mender

Miele hoovers are superb, they go the distance and last forever; gadget hoovers seem to work for a while but break or wear out in the long run. I'd buy any Miele cylinder, just go for the best deal on the day. Our solution is a cheap wet/dry hoover for £55 for occasional abuse/car/spills/fabric spills and the Mieles for the donkey work. Our current red cat&dog Miele is now 11 years old and still ferocious plus has no issues like worn cables, still as new. YGWYPF

Well, that was a result, parked said Myvi in the works yard and a colleague has bought it; all it got was a 30 min wash, an hour of body tlc and a battery swap (had the old one off my Kelisa topped up and charged) and it was sold. Three Peroduas in our yard now, three happy owners!! My wife likes the diesel Getz and loves the mpg, not keen on fiddly (old-school standard din size) stereo buttons on the Getz though after the much better unique-fit Clarion stereo set-up on the Myvi.

and we're not talking Gary.. Anyone else share my utter hatred for this stuff? God, I hate it and wonder why when micro plastics such as facial scrub particles are likely to be banned for polluting the oceans, why no-one has got onto glitter. Apparently we are now in the "anthropocene (human era)" after the end of the holocene and our legacy will be a sediment of plastic particles. It is everywhere; cards, gift wrap, kids toys, christmas decs and so on Glitter in drinks? Are you mad? I HATE IT AAAAGH

Update Took the Hyundai Amica home, did the cambelt and a service at a mate's garage, glued a blind-spot mirror to the cracked base which covered the missing bit perfectly and looked amazing, bought a genuine Hyundai bootliner for £22 delivered and then.....the neighbour fell in love with it for being as literally new, a great colour, mint condition, fully serviced/cambelted and 20k miles, so a deal was made....!! I then sold his car on eBay for him. Purchased a '58 Hyundai Getz diesel, negotiated ace deal as no cambelt history-took it to mate who then told me it is chain driven!! It has had a service, valet, pair of fresh number plates, a £5 gearstick gaiter and some mats and wheel trims from an old car that were in my truck and now looks new, my wife likes it so happy days. It is off my formula for simple cars though, being diesel, turbo etc-give me a simple base petrol any day. Just bought another Perodua Myvi......awaiting collection! Will probably be sorted out and go to one mate or other; they are really good cars My old 2004 built 55 registered Kelisa soldiers on and is a delight; it is going nowhere! This month I have driven, amongst others, an X6, X5, new A4, new A6, new 3 series, Range Rover and none of them impressed me much at all; I was impressed by a little Peugeot 208 1.0 Active though; soft little car with a tiny well shaped steering wheel, great stereo and decent comfort, plus cruise on a basic model. I was staggered when the owner informed me it was only a one litre, I had thought it was the bigger engine. Funnily enough, on the way back from taking that to the shop, I drove the X6 3.0 diesel auto back home 25 miles behind a 208 (possibly a GT) and it left me for dead; down the b-roads it was like chasing a rabbit with a slightly drunk and very fat rhino. Just can't see the point in these uber-monsters, they only make sense over 100mph on a wide, smooth, un-rutted, dry road; on a wet and rutted b-road they are utterly horrid, especially when the ridiculously big wheels aquaplane on standing water...... I'm just happy to get happy free motoring, I suppose..!

Looks fresher, cleaner-great stuff

Saves you hundreds a month on a new one and less likely to get nicked or broken into!

Well, the Amica is home and what a splendid thing it is for the money; literally like new having been owned by a recently deceased elderly affluent lady with a garage and done only a verifed 20,000 miles with FSH. Apart from a couple of touch-ups and a cracked mirror case (on ebay £25), it has just been serviced and only needs a cambelt, c.£100 all in. The son was trying to find the second key, if not I'll need to get one done. Only issue is the seat does not go far back enough for me and I can't see an easy way of modifying this; my wife finds it perfect for her though. Honestly, this is a bit "posh" for "banger"nomics but I know it will give us loads of use then a profit when sold on. I am warming to its looks too!

Down the scrap yard then.....to buy those bits!

