A bittersweet day today! ?

We said goodbye to my most loved car to-date – the Jaguar XKR. It was back in July 2014, when I first located the car of my dreams and subsequently parted with £33,220 for a car that was just five years old and had just 30,340 on the clock. OK, I had to take the train all the way to Sheffield to the dealer – sport’s car specialist, TopCars, but my extensive research into selecting this car proved it was a bargain, and well-worth the train journey there! Hey! They even picked me up from the station!! – and I got to drive it all the way home via the M1. 30,340 on the clock with only two previous owners – what a ride!!

Well, that was then, this is now! – Thursday, November 25, 2021!

We’d always knew we probably wouldn’t keep the car forever, although the romantic side of me, always hoped, this particular model would become a ‘collectable’ – and I’d maybe even get my purchase price back. Really? Maybe a bit too much of a romantic notion for sure! Over the seven years of ownership (the longest I’d ever owned a car), I saw the price gradually drop and drop. No great surprise there then (it’s a car!) and the reality of recovering my purchase price was becoming a fantasy.

And then along came a thing called Coronavirus. It changed the world in every possible way – even (and maybe quite bizarrely) the value of used-cars. Long-story-short: A lack of availability of NEW cars (caused by a lack of chips for those cars) pushed everyone towards buying used, sending demand through the roof and supply through the floor. As every economics student knows, that only pushes prices one way – UP!

For the record, when the car was informally valued some 15 months ago, I was informed it was worth, typically, £14000… maybe £15k…and at a push with the right buyer £16k. It’s very much a niche car, and given its planet UNfriendly credentials, finding the right buyer was going to add to the challenge if I ever wanted ‘top dollar’.

We let things slip (well, I did) preferring to focus on our next electric car for Ann. That research confirmed that prices generally, were DEFINITELY on the rise for used cars, which in turn, prompted me to revisit the XKR prices.

I’m glad we did. Monitoring them for the past year-or-so confirmed what we all now know, they were (still) on the rise! More specifically, the XKR’s value had risen significantly.

Time for some serious legwork into the potential for selling! For reasons that I can’t quite recall, we didn’t act on this particularly quickly. Having seen prices rise and then rise, they now appeared to be dipping downwards. OK, difficult to know whether this was just a blip or a general trend, but I wasn’t prepared to wait to find out.

From a suggestion just over a year ago of £14k, the market now suggested ‘early 20s’. Time to strike! I trawled the various websites that offer cash-for-cars, and although I’d put WeBuyAnyCar towards the end of my preferred purchaser (not sure why!), they did initially offer the best price. But we all know how they work: they offer a top-end estimate-price and then beat you down on the day, because of various ‘jobs’ that need ‘sorting’. In my head, the closer to £20,300 I get (allowing for their various admin fees), the happier I’ll be!

I was confident enough that because of the immaculate paint job, a very recent service and an MOT pass, that it was probably going to be the best car they’d seen all day… week… month… maybe even, year!

10.02am: Here I am (early for my 10.10 appointment) at Kettering’s rather lack-lustre WBAC’s ‘office’. Time for the valuation! As it turned out they offered: £19700.25. Being the THIRD owner brought the value down a smidge and a minor imperfection on the driver’s door also contributed to a lower-than-I-anticipated-figure. Still, all-in-all, that’s a good result in my book! Just over a year ago, I wouldn’t have got anywhere near that – and probably never would again! Like so many things in life – timing is everything!

So, in less than 30 minutes, it was all over! I’d covered just 6759 miles in those seven years or ownership, and the car had been cherished at every point . 37,099 miles on the clock, 7 years, 4 months, 22 days (386 weeks or 2702 days) of ownership, there was my once pride and joy waiting for its next journey…

Indeed, a bittersweet day!

Surprise, surprise! On Thursday 9th December, 2021, the XKR first appeared for sale in AutoTrader HERE, and then a few days later the same advert appeared on eBay for £26,995.

The seller was ‘Blackrock Motor Company Limited‘ based in Rochdale.

Update: On January 18th, 2022, the car was still for sale, but had been relisted HERE – The price had now been reduced to £26,495.

Update 2: On February 11th, 2022, the car was still UNsold, and the price had been reduced again – this time to £25,995.

Update 3: On March 9th, 2022, the car was reduced again to £25,495.

Update 4: On or around March 30th, 2022, the car advert disappeared from both eBay and AutoTrader – looks like it had finally been sold!

Four months later then, this really IS goodbye!!!

Update 5: On 14th November, 2022 a quick valuation by WBaC revealed its current value… just £13,435! Ouch, that’s quite a drop (and makes me even more sure that I sold it at the right time!) and I really feel for the poor sod who now owns it

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Boys and their Toys: Bye-Bye Jaguar XKR appeared first on Steve's Blog.

