What have you been doing today?

[Mottie]

Seen you mention this before and I'm very interested. What do you actually do?

I visit a City and Guilds centre and I check that they are doing things correctly as per C&G regs so that they don’t get any sanctions when they have their Annual quality assurance inspection. I check and advise them on all aspects of the C&G requirements to enable them to maintain their centre approval rating including training and observing the assessors. Currently because their standards are spot on, they have what’s known as direct claim status. When a student finishes a qual, they can apply directly to C&G for the certificate instead of waiting until the C&G have checked the assessments.

I suppose it’s a bit like the self certification that gas and electrical companies have.

 

[securespark]

I guess this centre trains mechanics on vehicle repairs?

Or is it wider than that?

 

[Mottie]

I guess this centre trains mechanics on vehicle repairs?

Or is it wider than that?

One thing they don’t do is car mechanics! A lot of 'back to work' type training, independent living, helping people with disabilities and/or special needs etc.

 

[securespark]

Cool! So how did you get into that?

 

[Odds]

Made a pig's dinner of loping a tree back today Cut my finger instead of the branch and fell out while trying to catch the saw when it slipped away. Too busy trying to figure out what hurts more, my finger or my aching ass, atm. Sod it. Not my day.

It was like...

 

[Mottie]

Cool! So how did you get into that?

They were a startup a few years ago and as part of the application to become a centre, they have to have an IQA (internal Quality Assurance) officer. As it happened, the EQA (External Quality Assurance) officer from the C&G who monitors my centre was dealing with their application recommended me to them as my centre was fairly near to theirs and it just went from there. They have another centre in West London and I do that one as well. I can go as and when I feel like it.

 

[securespark]

Thanks.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So RIP Daphne

This stupid cat climbed into the tumble dryer, she's never done that in the nine years we've had her, kids and wife are devastated. It's not hit home yet, we've just buried her in the front garden, as that's usually where she liked to hang out.

 

[fillyboy]

So RIP Daphne

This stupid cat climbed into the tumble dryer, she's never done that in the nine years we've had her, kids and wife are devastated. It's not hit home yet, we've just buried her in the front garden, as that's usually where she liked to hang out.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Mottie]

So RIP Daphne

This stupid cat climbed into the tumble dryer, she's never done that in the nine years we've had her, kids and wife are devastated. It's not hit home yet, we've just buried her in the front garden, as that's usually where she liked to hang out.

Oh that’s terrible. R.I.P. Daphne.

Three years ago we finally buried the ashes of our cat, Sapphire, who died nearly ten years ago. We buried her in her favourite sunny spot in the garden under a newly planted rose bush and we both shed a little tear or two.

 

[kingandy2nd]

So RIP Daphne

This stupid cat climbed into the tumble dryer, she's never done that in the nine years we've had her, kids and wife are devastated. It's not hit home yet, we've just buried her in the front garden, as that's usually where she liked to hang out.

Sorry to hear that

 

[Mottie]

Brought a neighbour's car in for the students to service today as one of them needed an oil and oil filter change assessment. What a palaver! The A13 (my main way in) was shut eastbound but it had chocked everything up. My parts supplier couldn't get vans out so I had to call in to a Halfords to get the bits. That was fun - took ages to find the oil filter in a pile of random filters thrown on the shelf in no particular order. Gave me the wrong wiper blades - luckily I checked before leaving so managed to change them. Job all done but I'm having to leave the car here tonight and go home by train as theA13 is still shut and I don't fancy sitting in the car for 4 hours to do a 40 minute journey. As it happens, I'd planned to bring the A3 up to the workshop tomorrow to fit 4 new tyres so I can bring my neighbour in with me tomorrow and he can drive his own car home.

 

[kingandy2nd]

I’ve had a little side project recently. I bought a Cat N car from Copart a couple of months back. It was a 2016 Suzuki Swift Sport which had taken a ding to the near side rear wheel which dented the panels and bent the rear axle.

I’ve always wanted a hot hatch, and in its era this one was rated the best of the bunch. Handles like a go cart and is quite tame to drive unless you go about 4,000 rpm when it goes into VVT mode and revs to near 7,000 rpm.

Plan is to use it as a run around car and a trackday car. Took it to Donington on Wednesday (sorry it’s not today!) and gave it a work out. The slowest car there on the day but still jolly good fun.

Pre fixing:

Post-fixing (although I didn’t fix the dents)

 

[Mottie]

Job all done but I'm having to leave the car here tonight and go home by train as the A13 is still shut and I don't fancy sitting in the car for 4 hours to do a 40 minute journey.

Well that was the best decision I’ve made for some time. Traffic, even near my workshop which is some way from the A13 was at a gridlock. Barking road, solid. Green street solid. Everyone honking their horns. It was like the traffic jam in the Italian Job. Breezed home on the train and it was even chokka-block when I got out at Upminster. Seriously, I think I’d still be sitting in the car now at nearly 8.00. https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/live-a13-barking-traffic-updates-27904389

 

[Mottie]

In work now fitting a set of tyres to the A3. They're 40 profile XL’s so extra stiff sidewalls - took two tyre levers and plenty of lube to get them on the rim. Had to pump them up to nearly 65psi to get them to seat too and when they did, they did it with a fair old ‘pop’! Bloody hard work on my old tyre machine doing these profile tyres without an assist arm. Two done, two to go.

Looks like I still had a couple of miles to go on the n/s/r.

Not so on the o/s/r! Had more than enough mileage out of that one. How they got that low without me noticing, I'll never know. Pure laziness on my part.

Had over 4mm left on the fronts but they were different makes so I didn’t want to end up with 3 makes of tyre on the car.