Well the searching paid off and I'm due to pick up the latest one on Sunday, another "pensioner special" as per the normal formula. Gone for a (yes it is super ugly!) mint Hyundai Amica 1.1 CDX with air-con: 20k-miler, one well-off 85yo owner, garaged from new, serviced yearly and looks new. It is a flawed and gawky motor so they are a tough sell-on, but I slowly fell for then loved the Atoz's I've owned prior-the Amica is a facelifted Atos/Atoz and called the Atos Prime in other markets...and it was too good to miss at the money. My mate's single day spend on his 65 BMW 3 series last week, comprising a dealer service, 2 tyres and a tank of fuel was around the same money! Will I get used to this version though? The relaunch/facelift spoiled further an already odd looking car....James May described it as designed by sledgehammer :D

Cheap vanning! Respect...!

My mate was saying he gets charged £45 per change of car....I've got a trade policy as part of my business, takes 10 seconds online and is free!

Just a quick return to this oldie My own Perodua Kelisa has done another year of short stop start journeys, the odd backroad thrash and a few long distance motorway events and passed the MOT no advisories, no costs again. So this year the cost has been 2 tyres (£22 each fitted/balanced) and I put a £38 (540cca total overkill!) battery on it as the original battery, although perfect was 12 years old. With £110 tax, 50-55mpg and no depreciation (I was bought so cheap I could sell at a profit) it has been another very cheap year of really enjoyable motoring. My wife's Perodua Myvi just sold for £2k, giving zero costs, even a decent profit after 5 months of use, a great car but a colleague took a fancy to it so off it went. The Myvi needs replacing now; we are on the lookout. It'll be another Myvi probably, our 7th. We'd have another 05-13 Sirion but the electronic power steering is notorious for issues and this writes the car off when it goes. On the shortlist of £750-1250 cars with air-con that will be nice to own and reliable: 09-13 Perodua Myvi; just finding a decent one at the right money (had 7) 08-12 Daihatsu Sirion; if one felt right I'd risk the EPS (had 3) 06- Hyundai Getz; stupid cambelt put me off one great deal (had 1) 07- Chevrolet Kalos; poor economy, high tax, flawed but a lot of car for sub-£1k and they ride so well (supplied a 55 1.4SX for a neighbour and they adore it) (had 2) 06-09 Hyundai Amica; oddball but painless and endearing in their own strange way, we'd get a mint 20k miler for the budget, only 4 seats though (had 3 Atoz) 04-07 Suzuki Ignis GLX; getting old now but after a few fixes (ABS rings, strut mounts etc) these are bomb-proof but high tax and lower mpg (had around 8) We source low-mile, full history, pensioner specials that no youth would be seen dead in and get 100% reliable motoring for peanuts or free. There's a certain joy in driving an underdog and having fun for beans. Anyone spotted a must-buy? Cash waiting!

Saw one briefly in Poland, didn't take a view on it...! Someone else want to post one?

Kia Niro

Must be, fits!

Been working on this....even though I have got over my strop at idiots and am now just proud to make an honest living, feed the kids and deal with issue after issue and have the reserve to keep going as many small business owners do year in, year out. We'll probably have to stay put and keep at it for many years to come, but I've done a lot of research on internet, hours and hours to see what possibilities are out there... Been to sniff around edges of Midlands, to see what 100k buys nearer home but as I guessed it buys something scruffy in a deprived area hence the low price, just like it would buy a 3 bed in the worst parts of this area, where kids hang around and many don't work. Maybe I have answered the question? But, as said Pontefract looks good value, not sure of area and surrounds; Knottingley and other bits seem even cheaper....same with North East and a huge part of Liverpool. We almost went up Sun-Mon but the weather was atrocious and we missed a £25 Travelodge deal in Doncaster by waiting until Sunday to book. I'd be willing to make anything work, compromising on house (a flat or other would be fine) or condition but it is the area and schools that matter to us. We need to stay in England rather than Wales or Scotland, too. The dream would be a plot of land and to build a decent log cabin, but that is probably chasing rainbows for all the obvious reasons. A decent terrace with a loft or 3 beds would suit, or a really good flat with a balcony, but parking is always the issue. Hmm, any more ideas?

