Well i just do not get it. Maybe i am getting older but i have now had enough of cold rainy,snowy dark days. The dark and the gloom. Maybe as i am not working as hard as i did winters seem to be lasting longer Having said that today despite a little frost to start with the sun is beating down. I am ready for a little warmth,are you. So who has seen a sign of change coming. I heard a Woodpecker the other day and Magpies and Herons sat on their nests. Plus one huge Bumblebee yesterday. And a few buds appearing on trees. What have you seen lately. Here is a article Our top spots for signs of spring https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/our-top-spots-for-signs-of-spring The 10 most welcoming signs of spring From daffodils to the dawn chorus, here are 10 signs that spring is finally well on its way http://www.countryfile.com/countryside/10-most-welcoming-signs-spring I wonder if anyone has seen a mad March Hare,years since i saw one. Or maybe Lambs jumping around in the fields. Over to you.

the biggest CME storm in 45yrs is going off you should easily be able to photograph the northern lights anywhere in the UK if you look north ish around the plough star formation its going off all night as far down as cornwall. remember long exposure +30secs focus set to infinite and auto focus set off the further north you are the more chance of it to the naked eye too.

Now see them here at home https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/jun/27/ocean-plastic-pollution-scotland-in-pictures

“We’re excited to share some great offers hitting the Windows Store beginning tomorrow through July 29 as we countdown to the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on August 2*. Enjoy new features on your favorite games, rent a movie for free and get up to four months of free music. Vote for your favorite titles in the Store for the chance to win one of 10 $50 Windows Store digital gift cards! Here’s a run through of just some of the top offers you can enjoy beginning tomorrow through July 29 in the Windows Store: Read more at https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/07/18/countdown-to-windows-10-anniversary-update-with-offers-in-the-windows-store/#1JmmDDdEofx828WZ.99.” Says some of their blurb, but down the bottom in small font it say US only. So the rest of the world doesn't matter to Microsoft, as long as we keep buying their products and making them rich they couldn't give a toss.

I have monitored this CAG forum for many years and since the introduction of the Taking Control of Goods Regulations almost exactly one year ago it is clear that the level of forum posts has dropped dramatically. I would also suggest that the seriousness of the forum posts has reduced even further with many just asking what to do after receiving the NOE or questioning other forum guidance. All in all a positive thing for the enforcement industry as whole wouldn't you agree?

