Normally the mail arrives by Astra van. The postie parks up on the slight slope outside our kitchen window, fires our post through the letter box, vaults athletically over the ornamental wall between us and our neighbour's and legs it two steps at a time up the stairs to next door. Having regained his driving seat he winds the motor up to about 3000 rpm before dropping the clutch and with a scrabble from the Astra's front wheels the rest of the Royal Mail continues on its way round the village.

Not today. There I was enjoying a quiet coffee with Mrs H when the sound of a diesel engine announced the likely arrival of more junk mail and bills. Then it went dark. Instead of an Astra outside the window there was a Sherpa van. Bang went our letter box and the postie's hairy pins pumped up and down as he rocketed up next door's steps. Unaccountably, the Sherpa van began to move. The engine was still just ticking over so it was extremely unlikely that the postman was driving. A quick check through the other kitchen window showed him still shovelling letters through our neighbour's post box unaware that the Sherpa was apparently programmed to complete the round on its own.

Skidding on the carpet of unwanted letters I unlocked the door and went outside. I should explain that the road outside our house adjoins a grass verge that slopes down about 3 metres and ends in a small beck about 5 metres wide. There was the Sherpa in the middle of the stream with water up over its axles. It was exactly at right angles to the banks and, apart from a bit of bumper trim missing at the front, was undamaged. The engine continued to tick over noisily.

The postman was in a bit of a state, having never lost his van in quite such a dramatic way before. Apparently they were short of vans and he didn't like the Sherpa one bit. I pressed a cup of tea into one hand and a phone into the other for him to arrange for recovery. He then borrowed my wellies so he could wade out and turn off the engine. A small crowd had gathered. Things got much more raucous when a couple of Land-Rovers emptied out half a dozen laughing orange-overalled workmen onto the opposite bank. After some good-natured chaffing a huge 4wd John Deere tractor appeared driven by one of the orange overalls. Another produced a chain that looked like it might have once held a destroyer's anchor. A flourish of spades turned one bank into a muddy ramp. With admirable control and gentleness the Sherpa was hauled out backwards by the step under the rear door.

I claimed my wellies back and, out of curiosity, asked postie to try the handbrake. He tugged it vertical and released the footbrake. The Sherpa, eager to continue the vital work of the Royal Mail, lurched forwards ...

Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land Read more

Hello,

Your advice please. With about £10K to spend I am undecided whether to play it safe and go for an almost new Mondeo or, making a big switch for me(!), opt for a 3 / 4 year 'quality' car such as a Saab, Merc, BMW etc but probably with 75,000+ on the clock? Is there really a big difference these days between the best of the repmobiles and the premium marques or is largely now just snob value in having the right badge on the bonnet?

Thanks,

Mike. Read more

Can anyone out there help? I have an Audi A4 which has been recalled due to possible fault on the front bearing arms. Audi say they will not fix this under warranty unless I can provide details of last 2 yrs servicing. However, I have only had the car for a year and the service book was not supplied as promised (big dispute with dealer).

Is this problem something the regular service would have checked or dealt with. I believe the fault has nothing to do with who or when the car was serviced, but am not sure of my rights here.

Many thanks in advance

Cas
Read more

hi have been offered a set of p6000 at a prety good price any views on the suitability of these tyres on a t5 ive read some quite contradictory reports on the volvo owners club forum, but i thought i would seek the advice of you knowledgable guys before deciding ,TIA Read more

Having got held up for 40 minutes a couple of weeks back, just to get through the toll booths, I wrote to the Highways agency to ask how they justify the delay that the tolls cause (thousands of man-hours lost, extra pollution from standing traffic, etc.) Here is their reply:

"I refer to your email of 20 October to the Highways Agency about charging at the Dartford River Crossing. Your email has been passed to me to reply.

The powers to charge a toll at the crossing expired on 31 March 2003. However, prior to the expiry of these powers, the Government commissioned consultants to investigate the effect that removing charging at the crossing would have on traffic levels. This research, published in August 2001, suggested that use of the crossing would grow more rapidly if there were no charge to use the crossing, which could have an adverse impact on the local community and users of the crossing. The increased use at the crossing could result in longer journey times and discomfort for users while also possibly adding to air pollution. These factors could have a detrimental effect on health, the economy and the environment.

As such, in summer 2001 the Highways Agency carried out a public consultation on the proposal to introduce a charging scheme under the Transport Act 2000 (the 2000 Act). The consultation included seeking views on the proposed charging structure. Following this consultation it was decided to implement the charging scheme. The charging scheme came into force on 1 April 2003.

Paying to use the crossing is not the limiting factor on traffic at the crossing, but rather the capacity of the crossing itself particularly the tunnels. The layout of the toll plaza is not designed for free flow conditions, and the toll plazas perform an important safety role in controlling the demand and speed of vehicles both through the tunnels and away from the bridge. For instance, southbound there are three closely spaced junctions, and much of the carriageway for through traffic is restricted to two lanes. To allow a free flow of traffic through the plaza area would increase the possibility of accidents occurring, thus leading to more delays.

Every effort is made to get traffic through the crossing area as quickly as possible. I do appreciate the frustration that can be caused from sitting in a queue, but it is necessary to balance this against the safety of those who travel on our roads."

So the justification is traffic control: why not just cone off a couple of lanes permanently? Read more