I’ve had alloys for years now and always with locking nuts. For the number of times I’ve had to change wheels, it isn’t too much of a hassle.

My experience with run-flats is that thay are a great benefit when you actually have a puncture. When you get a low tyre pressure warning on the M56 at peak time or driving in a busy town, not having to stop and tackle a wheel change at the side of the road is a major plus. The down sides are that they can’t be repaired often and are expensive to replace. I can’t comment on the ride as I never had a 5-series without run-flats. Of course , the other big advantge is the a huge increase in boot space.

My 3 year old car has a spare – full sized alloy spare as well, not a weedy space saver. Not bad for 235 section tyres.

I don’t see how having mechanical knowledge would help – learning to drive properly would be time better spent. Learning about CR diesels or DSG gearboxes would be interesting but hardly essential.
Filling the windscreen washer bottle is the only reason the bonnet of mine is opened these days.

I have to say that I tend to get my cars serviced at main dealers – most have been 2-4 years old so it’s probably been worth it. I’ve always had breakdown insurance despite never having needed it for years. The last time I needed a breakdown assistance was when I had an XR2 Fiesta over 20 years ago. Since then I have had mostly Japanese and German cars so therefore largely trouble-free motoring – niggles maybe but nothing important.
I look after my cars and I keep an eye on their condition continually but in reality nowadays there is very little maintenance that can be done anyway.

If UKIP candidates think that they have the right to express racist opinions then they shouldn’t surprised when the press picks up these comments. I, for one, am glad that the press is doing this as it makes out UKIP to be the racist incompetents that many of us suspected.

If anyone thinks that they can get away with racist, offensive or insulting comments and then hide under the “freedom of speech” argument then they are mistaken. “Freedom of Speech” does not mean you can say what you like. It never did.

UKIP have taken the political gaffe to new levels of ineptitude and yet it appears to make no difference to their support. Utterly baffling. Surely intelligent people cannot be fooled by Farage’s bluff and bluster? Can they? The classic one-issue party – their last manifesto looked like it was written by a 12 year old given a “what would you do if you were Prime Minister” assignment.

It has become very entertaining – almost as entertaining as a UKIP candidate’s protestations.

Not to mention confident and highly skilled use of the quote function by both parties. 🙂

Anyway…….

Does that make me a racist then?

Not necessarily but the public should be made aware of the views of the UKIP candidates. We all should know who we are voting for.

What about the re-makes that (most) people don’t realise are ‘re-makes’…

…how about ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ as a remake of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’?

I certainly didn’t realize that. I thought it was based on Stephen King’s story “Rita Heyworth and the Shawshank Redemption”. There are certainly similarities between ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ but a remake? I’m not so sure.

Good care should be normal and expected. Poor care deserves to be highlighted. The fact that apparently the Care Quality Commission visited and gave this particular home the all-clear during the Panorama investigation is also worthy of further investigation.