Just trying to gauge why we are all here in this backroom.
Is it for information, advice on buying or selling, advice on running and or insurance etc?
Do you feel part of a community?
Are you here for fun?
Hugo
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A little oasis of calm and reason in the midst of toil and gloom..well most of the time anyway.
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Because I'm passionate about cars, utterly lazy when it comes to real work, and eager to learn and hopefully give something back to people who ask for advice.
It sounds like a stock answer, but while my subconscious may disagree, my conscious mind thinks it's true.
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No one else would put up with us.
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I wonder why you ask. Not being here long who are you.Reflecting what RF said.as a matter of interest probably best forum you could find.Mods are better than most would expect ie no swearing and such like.but have noticed this not to be the case on most forums.would put this forum as best you can find I speak as I find.
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I've dipped in and out of many forums but this is one of only two which I will post on. The posts are intelligent and informative and (almost) totally free of BS! Sometimes I feel the Moderation to be a little Victorian but the strict rules are what's needed to maitain the high standards. It is the best forum I have come across - motoring or otherwise.
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We're here because we're here!
Roger in Spain
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However, it needs an edit button or spell checker for those Friday nights when you've been working at clearing the dregs out of the drinks cupboard.
..maitain = maintain, obviously.
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Well H even after a very heavy and very pleasant night with the neighbours I'm here 'cos I feel I'm part of a family. I very much appreciate the advice I get from people who know more about cars than me (not difficult!) and enjoy challeneging the morons who seek to excuse unacceptable behvaviour on our roads and think they should be above the law!
Ps - still hoping to meet up with you in early September if we can arrange some suitable accommodation in Devon/Cornwall,
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However, it needs an edit button or spell checker
Edit button I can't help you with, but see these previous posts on free spell checkers.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=18962&...e
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=18...8
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This is one of only two forums I post in.
The other one is an adult rated site that provides me with non-motoring fun :) that I post more often in, but mostly in their politics forum, which is a great palce for an argument.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Good question.
I think the BR has a good atmosphere and there's usually something interesting to read about. I don't post here anywhere near as much as I used to, but this is one of only two forums on which I contribute.
Although Tom is probably spot on - nowhere else would have us (chuckles to self)
Out of interest, do the backroom folk listen to Wogan on R2? (looks around, suspiciously)...I do
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Lee
MINI adventure in progress
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Hugo my friend sit down and listen.
Why are we here?
What strange quirk of fate put us on this planet?.
Then let me explain.
Many, many, many years ago I found out the answer to your question. Coming on night shift, me and my crewmate powered up Z Victor 1 and off into the wilds of Yorkshire to do battle with robbers, footpads and other assorted villians mechanised or on foot. First thing to do was a sweep of the Beat to ensure no stolen vehicles abandoned. This entailed checking every nook and cranny, Dell and Layby and every vehicle found parked up.
Now why are we here?. It is because of what Mammy and Daddy got up to in a parked car and their concentration disturbed by some big bulky Policeman shining his torch in said car.......
Sorry to those now nodding their heads. I was only trying to do my job.
DVD
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LOL DVD, my Mum always said I happened in the back of Dad's 1934 Austin 10 one freezing December night before he was called up to do his duty for King and Country, i.e. OTC at Catterick. She was utterly convinced because she distinctly remembered their being caught in flagrante delicto by a very large policeman on a push-bike with a dry sense of humour who said would you mind moving along sir when you've finished. During my formative years I had to hear this story repeated ad nauseam when dear Mother had been giving Mr Gordon a nudge.
Just for a second there a thought crossed my mind....no no of course not, it couldn't have been you shining the torch...phew....perhaps it was your Dad.
Does Ooddersfield count as the quote wilds of Yorkshire?
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I found this site originally when looking for advice, and stayed.
It's like being surrounded by a lot of dads and a few mums, who generally have the answer to everything.
People here (with a few exceptions) seem to own more than one brain cell and have something interesting to say. I've also learnt the art of biting my tongue and not chucking all my toys around at every comment!
Oh and it was something to do when I was supposed to be writing my dissertation!
Now I'm just sticking around to see if the powers that be will give me my own delete button. ;-)
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"Out of interest, do the backroom folk listen to Wogan on
R2? (looks around, suspiciously)...I do"
Ah, Wogan! The guv'nor.
Favourite motoring Woganism, reading out a letter from Rupert Chumley-Pugh, chairman of the Triumph Owners Club...
"I would like to warn all members that the website, "www.x rated spitfires.com, contains no useful tuninig advice whatsoever."
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Because it provides excellent advice (not just motoring related) , some superb humour, interesting discussion threads and is generally populated by some of the 'sharper knives in the draw'. A place to escape for this stressed family man.
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The reason for me was that I had a question to which nobody I knew could give me an answer,needless to say I found out in the Backroom.Since joining about six months ago I have found the erudite posts far more readable than any other forum.
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Just trying to gauge why we are all here?
Information, advice, entertainment.
And it is one of the best run sites.
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Obviously my motor trade interests, brought me here, but a couple of other reasons to stay & 'click in' daily....
We manage to share our views a lot better than most sites, where the wide, spread of information has been of great value to many backroomers.
