Goodbye dear friend .....

Now, I know there are very much 2 schools of thought on this: there are people who think their car is just a car - a metal body built around a combustion engine, with varying degrees of refinement and comfort.  And then there are people like me, who appreciate the years of service and comfort they have been given by their vehicle, and invest it with the kind of fondness they would show to a loved pet, giving it a name, and caring about the condition and welfare of it. 

I am like this with Noddy, my little silver Nissan Note.  Noddy is my 5th car since I learned to drive at the age of 38.  My first car - a Renault called Rosie - lasted about 6 months, and was purchased for the grand sum of £400 just after I passed my test.  She was given away for free to my brother, and I replaced her with a blue Vauxhall Belmont called Billy, for whom I paid £700.  I bloody loved that car - even when in the winter, I had to scrape the ice off the inside of the windscreen, and I could never trace the source of the leak which meant I had to put down layers of newspaper when it rained so as to prevent my feet getting soaked. 

When I sold Billy, and traded up to a white Vauxhall Astra called Astrid, I stood at my kitchen window crying, and waving goodbye to him as he was driven away by his new owner.

Astrid let me down on a few occasions; most notably when she went on fire while I was driving through a very narrow street in Perth, with a chicane traffic system, at 5 o'clock on a pitch black winter night.  That episode cost me £600 for a new engine, and taught me NEVER to buy a new car key from a key-cutting outlet again. 

I replaced her with a beautiful blue Nissan Almera, who for some reason was never named;  but as she only was 3 doors, she had to be hastily replaced when no. 1 grandchild came along, and childseats needed to be fitted in the rear of the vehicle. 

That's when I bought Noddy; my most expensive and newest car at that point; two and a half years old, a 5 door hatchback, 1.4 petrol engine, with a lovely smiley bonnet face, and little picnic trays attached to the back of the front seats, and a sliding rear seat so as to increase boot space when necessary. 

Little silver Noddy has been my most favourite and treasured car.  A real wee reliable pal, who has carried my grandchildren since infancy; got me back and forth to work in even the most dire winter conditions; taken me and my loved ones to lovely treats, and sad occasions, and drove me to my wedding venue on the day of my nuptials, and then home again as a married woman. 

However, Noddy is 11 years old this year, and Mr Carol B made me an offer I could not refuse: he would contribute half the cost of me replacing Noddy with a newer car, which will last us for a few years from now.  And so it was that last week, we drove to Falkirk to pick up Big Suzie, our new Suzuki Sx4 S-Cross 1.0 ltre petrol engine estate.  Suzie is great!  She has a turbo-charged engine, which means although she gives 53 to the gallon, she is only £30 per year tax, and feels like she has 1.6 under her bonnet.  She also has all the mod-cons: Sat Nav, Dab radio; Bluetooth, Cruise control, etc.  She is grey. 

Today, I drove down to Fife to put Noddy (gender neutral; sometimes male, sometimes female; go figure - I don't understand it either) into a garage there for a full service, prior to her ownership transferring to Abi, my daughter, Queen Bandit.  It will be the first time she has ever had a car of her own, and Noddy will be used to ferry the kids to and from school, and my daughter to and from the station when she gets the train to work.  I know the grandkids will treat my wee silver car with the love and care she respects, because they have made countless journeys in her, while she played their Disney CD's or the Muppet Show on a continuous loop, and they know if they are good she will have a little 'sucky sweetie' hidden away for them in the tin in the glove box. 

I hope their Mum realises she is not just a car; she is a special car, and bloody Big Suzie is going to have to work very hard indeed to match up to her in my affections. 

Bye bye wee Noddy; I have loved you.