The first outing for my XKR this Summer as we took the short drive to The Pheasant in Keyston.

It was a beautiful evening – a very warm 23 degrees. Pity then, the car decided that this was the moment for the AC to fail! We may have looked cool in a classic Jaaaag! but with its five-litre beating heart, the interior was a lot warmer than it was outside! Phew!

Since I last blogged about it back in August 2015, this well-known award-winning Pub/Restaurant looks like it’s changed hands (again!) and they’ve now (re)introduced ‘themed evenings’. Tonight was their Thursday Curry Night – and it didn’t disappoint! At £16.95 for Mains, it was good value too!!

And clearly, many others felt the same, as by the time we left, the place was packed! What a great way to spend a Summer evening!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pheasantly Spicy appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Time for my annual catch-up with my friend and film director, Eric Mival. We normally choose August because of the potential for good weather, but these past few days has just been appalling – rain, rain and more rain! 

So, it wasn’t really the ideal weather for taking the XKR for a spin, but luckily, it didn’t!

We met at our usual haunt, The George Hotel in Stamford and also, as usual, they didn’t disappoint! Sandwiches all round (enough to feed a horse!) and quality ale – what more could a traveller ask for!! We spent the time chatting about my favourite subject – the TV series ‘The Prisoner’, that Eric worked on (as well as other less important topics like family and holidays!)

All-in-all, a really enjoyable catch-up!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post The Prisoner of Stamford appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today was my second visit to the newly discovered The Brampton Halt Pub & Restaurant, about a 30-minute drive from ours at Chapel Brampton. I’d accidentally discovered it with John C a few weeks back when he and I met at Sedgebrook Hall (it was almost next door!).

This time, we met up with Geoff & Rhonda and Paul & Sue for a late lunch. And in spite of the familiar location, we had a torturous journey there courtesy of a slightly confused Google Maps that in effect, sent us round in a big loop. The estimated 20-minute journey turned out to be closer to 45 minutes!?

On arrival, the car park was full, so we proceeded to the overflow area with plenty of space. We all arrived about the same time and after a quick natter outside, we headed for the Restaurant. I had a bit more time to study the place this time round, and it certainly has plenty of character – there’s a volunteer-driven railway station & track nearby and acres of eating space outside!?

Service was as good as I remember it (luckily it wasn’t too long ago!) and we were soon seated at a rather cosy table-for-six inside (it was a bit blowy to be eating outside!). The place was already heaving – a good sign perhaps!? We were soon looking through the menu and more especially the ‘Specials’ board that had at least another dozen dishes on it – yummy! In the end, after much indecision, we all skipped Starters, and I settled for the Duck as a Main and the Chocolate Brownie as my Dessert – all good food, served with a smile!

We also had plenty of time to catch-up with everyone’s news too, AND have an initial discussion about our communal picnic at Boughton House on the 12th August where there’s an outdoor showing of La La Land.

It was good to see everyone again and after a slight detour home due to a problem on the A14, we were home just a few seconds before Steve from Jaguar returned with the XKR (it’s got an intermittent fault with a headlight, that they couldn’t completely solve – but I’ll keep my fingers crossed!)

See you all soon at Boughton House!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Brampton Halt for Six! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

What a perfect evening! I took the XKR and drove over to Sedgebrook Hall to meet up with John Cullwick, a business associate from my early days as a self-employed Management Trainer. We had a quick drink outside before taking the short walk to the Pub next door – Brampton Halt.

 

 

It was a perfect evening for the XKR – especially the return journey through Pitsford with lots of twisty-turney bits plus some glorious (empty) straight stretches! A perfect evening too for catching-up with old friends.

All-in-all, an English Summer’s evening at its best!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Sedgebrook Hall appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We headed off to The Marquess of Exeter in Lyddington tonight to meet up with Mick and Jane S. The Pub/Restaurant/Hotel boasts: “One of the finest restaurants, pubs and hotels in Rutland” – so expectations were high!

On one of the hottest days of the year so far, what could be better than taking the XKR out for Summer evening spin and enjoying a meal with friends in an English ‘local’. Ann was convinced we’d been to this Pub before, but as we arrived and headed for the car-park, it all seemed very unfamiliar (and we soon realised that had in fact been to The Old White Hart just down the road).

Perfect timing as Mick and Jane had arrived just seconds before us! We strolled into a more-or-less deserted restaurant and were quickly shown to our seats. We were soon perusing the (slightly restricted) menu after ordering our drinks.

