OV9

I hope you're right, but it does feel like its a precarious house of cards ready to come crashing down.


I would agree with that. It's sensible to scope out what is around you - we were totally unprepared when we had to arrange respite care for mum at short notice when the wheels came off her ...

Speaking of watches, I'm having a massive itch at the moment for a Rolex Submariner (the proper, no date version)

There's virtually no chance of getting one at list price from a dealer, so it would be a circa £10k purchase on the grey market

Technically I can afford it, the only thing stopping ...

John wrote: Wed Jan 07, 2026 8:16 am

Marv wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 9:34 pm
FECPOTY 05?

I can’t remember what other people on the forum bought that year though

I bought my Clio v6

21 years ago

I bought a focus 1.8!

Nah, I'll take second place, for actually being an active member on this forum , and actually buying an interesting car , thanks.

While the rest of your were leasing electric superminis and diesel repmobiles like absolute chumps, I was single handedly keeping the spirit of this place alive 8 ...

Whole village was cut off from the outside world for 48 hours or so and A9 is just back to passable now. Which meant we did get to call this bad boy in over the weekend to evacuate someone. Air Ambulance had nowhere to land and it was a total whiteout with mad wind, no problem to the coast guard ...

Not really had any issues with my PS4 tyres but all the major and nearly all the minor roads had been salted/gritted and had zero snow on them.
I was taking it easy today although I had noticed the tail would slip a little more easily if I overdid it out of a roundabout over the past few weeks.

Dusting of snow round our way, and -5 outside. So cold that whatever melted on the rear window ran over the bootlid and re froze.

Then I saw someone park a Lotus Emira in the car park at work and cursed myself for being so soft.

Washed car. This converted the driveway into an ice rink. Didn't think that through.

Tesla shares have been going up completely inexplicably for the last 6 months - totally out of sync with the company's performace. A correction seems due at last.

Similarly, the situation with my dad's health has continued to decline, although without any dramatic collapse. His grip on reality grows increasingly tenuous, and his mobility is teetering on becoming non-existent. Again, I suspect things will move to the next phase in 2026.


My reflection on ...

Yes.

The Corolla - beautiful drift around the entirety of the bend.

Probably mostly the driver.

Work however was a shitter of difficult clients and difficult employees - we are still busy and I have some firm plans for this year but there was a point later in 2025 when I spoke seriously to a broker about selling the business just to get away from the strife. But it’s all part of running a ...

My current grant runs out at the end of May this year so the primary 2026 plan is to get a job.
I have applied to the British Heart Foundation and Wellcome Trust for another grant and am also working up an application for an associate professor job ( click if you are interested, or if you just like ...

scotta wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:24 am And the winner is ME with the Alpine A110.

Thanks to everyone who voted. Hard lines to the runners up.

That reminds me, Holley got his A290 this year - surely a contender?

Hard to keep track of who has bought what this year.

Jobbo's MX-5, was that this year?
MikeHunt just went for a cheeky handschalter
Integrale_Evo's Lupo?

Hmmm

Dan's car?

jamcg wrote: Mon Dec 29, 2025 7:58 am

"It is going to shit itself" is now one of my favourite ripostes to why not to do something.

I had no idea pops and bangs lunched catalytic converters. Interesting.

I finally finished reading this over Xmas. Nice work, beautiful images and a slightly unexpected finish.

I’m irrationally grumpy because the lowest score is 84 and highest 99. So basically the cars are graded out of 15. Of all people they should appreciate dynamic range!

Xmas Tesco delivery arrived and I was a bit miffed.

The bloke said “here’s two substitutions, a sprig of rosemary and a haddock”

I replied “This is neither the thyme nor the plaice”



Merry Christmas everyone!

Sundayjumper says hi and Merry Christmas too, he’s still alive and sitting on the ...