Bockaaarck

Darren (+ many helping hands etc, etc), she's looking more and more spectacular by the day. You should be very satisfied with your work

Just glad you're all ok

No one was hurt The fire was caused by a tumble drier, not a guest Phew, good to hear that

Jeez! I hope everyone at hotel and all the forum members are ok? Not a nice thing to happen at all. If everyone's ok, I hope that folks haven't had any stuff in rooms seriously damaged or lost due to the fire.

Annie, go and try one, get a feel for it. Make sure the Alfa dealer knows you're serious about the car. Just tell them "look, this is going to be a daily driver for me, so it's got to work. I've got to know I can live with it day in / day out.....". Get them to organised a 2-3 day test period for you and let them know if it works, you will be buying the car from them. Then drive it, drive it, drive it and really get a feel for it. If you're spending a lot of money. It's the least they owe you. That's the best way for you to know, then make your decision. Alternatively you can just go and buy it, because that's what you want to do and bloody should do

Pics, pics, pics!

Guys and Girls, have a fantastic time. I know I'm going to miss a fantastic weekend, with great drives, great friends and a terrific atmosphere. Please listen to Mudman and the guys leading the weekend. They're there to make the weekend go as smoothly and as safely as possible. They're there to look after you, enjoy yourselves, have fun and stay safe.

I think he did have a big Merc Lexx, don't think it was one of these though. From memory the one he had did cause him a few problems though

It was like hearing a Messerschmitt roaring over the Wiltshire countryside

For those attending this Wales meet, who have not been before. You guys are going to have such a terrific weekend!

It's just juggling the various nuances Colin. I love my Zed and I don't really have any intention of getting rid of it. It's just sometimes something crops up and you think "Mmm should I?..." I need to give it some thought I think. There were very few made, so it's a bit of a rarity. Which means potentially collectable in a good few years time. Plus it's different, unusual in terms of the type of car it is, so I find it interesting.

This is a great thread, nice for folks to have a few options to check out when they travel. Bath: Menu Gordon Jones - exceptional, no menu, it's all seasonal. Booking runs months in advance, this guy should have a Michelin star. Great for a special occasion, can be as expensive or as reasonable as you make it. Quality, quality food, service is excellent. Yum Yum Thai - Great little Thai restaurant, been there for ages. Great value dishes, relaxed atmosphere, nice beer. Best green curry I've had in many years, good value for money. Friendly service from the girls in the restaurant, no pressures, no hassles The Circus Restaurant - Classic European fair, lovely dishes, great quality and a terrific wine selection. Not very big so nice atmosphere again. Does get booked up so you have to plan a bit. Middle of the road to expensive prices, but you could make it very expensive if you choose! Very professional and polite (but relaxed service) Martini's Italian Rsstaurant - Always busy, always buzzing, great place. Great classic pasta and pizza dishes, great wines. Really pleasant place to have a meal. Prices are middle of the road and service is really good and friendly. Lots more besides - Marlborough Tavern (great gastro pub), Yak Yeti Yak (Quirky Nepalese restaurant), The Raven (Qualify pub, own beer, great pies!), Hudson Bar and Grill ( Terrific steak, great wine)

Yep, that reflects what I've heard and found. I love the SL's but the years between 96 - 2006 were a bit 'ropey' from what I've found out. Because the one I'm looking at is an AMG car, which is over-engineered, I feel a bit more comfortable. I know servicing and maintenance will be more expensive, but I can manage that. I like things which are a bit different, so this fits the bill. I also like value for money, in terms of what you pay for. I love the 370Z, but not as much as the 350Z I love the Cayman and 911 Carerra but with the variety of issues (IMS etc). I would want to go for 2009 or afterwards. The value for money (for me) then reduces slightly. This C55 seems like a bit of a different option and a bit of a laugh. 'Man Maths' says it's a good option too.....I think

The C55 doesn't have the ABC suspension, that was one of my first checks, as I know the SL55 does. Definitely wanted to avoid that, as these guys have an SL55 for sale as well.

Been very tempted by one of these local to me and having a serious think about getting it as a fun, sleeper saloon. Its got the same 5.4 litre engine as the SL55, although its not supercharged, with signififcant power / acceleration. Anyone got any knowledge / experience or tales of woe about these at all?

Donated

Darren that is downright stunning, what a beauty! The colour is perfect, 100% the right choice. All that work on the body was definitely worth it. Good work

Great information in that video Adrian

Exit poles are, on the whole, not a very good indicator

At the Polling Station...... "May I ask how you voted?" "I soiled my ballot...." "You mean you spoiled your ballot paper? : ) ......." "No trust me, I definitely soiled it....." : )

Looking great Darren

She's a character, a good egg and seemingly a decent driver too

To be honest, work is an issue for us to - both work in London, which cuts down the choices and bumps up the prices of suitable places. We've been looking at villages in Sussex and Hampshire - some nice places there. Hope to make the move in a couple of years. What about somewhere around the Thame area? There's a station (Haddenham and Thame) which goes straight in to Marylebone station (about 50 mins direct, think Paddington is just over an hour).

UKIP are not all they seem to be. I note with interest their inheritance and tax related policy intentions. I don't believe any of the parties can fundamentally alter what I believe will happen over the coming 5 years, let alone the next 20 years plus. That's a Japan style deflationary spiral. None of the political parties or groups are giving us any concrete details or intentions. They can't because they know what the true state of things are. Record periods of low interest rates (since they were recorded), slow to almost no growth, continued cuts to public services etc. a Financial instability in the Euro zone and record levels of debt in the U.S. They / we still haven't tackled our deficit, let alone the debt. They simply don't have the finances or the economic manoeuvrability to do what we want them to do. That is why none of them can or will provide any detail to us. It's out of their hands, there's no wriggle room. I will still vote, I always have. It will be a vote for those who I think will do us the least harm or who can protect us all the most, even if there's not much they can do. Sorry for the doom mongering, but my experiences and the patterns I have seen, actions I witness just indicate to me what I think will happen.

Agreed Annie, if you don't know or if you're unsure (and you've done some research prior) why not ask? I'm sure you did the right thing, but having done the right thing and now having no more control over what happens with the information you provided. You should be able to take a step back and let things run their course.