There was also a ‘Specials’ board – and it certainly was special if Fish was your fave (as everything on it was fish-based). Eventually, Ann and I settled for the ‘Lamb to share’ option. There was about a twenty-minute wait, but at least that showed it wasn’t being defrosted and microwaved!

..and it gave me a chance to enjoy my Guinness (note to the Menu designer – there are two Ns in Guinness!)

When the lamb arrived, we weren’t disappointed! The supplied carving knife and fork was redundant as just the thought of what was on offer seemed to allow the meat to fall off the bone! The joint itself was massive and could have easily served four or even more!

The food experience was excellent, but as the place filled-up, we were soon flanked on both sides by two groups of ‘young things’ celebrating their respective birthdays – and, maybe not surprisingly, the noise level increased dramatically! At first, we thought that it was just us four being ‘boring old fruits’, but this was more than loud, it was deafening! – and so much so, we couldn’t hear each other across the table. We soon realised that it was simply the acoustics of the restaurant, combined with a very low ceiling. It slightly ‘took the edge’ off the evening, and we skipped dessert and coffee because of the challenge to converse (in truth, we were stuffed anyway, so maybe, for the sake of our health, not a bad thing).

We said our extended good-byes in the car-park and headed home. It had been a great evening – a chance to catch-up with some long-known friends, a perfect drive on some lovely Rutland roads and a good meal too! We love the English Summer!!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post First Visit: The Marquess of Exeter appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bank Holiday Rush appeared first on Steve's Blog.

In the morning, I popped over to The Olive Grove – a Garden Centre in Oundle, to catch-up with Alison W, a colleague from my days in the 90s at Nokia. This was our first visit, since it opened its expanded eatery – and it didn’t disappoint: great food, great menu and very (very!) pleasant and professional waiting staff. We even sat outside taking advantage of that rare yellow thing in the sky!

Then it was back home to get ready to travel back to Oundle again in the evening – and catch-up with Jane and Mick. We see each other about three times a year and take it in turns to book a  suitable venue. This time was no exception and as we all knew ‘The Shuckburgh Arms’, this seemed like a good choice. Lucky we chatted beforehand then! as it turned out that there were TWO Shuckburgh Arms, both fairly close to one another and ‘our’ one (in Stoke Doyle) was NOT the one that Mick was thinking of (in Southwick). Surely, Google Maps would clear up the confusion?! Well, it didn’t! Google maps list THREE, in three places, although two of them sport the same postal address – but in different places on the map! These are both ‘PE4’ post-code and have the same area code for their telephone number.

Confused? You will be!

The TWO Shuckburgh Arms (in three places!) ‘A’ is definitely right, but either ‘B’ or ‘C’ is wrong. Click HERE for the actual map

Still, what could possibly go wrong? Well, plenty actually!!! I popped the postcode into the sat-nav and the XKR burbled in the general direction of Oundle. Clearly the technology had been ‘on the sauce’ and began to take us in the completely the wrong direction, so we switched to my other sat-nav – far more reliable and attractive – and headed in the direction of where we thought the Pub might be. After a while, we realised we were in areas of ‘PE4’ that we’ve never seen before, and luckily, at that point, the original sat-nav got a grip on reality, and began to point us in the right direction – eventually, we arrived at the Pub.

It was packed! Full of locals talking about local issues (but mainly, the Election result!). There was a roaring open fire and a plenty of good beers on offer. We arrived slightly ahead of Mick and Jane and settled in the corner of the Bar where the owners had reserved us a large table. M and J arrived shortly afterwards and we all began studying the beautifully hand-written boards for something to eat.

Probably the most important hand-written board of the evening was the one saying ‘the card machine is broken – cash only!’. A quick scurry around the darkest recesses of our pockets and purses revealed that we had only about £25 between us. Even at these reasonable prices, it looked like it was going to be ‘half a Cumberland sausage to share’. Luckily, the Bar staff were pretty chilled-out about the whole thing and let us stuff ourselves and then send them a cheque. Phew! No need for us to exercise our washing-up skills then!

The Pub got busier… and noisier, whilst we got fuller. By 9.15 we were all done. All-in-all, I’d say the food was ‘OK’ rather than ‘great’, but we had a great time, as we always do, when we meet up. We said our goodbyes and took a slightly different, but more direct route home. Without the aid of the Jag’s sat-nav, we were home in around 25 minutes.

An eventful evening – but it wasn’t planned that way!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post A Tale of Two Shuckburghs appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Our busiest weekend of the year so far – in a good way!

FRIDAY
First stop was our return visit to the hidden gem of outdoor theatrical productions – Kilworth House Theatre Group in err, Kilworth – and their production of Sister Act.

Jo, Janet, Carol, Nick and Celina joined us for an evening of superb production values, excellent acting, and of course, some great songs. The quality of the singing was, I’d say, a notch higher than Kilworth’s normal superb standard, and the standing ovation at the end confirmed it!

