Friday afternoon last week we finally managed to get some new wheels for Heather. It’s a white Hyundai and a big improvement on the Peugeot, though the Peugeot was eleven years old so it’s done very well I suppose.
With the help of my brother we had contacted several garages negotiating prices and decided we would drive the 25 or miles or so to Crook to see a Hyundai that sounded promising. The two year old car was immaculate and Peter McGough car dealers in Crook are a small firm who are very fair and pleasant to deal with. Because Crook is a bit of a trek from where we live we wanted to take the car away there and then rather than have to trail back for it later, and as Heather had been into her bank to make arrangements immediately before collecting me from work in Gateshead, we were confident that we could pay for the car straight away and simply drive it off. I rang our insurance company from the garage to get it covered and Heather went to pay. Card rejected. We tried again – nothing doing. Purple with fury Heather rang the Nat West who confirmed that yes the funds were there in her savings account and there was no reason for the card to be refused. The conversation carried on in this vein for a while, with the bank saying there was nothing the matter with the card, and Heather countering that there clearly was. Our only option was to swing on down to the branch in Bishop Auckland for a face to face confrontation rather than continue with the stalemate we’d arrived at over the phone. Hot and sweaty we stormed into the bank five minutes before closing and a lot of raised voices and counter thumping ensued, before the bank realised that two hours earlier the Gateshead Branch had issued Heather with a working card alright, but not one she could use to make a big purchase. The limit for withdrawals was £250. She had explained in Gateshead she was intending to buy a car so we’re not sure what kind of rust bucket they imagined she was considering. You couldn’t even buy the Peugeot for £250. Well actually yesterday someone did but that’s not the point. Anyway, the cashier transferred the funds from Heather’s savings into her current account and we went back and paid for the Hyundai. It’s got three stripes you know, red, white and blue.
As Heather had been using my Micra all week I thought there was a passing chance that I might be allowed to drive the Hyundai home, but no. It was, “On your bike chum,” or on my Micra anyway. Permission was granted for me to take it out on Saturday however, to run Mum to Hexham and back (albeit with my ears ringing about the horrors that would befall me if I dared to drive over any potholes). Mum set about using the journey to commandeer the glove compartment and has it overflowing with paper hankies, those round tins of boiled sweets that get all stuck together, some Werther’s Originals, three rain hats, a makeup mirror, and her powder compact. Mind you, she filled the tank up with petrol as well!
Our 5k on Friday evening looms ever so near. We met Debbie back down at the Derwent Walk last night and had a further little jog. Debbie’s got her race number as well now and agrees with us that it’s all looking daunting. I’ll not half be glad when it’s over.
I started work at 5am this morning because I needed to speak to the night shift about something and I had a busy day ahead. I also wanted to leave early so that I could take Mum to have her eyes tested at 3.30pm. Enroute to pick her up I called in at home to collect my lycra shorts. I always take these with me to Slimming World to wear when I get weighed because they make me lighter, and therefore it follows that I must also be slimmer.
In the end I didn’t make it to the 5pm Slimming World group in Ryton, because at 5.40pm we were still in the bloody opticians with Mum trying to decide between D & G and Prada. In the end she had neither and plumped for Ray Ban.
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