardener

    We have never had as much trouble with any of our cars as we’ve had recently with our Rover. One morning it wouldn’t start…breakdown truck came and towed it away…engine had seized up! Not a large mileage, no reason for it. Then a hole appeared in the radiator…so that had to be replaced…then a new alternator was installed two days ago.

    In between we’ve had to hire a car while waiting for parts…so I can sympathise with your tale.

    As you said, we, too, had the money to replace the parts, but would rather have spent £1400 on a holiday instead…but there are no buses around here, so we need our car, and are glad to have it back 🙂 At least we’re moblie again.

    Reply
  6. Z

    I’ve never had any problems with them at all before – it just so happened that my friends, who always sell their cars at 3 years old, had a Rover, but my last one (inherited from my mum) was a Rover too and never a problem at all. I had Metros for years, when I didn’t mind basic little cars and never broke down. Maybe £1400 now is the price I’ll pay for a couple of decades of cheap servicing.

    The Sage never goes on holiday, so the money we’ve saved on him can go to that instead! I want to go away in October, so I need my holiday fund…

    Reply
  7. martin

    My friend bought a Rover 75 two weeks before they went out of business. When he went back to the showroom a couple of weeks later,they were giving you a Rover 100 with every 75 like his !!!!!!.We called him The Mayor as it looked like a Mayor’s car. He now drives a Jeep Cherokee.

    Reply
  8. Z

    Mine’s an estate, so I just look like a rather stately grandmother. I really like the car, it’s lovely to drive.

    The people who bought it originally were horrified at the price the garage offered them. About 28% of what they originally paid.

    Reply
  9. Chairwoman of the bored

    The Chairman had a Rover with which he was deeply in love. It was a classic 1964 3 litre coupe, it was so big and smooth that I always felt as though it was driving me, and so roomy that when the Chairman’s friend first sat in it, he looked round and said ‘Wow, the shagmobile’.

    Well, he was only 37 at the time.

    Reply

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