In November 2013 I took my 53 plate Renault Laguna 2.0 Privilege (petrol) in for service and MOT at my local Kwik Fit (KF) branch. I left with a bill of just shy of £1400 which included the fitting of a new catalytic converter and associated sensor and box totaling £451.80 inc VAT. I had cause to return the vehicle to them approximately a month later as engine noise had increased and my petrol consumption had gone up - I was now getting 25 MPG instead of the 31 MPG I was getting beforehand. The fitting of the exhaust was checked and I was assured that everything was in order – no explanation could be given for the increase in fuel usage despite having paid £24 for a fuel additive which was supposed to make the car more fuel efficient. During the last twelve months I have noticed a marked deterioration in both performance and fuel efficiency in the vehicle when compared to the previous year. On 24th November 2014, at the recommendation of my brother-in-law, I took my Laguna to the garage he used (CSC) for an MoT and interim service. Rather surprisingly (or not) it failed on exhaust emissions. In discussions with the CSC manager, he told me that the car hadn't "just failed", it had failed miserably! He went on to state that he was very concerned with the emission figures which had led to the vehicle failing it’s MoT in 2013 at KF. I always take the previous year’s MoT certificate and paperwork with me when I go for an MoT in order to give the mechanics a chance to check over previous work from the previous year and to see that any advisory items had been complied with. The manager explained that in his opinion, twelve months ago, the car had failed it’s MoT due to the exhaust emissions but not because of a faulty catalytic converter, but due to a problem somewhere within the engine which needed to be investigated. He suspected that Kwik Fit had taken the easy option and change the exhaust system in an attempt to solve the problem rather than to investigate any underlying cause. Comparing the 2013 levels to the levels obtained when tested this year, they indicated that the underlying cause was still present and had not been cured by the fitting of the new exhaust, sensor and box in 2013. This raises the question as to how the figures on the pass certificate were obtained as in his opinion it was impossible for readings to go from so high, to so low, back to so high in just twelve months, particularly when the car had only done 5515 miles in the year. In case you're interested, I have copied the fail and pass readings onto an Excel spreadsheet and have attached it to this post. On my way home from the MoT testing station at CSC, I called in to Kwik Fit, about half a mile from where I live to speak to them to see if they could offer any explanation for the exhaust emissions problem and spoke to the manager. He told me that he would stand by the paperwork I had and when I suggested that I visit VOSA to see what they had to say, he told me that if I wanted to, I could. However, I believe that to be a final resort only if Kwik Fit fail to provide a satisfactory solution in that my car had a problem which they attempted to fix and failed. They sold me parts which I did not need and then, rather than further investigate a problem they were aware of, issued a MoT certificate and took my money. Furthermore, and I feel really dumb here, they told me in 2013 that my shock absorbers were leaking (but were making no noise when I went over speed bumps and the car drove really smoothly) and that my brakes looked corroded at the back. Their eventual bill came to just a couple of quid under £1400. I am now questioning whether ANY of this work needed doing. 24/11/2014 – 1310 hrs I telephoned Kwik Fit Head Office and asked to be put through to Customer Service / complaints department where I spoke to a very helpful lady. I outlined the problem I was having regarding the exhaust emissions (no point in blitzing them from the start, I figured) and she said that she would pass my details on to Andy Michael, Regional Manager who would contact me within the next three days. For whatever reason, I never received a call from Mr Michael or any other representative from Kwik Fit despite leaving both my landline and mobile telephone numbers 27/11/2014 At the suggestion of CSC, I returned to Kwik Fit to ask what could be done to rectify the ongoing problem and the manager there offered to replace the catalytic converter as it was still under warranty. I figured that if Kwik Fit fitted a new Cat to the car, at least we would see if it had the same remarkable effect as it did the previous year. I booked the car in (rather nervously) for first thing the next morning. 28/11/2014 The fitting of the catalytic converter was carried out and having put the car onto the emissions testing machine, I was told that with the new catalytic converter on the car, the emissions were just within acceptable parameters, but would definitely pass it’s MoT. They were unable/unwilling to provide me with a copy of the readings from the emissions test carried out that day as they only provided those details when they were actually Mot-ing a car. I was surprised that having taken the car in at 0830, I didn’t receive a phone call to say the car was ready until 1630hrs. Not very kwik eh? 01/12/2014 The car was returned to CSC for a retest and it duly failed the emissions test with readings almost as bad as the previous week. It was noted that the mileage driven between the Kwik Fit test and the CSC Testing station was 55. It was clear that the underlying problem was still present and at the request of CSC, I left the car with them until the following day so they could attempt to determine what the problem was, something which KF should have done a year previously. 02/12/2014 I collected the car from CSC and the manager explained that they had had a look over the car for obvious problems, but had reached the point where they were going to have to start charging me. He said that rather than just try and find the solution by trial and error, which would possibly end up with me having a big bill to pay, the car should be referred to the main Renault dealer in Birmingham where they have specialist diagnostic equipment. 04/12/2014 I dropped the car off at 0800 at Renault Birmingham this morning and spent a happy half an hour discussing emissions with a very interested mechanic with wide eyes!! So that's where I'm up to. I've had the same thing told me now by 5 mechanics concerning my MoT pass in 2013, lets see how many of you look at the figures and come to the same conclusion (I'm not accusing anyone of anything - yet!). My two concerns now are the bill I'm going to get from Renault and what do I do regarding Kwik Fit? Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.

