Thursday, 7 March 2024

Car Woes and WI

 As  mentioned a while ago, Son and DiL are car-less after running their car into an unexpected flood so my car is doing double duty being in two places so DiL can get children to pre-school/school and herself to work at the school in my village (where I can fetch it to use between 9 and 3!) They are STILL waiting for the b***** insurance company to decide what's happening - two weeks on.

I had the car for WI and came out to drive home only to find a 10 inch crack in the windscreen. Of course the car needs to be in one place - not on the way between there and here! to have it repaired and it needed doing ASAP (insurance covers the majority of the cost thankfully). But they give a vague time - between 8 and 5 until they ring an hour before arrival on the actual day. Complicated for the family. A day later they phoned to say the new windscreen was delayed so all plans had to be changed again! Just hope they have the correct screen and are able to do it as the car is booked in for it's MOT on Monday...

These things are sent to try us!

At WI we had one of those speakers who is really interesting to listen to even after an hour! Patrick Barker is 4th generation farmer in one of the local villages and although he runs the 1,200 acre farm for profit his big interest is increasing biodiversity on their farms. He has got involved with many environmental organisations and all sorts of counting and recording - absolutely everything.......... Birds, insects, frogs, butterflies, moths etc etc. You name it and he knows exactly what's on their farms and what to do to increase numbers. He gives talks and visits other farms to get them involved in doing the same.

There's a 2023 BBC programme on iplayer 'Saving Our Wild Isles' narrated by David Attenborough that featured the farm and when he finished talking to us he was rushing home because BBC Countryfile programme were waiting there to film a piece for the programme......Probably on TV this Sundays or next.

One thing among the many that I found interesting was the involvement of the giant Nestlé company in where their produce comes from. I can remember boycotting their products back in the 90's because of the way they treated their producers. Now their producers are all tracked and traced and they provide money from their (undoubtedly Huge) profits to help their farmers increase biodiversity. Probably a drop in the ocean  but better than nothing.

If all farmers were like Patrick Barker our countryside would be a better place to live.

Support British Farming whenever you can. 

Back Tomorrow
Sue



22 comments:

  1. Ooooooh...cracked windshields. I got a big one when a turkey flew out of the brush at the side of the road and connected with my windshield. It scared me so badly that I tried to pull off to calm down, but my windshield was making popping noises and I was watching the cracks race across the window, the full width of the car. I decided to get my car home as quickly as possible.

    Yes. These things are truly sent to try us.

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  2. I once had a wild turkey fly out of the brush at the side of the highway and connect with my windshield. It scared the mess out of me. I started to pull off the road, and realized that my windshield was making popping noises, and I was watching the cracks race across the windshield the entire width of the car. I decided to get myself home as quickly as possible.

    You are right. Car problems are sent to try our souls.

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  3. I'm sorry about the car windscreen issue! My car has a tiny chip in the windscreen that husband said he was going to get fixed while I was away. Sadly it did not happen and has to be done soon. The insurance should take care of it, but as you say it's a bit of an inconvenience.

    The WI speaker sounds really interesting.

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  4. Why do things like this happen almost simultaneously in multiples? MOT, son's car insurance waffle/his need for your car and now your windscreen repair. If each happened singularly over a few months, it all handles quite easily. The convergence makes it all inconvenient and difficult. Peter Barker sounds outstanding and I will look for the program you mention.

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  5. Car issues can drag on - but you're right to get the crack sorted ASAP. I had a small one on the Toyota last year, but in the few days awaiting the repair, it started to lengthen. I hope your son's insurance gets sorted soon, that's an inconvenience for all of you

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  6. That's a nuisance, isn't it. I hope it all gets sorted quickly for you. xx

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  7. Perhaps you are being too helpful.

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  8. Sounds like a great WI talk - you could do with more of that calibre. As for your car - woes piled upon woes. You could do without that and I hope it's soon fixed.

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  9. Great botherations...but that sounds like a good tv programme hunt for.

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  10. The WI talk sounds really interesting and quite inspirational.

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    1. Really good speaker and so enthusiastic - makes all the difference

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  11. Very trying indeed! Poor you, what bad luck.

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  12. Sorry about the car problems - one of those situations where afterwards - when everything is 'back to normal' one can look back
    and say 'remember when...' And as the widow of a very hard-working dairy farmer who began to see little return for his hard work (6am start winter and summer; little or no social life because evening milking didn't finish until 8pm) I can support you on this completely Sue. Always best to know exactly where our food comes from.

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    1. Not so easy to Buy British now but some supermarkets are better than others.
      I'm looking forward to getting car issues all sorted so we can all say "remember when!"

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  13. That talk sounds really good and it's great to hear that Nestle are trying to mend their ways.
    Sorry about the car woes.
    Alison in Wales x

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  14. In the USA, my husband and I watched and enjoyed the David Attenburgh program you mentioned, don't remember the farmer in particular, as it was some time ago, but it was/is a great series. Supporting local farmers is important.

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  15. That sounds like a really interesting talk. Hopefully the 'elderly men' (of which fraternity I am a member, given that I'm 69) were not too disruptive this time!

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    1. No This was WI = Womens Institute - No Old Men Allowed

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  16. Hope your son gets the insurance so they don't have to keep using your car. Maybe insurance would cover a rental while he waits...

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  17. Sorry to read about the windscreen problems-it’s just one thing after another with cars just now! Catriona

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  18. One of the reasons I like shopping at our Booths is because they support so many of the farms local to us, and provide information on the food you are buying.

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