Nice one Kilworth, you did it again!!!

The Stage is Set…

It was good to see the show so well supported – but it meant that the car-park was heaving.  We were expecting to have to wait ages to get out, but no so, as the uber-efficient car-park Marshalls did their job well, and we were soon on the A14, heading home.

Early-ish to bed as another day of culture beckons tomorrow! (Oh, the pain!)


SATURDAY
After a brief visit to Richard’s Autos for the obligatory MOT on Ann’s Mercedes, we then headed for Stamford, and The Burghley Horse Trials to meet up with Nick and Celina. We’d not been before, but Nick and Celina are great fans. It was a dull day weather-wise, but that didn’t stop the gazillion-or-so people from every direction, heading for Burghley House, resulting in a long tailback all the way from Collyweston! Still, we got their in one piece at just before 12.30.

After parking, we followed the smell of manure and the ‘challenging’ signage. The whole event is obviously geared towards those who go every year, and not people like us, who needed some form of indication to point us in the right direction. Even the sign to the signs was difficult to find!

Staff seemed to be just as confused, and we were sent off in completely the wrong direction (twice), attempting to track down where Nick and Celina were. Mobile calls were impossible, as (O2 at least), buckled under the pressure of so many people trying to call each other. This resulted in us not being able to ring our friends to find out where they were. Text messages were delayed by at least an hour, just to add to the challenge!

Welcome to 2014 Burghley Horse Trials!!

Thousands of People… very little signage… chaos!

Traffic was ‘bumper-to-bumper’

Yes, as expected, every man, woman and dog was there (in fact, there were more dogs, than horses!) and in spite of feeling lost for most of the event, it was great fun wandering around. In between the horsey-bits, we took a gander at many (and varied) food stalls – and extensively tested their samples!!! With careful planning, i reckon it would be perfectly possible to have lunch there – just by carefully selecting the stalls and their wares!

But of course, the main reason for the event itself, was the horses and their riders – and they didn’t disappoint. I don’t think I’ve been that close to man, woman and horse in such perfect harmony before! Seeing the way they controlled such powerful animals, was a joy to watch – it even looked liked the horses were enjoying themselves too! (maybe).

A Man on a Horse


A Man on a Fast Horse

A Man on a Slow Horse

Another Man on another Horse

Ordinarily, that would be quite enough entertainment for us two in a single weekend, but, in the evening we bravely carried on, heading for Kettering Leisure Village and The Lighthouse Theatre to see Grease, starring our good friends’ Tom and Julie’s  son, Nick in the lead role as Danny Zuko. It was a great performance from everyone, with the whole of the cast looking like they were really enjoying themselves throughout.

Nick got a standing ovation at the end – especially well-deserved, as this was his FIRST performance EVER in a Musical AND, he’d never acted before either, in front of an audience!! Amazing! Grease IS the word!!!

Curtain up at 7.30!

Nick enjoys a well-earned standing ovation

After the production, it was all back to Tom and Julie’s for a post-performance celebration. I think most of Kettering were there, and T and J’s legendary hospitality swung into action as literally a 100+ people filled their kitchen and patio. It was a real party atmosphere, and Nick arrived about 20 minutes later to another very large, and well deserved round of applause!

Phew! Off to bed at 11.45pm, recharging our batteries for tomorrow…

SUNDAY
Ahh, Sundays – the day of rest and an opportunity to relax, spending all day reading the papers, and generally doing not-very-much…

Except us two! 8.30am (zzzzzzzzz!), destination, Rockingham Speedway and the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. I can’t believe we’ve lived nearby for years, and this was our first visit – especially as I’m already a part-time petrol-head! We met up with Chris, Steve (thanks for organising it all!)and Denise, Steve’s son Joe and his girlfriend, Lorna.

It was a full-on, all-day affair – 9am until round until 7pm (although we only stayed until about 2.30). The weather was unexpectedly warm for most of it, and that made the event even more enjoyable. The day featured a variety of races, not just the BTCC, and we even manage to get a seat in the main Grandstand, almost in the centre, for the perfect view.


On your Marks…

A Perfect View of the Action

Boys and their Toys – 1

Boys and their Toys – 2


A Pit walkabout

The Victory Podium

The Winner!

It was a great day – even Ann, who doesn’t ‘get’ all the fuss about lumps of metal racing round in a circle, conceded she’d had a great time! Praise indeed!!!

Phew! What a weekend! I need a day off, just to recover from all this weekend’s activity! (and remember, the problem with retirement is that you NEVER get a day off!)

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Sister! Horse is the Word!! appeared first on Steve's Blog.