Mentioned elsewhere that I've been in and out of the city several times on the days before new year to my boy's houses south of the city. On one of these journeys, when I was picking up my younger boy's kids to spend the day with us so they could get on with work, I followed him to his local garage so he could drop his Audi off for MOT (which had expired, I despair!) and I then ran him home again. We know this garage very well and the owner is a friend of his, and to some extent me too. Anyway, whilst there a very familiar face from oh so many years ago, walked out of the office garage. We both did a double take, must have been around 45 to 50 years since I last saw him, which was when I worked alongside his brother in the DAF garage. Anyway we spent a good few minutes catching up and I then asked him what he was doing here (at the garage) Turns out he's led quite a high powered business life. Got into car sales with Volvo/Polestar - he had a few interesting comments to make about that - and is now some sort of business advisor (he's younger than me, only now coming up on retirement age). Anyway, a very pleasant surprise to run into him after all these years, we took up as if we'd only seen each other last week! Not so pleasant was the MOT bill. The brake pads, pretty much all round, were just about to go through to the backings and they, quite rightly, advised immediate replacement before the discs suffered - I don't have anything to do with this car as he needs it for his business and hasn't the time to let me muck about with it (secretly I'm very happy with that as it's an electronic nightmare!). Anyway, total bill for the MOT itself and pads all round came out at circa £320.00p Apparently they had trouble with one of the rear callipers refusing to wind back (electric hand brake of course). All things considered and especially as they did this immediately without booking it in (probably because he's a friend of the owner I guess?) I think that was a reasonable price to keep him mobile and able to work. Really brings home to you how much money you save by looking after your own car though doesn't it?