Still working this out....with no mortgage or any borrowing and a decent smaller house with lower costs, we'd have to think what income we'd need, certainly it would be an awful lot less than now.... I could take my business with me and scale it down, plus do bus/coach work as and when needed.

I'll take a look on Rightmove, cheers

A bit of a leap in the dark, as the areas we are familiar with are all the same price or more expensive than here... Our kids are at the right age to take a move in their stride at present, but we have my Parents to consider-I'd want them to come too... I guess it is a pipe-dream but you never know, maybe someone will shine a light on the solution?!

Ha, never thought of there-will do some research! That would also be really handy to be nearer to East Midlands Airport as we fly to Lodz, Poland at lot (I've done 12 flights so far in 2016, due out again next week) Our place is 1.98 miles from Lodz airport, but 100 miles, much of it twisties this end from EMA-being closer would be ace

Cheers for that, looks really nice and a major advantage is that Scotland may yet stay in the EU..!! My wife wants to stay in England, though...but that is absolutely spot on for a decent family house We'd consider anything in a really nice spot next to good school, not just a house...

Hi all Just an idea for now, but... I'm working all hours and dealing with people who actively are trying to disrupt my business, my wife is working full time in a complicated school role for an insultingly-low salary (she'd earn double in Aldi) and we are tiring. We could sell our 4 bed, 3 reception, large garden, semi detached house and walk away with around £100k in cash after all is paid off and buy somewhere cash and take a breath whilst our primary school age kids are still young enough for change. We own property in Poland which we spend every minute of school holidays at, but want to be happy in the UK for the other 40 weeks of the year and for the kids to settle well and thrive. With other considerations ignored for now, is there anywhere nice for a young family to move to, where a decent quality 3 bed terrace/semi could be secured for under 100k? We'd need something in a "nice" location with decent schooling and not in the centre of a deprived estate or similar. We've looked on Rightmove and Derby, Nottingham or the North East has a fair few attractive looking places for our budget, but I know nothing of the areas....and assume that there is a good reason for the low prices... We are happy to downsize and make compromises with the property, but the area, quality of life, schooling and well-being is important. For example, we'd squeeze into a small property in Whitby or somewhere nice, but not consider a fantastic large house in a rough spot where the local school will be full of troubled kids. Is it possible? Any suggestions? Anyone done the same? Thanks to all

Me too, managed episode 1, was decent, 2, all military and fell asleep All seems a bit rehearsed and unnatural to me-James May can't do acting so when scripted looks jilted and the eternally-29 Hammond is starting to grate See how the rest go, less excited than I was about it all now, but may get good again!

Try my cars.....not much depreciation from new...!! Myvi £6150 new, now would sell £1850ish 10 years and £4300 loss, 48mpg, original clutch etc, only tyres, brakes and servicing since new Kelisa £5080 new, now would sell £1350ish 11 years and £3730 loss, 55mpg and still on original everything except £70 cambelt, replacement rear tyres and front brakes No breakdowns, no leaks, no hassle, no costs other than cheap servicing, typical Perodua (in UK new 1998-2012, part of Toyota group built in Malaysia) RIP Perodua UK, dammit Plus both cars are lovely to own and drive...

I've spoken to the entire team at length, the biggest hurdles are investment (crowdfunding has been ongoing), getting the hydrogen infrastructure in place, then getting production costs down and the ability to produce in numbers. They have a great idea but I wonder how the reality will be? There is huge up-front cost with only long term lease income.... They originally set up in Ludlow, then move to Llandrindod Wells to create a workforce in a deprived area and gain Welsh Assembly funding, giving apprenticeships to local kids, they seem to have a strong ethic and want this to be a revolution in the way people approach transport; truly sustainable long term usage without ownership. I wanted to be one of the first triallers and was going to buy some shares, but I understand the testing will happen with a few cars around one hydrogen source in South Wales to begin with. Watch this space.... I previously owned a Renault Twizy and would love one of these...perhaps this is the next motoring quantum leap; longevity and simplicity following an era of ever-increasing complexity...