Hi sorry am new to this so am not sure if i have posted to the right location. I bought a car at auction for £4815 and on the way home it broke down, so i got it recovered at a cost of £125 to a garage who had the car for 2 weeks who couldnt find the problem with it but charged me £200 inspection fee's for the 2 weeks, so my total cost was around £5125. I decided not to sell the car privatley but to sell it threw auction under the (Sold as seen) section which i did and received £3985 for it so i was roughly £1200 out of pocket, to my horror about 10 days after selling the car i received a phone call off the auction telling my i owe them £4000, i asked why they told me the buyer of the car took the car home and took it to a garage who informed him the car doesnt have the orginal engine from when it was made, some were along the line its had a replacement engine so therefore the mileage carnt be geniune neither the service history, i told the guy i didnt know anythink about a replacement engine and told him it was sold as seen and that i had purchased the car 3 weeks prior under the same terms and conditions so can he send me a copy of his terms and cocdition highlighting were that i am responsible for this. 3 weeks went by with no mail or communacation so i assumed it had been resolved. Then this morning i received a letter of a solictors telling me ive got 4 days to pay the sum of £6000!!! because as a result of my actions ive been enduly enriched and the grounds they have me on is - The compliance with the consumer protection from unfair trading regulations 2008 (CPR'S) and - the business protection from misleading marketing regulations 2008 (BPR'S). It says the facts are - 1. The vechicle was described as having warranted miles and full service history 2. Examination of the vechicle showed the engine came from either a audi a3 or a volkswagen gold when infact the car is an audi a4. 3. The engine number was not as described or as on the registration document. 4. The reality is that major work has been undertaken on this vechicle and therefore it could not possibly have had full service history and warranted miles. On the entry form which i have to fill in when putting the car in auction i put the the make and model of the car and the chassis number, i also put full service history sat nav and in big black letters (SOLD AS SEEN) i didnt put any engine number on the form because i wouldnt know were to find it nor did they ask me to put it on. I have my invoice from when i bought the car and it says 81,345 miles then it says Warranted? - YES, I supose my question is were do i stand with this as i didnt know anythink about a replacement engine and doesnt the same rules apply to me as it was sold to me the exact same way. also what should my response be as ive contacted at least 20 solictor firms today and all are saying they dont deal with this sort of thing. also the guy who won the car had the car off premises for at least 4 days before claiming it had a replacement engine (could it not have been him who put the engine in) any advice you can provide would be fanatastic, Thanks Danny the make of the car was a 2005 05 audi a4 estate which is roughly 7 years old

Hi, Bought a car from a trader. Well it said trader on Auto Trader. I have a screenshot of this as the ad is now gone since the car is sold. If on the receipt it says sold as seen does this mean tough if it breaks. I have had it since 20th January 2014. I part exchanged my car in for it and he filled in the traders part of my old car's V5. Basically there are a few problems which was never mentioned in the ad. Erratic speedo (Common on my car. Easy fix if nothing is seized) Speedo sometimes reads 0 while I am travelling causing the car to judder as its not getting fuel. Tonight the front wheel started to knock. Only for about 20 seconds then it stopped. Has a squeak on engine. None of this happened when I took it for a test drive. Do I have any come back with this? The car is a Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia 2001. Cheers

MacDonalds/Lidl/Dreams Oxford Road Reading https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/p200x200/1391644_10201729133565606_1186692471_n.jpg

buckthorn has just posted in the Labour forum of UK National Forums under the title of Labour luvvies.. This thread is located at http://uknationalforums.com/showthread.php?4982-Labour-luvvies Here is the message that has just been posted: *************** Reading about Ed Miliband and Ed Balls ‘courted’ the same girl confirms what I have long suspected: they’re all part of a privileged, cliquey ex-Oxbridge set who have nothing to do with the workers. In this respect, Labour are just as bad as anyone else in being wedded to the ‘old school tie’-in this case, a university tie. They’ve never done a day’s manual labour in their lives. When did these supposed champions of the underdog, the toilers, the poor and needy, the old and ill, ever experience hard labour- or any sort of real distress? Just looking at the images of these two is enough to put people off Labour for life, They’re arrogant know-alls who haven’t a clue; geeks messing around with their leftie theories, lolling around in a study or prancing about at parties. ***************

hi all Posting on behalf of my son. He brought a car from a dealer(not local with no warranty) £850 Peugeot 206 2000 plate. Within 2 weeks he noticed the coolant level was low, well missing in fact and needed a good kettle full to top it up. Same happened week after and now we have found the head gaskit is blown, so he rang the dealer whom replied "It was Sold As Seen" and was on the paper work ! Rang him again mentioning sale of goods act but he wont budge. One would have thought that this was sold not being road worthy.. it now over heats within a day or two after using all the coolant, this can be fixed I suppose but if we do fix it will that be a bad move if we are trying to get the dealer to pay for the repairs. Where would you suggest we go from here ? Regards Eggy12

The following link cropped up in another thread in the Local Authority Forum but think it important enough to show it here also. http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/sheffield-council-tax-blunder-causes-misery-1-5377303

http://www.debtcollectionawards.co.uk/categories