Bickering & backbiting just don't show their faces here - we have no need!
Rarely is there a post that doesn't get at least a couple of comments.So we must all be offering SOME valid points!!
As Pologirl says, family-like we are, never been anyones dad, yet, guess I saw DwightVanDriver on his beat, during my backseating days (nights)!!
& off course, our international communications are most entertaing & informative, Growler & Co!!
Nice place, this!!
VB
Nice place this!!
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Well now I suppose I should answer.
I found this site whilst looking for some amusing tales on buying and selling cars (in those days I didn't have a life, just a job that I hated).
I found this site and its regulars rewarded those that used it in good faith. That is to say that we can all have a good laugh and learn more about our like minded friends from all walks of life. However, on the few occasions when someone does try to abuse this site, they have merely eliminated themselves (with a bit of help from the moderators), which bears testament to the strength of this electronic community.
It is also a great place to seek positive advice and guidance. I am honoured to have exchanged help and advice. It is difficult to put a value on all the assistance but one useful contact MM (that's Middle Man - not the other MM) actually saved me a heap of cash when negotiating for my Discovery - Thanks very much for that!
But this site is actually much bigger than that. When I log on I know that there are heaps of regulars - too many to name without fear of leaving some out, who are genuinely looking after one another; whether it be PG and her problems with her Polo etc, or someone needing advice on how to organise car insurance etc whilst looking after a late relative's car.
The thing is I know people are getting the good councel from esteemed experts in one field or another, whether it be Mark and his insurance knowledge to DVDs seemingly endless expertees regarding Road Traffic and Highways Legislation. There are also those who may not appear as obvious experts at all but have been through one mill or another. For example Pologirl will now have first hand knowledge on dealing with car repair shop problems, which will one day be of great use to someone else!
You may now wake up!
Hugo
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H makes another very important point about the BR. Over time some of us have had and shared some pretty rough experiences - some motoring related, others not. It's to the eternal credit of HJ and the Mods that they have exercised their discretion and always sought to assist those who've been in trouble. I speak from personal experience when I say that on more than one occasion the BR has been the source of very sound advice and, if nothing else, immense comfort. Hugo, for one, spent many hours of his time advising us at a very difficult point in ourlives - something we'll always be very grateful for and which will one day soon be rewarded with several pints of finest Scrumpy :)
Without wishing to sound too sentimental, it's that sort of kindness, consideration and selflessness which makes this place so special.
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It is just brilliant. You feel at home.
Regards to all, Martin.
P.S. Now all please go to The latest, (I have a question), and provide some answers to the Blue Tit conundrum!
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Everybody knows we live a long way from UK. My partner is a British and he left in 1967 been all over the world working and travelling, goes back now and then for vacation only but he keeps strong links (daughter, sister etc). I read nearly all the posts and two things:
If I can say it I think BR helps him keep those links in some ways. For me it helps me learn about UK from everyday life viewpoint not from the guide books. Here where we live we complain about the awful traffic (trapik) and no law and order but he says he would rather have it that way than all those nanny cameras. What I mean is you have stress of jobs and families plus all that, amazing to us, we just pay off the cops.
Really I feel if anyone asked me now about an Alfa clutch I would know where is the answer! Anything mechanical I love it even if I don't figure it out. Perhaps from my father, he was an engineer but he died before I was born.
Other thing I like is that no flaming allowed like so many sites and (so far as I know) no trolls.
He received a very kind email from Mark a while back. He didnt say it but I know he was touched.
Anyway as my Big G always says thats my $0.02 worth,
Catherine aka GRowlette.
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Hugo and everyone,
I strayed into the Backroom when living in Australia, looking for info on what was happening in the UK car market (current models and prices and SH market). Seemed like a friendly place and havent really ever left. I dont post all that often but visit most (work) days. A great cross section of society, gets me away from academic and technical discussions all day.
That was back in 2001, the BR is more like a motoring theme pub these days than the backroom of a country pub (at least thats how I always thought of it), many more visitors, some names I recognise through the years, some old regulars are sadly missed, some didnt transfer form the old BR.
I am now back in the UK, but have stayed around, always looking for helpful tips on motoring, research into next car sometime next year.
cheers
Ian L.
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As has been said above, there is always something interesting being discussed by intelligent, witty and well informed people from a wide range of backgrounds and locations.
The board does not degenerate into the infantile, partly due to its moderation but mostly because the people who post here don't come here to score points, just to exchange experience, knowledge and enthusiasm.
Working from home it provides me with a degree of social interaction I would otherwise miss out on. It's my "water cooler" if you like, but better than that because nobody is discussing the latest celebrity scandal or soap opera "plot".
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"..there is always something interesting being discussed by intelligent, witty and well informed people from a wide range of backgrounds and locations."
Quite agree. I'd read this even if I wasn't a petrolhead - although being a PH and/or Telegraph reader does help you to find it!
I, too, have obtained some really useful advice here, for which I am eternally grateful to HJ and the assembled company.
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No one yet seems to have wrestled with the metaphysical aspect to Hugo's original question. If I remember correctly, the answer is 42...
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