No Charge

As in nada, nothing, zip, zilch. A totally flat battery in fact. Just about to set off to Barrow for another practice on the bass, when I got a call off Stuart. Could I bring through a charger and/or jump leads as his car not only refused to start, it wouldn’t even unlock remotely. I have both, so chucked them in the boot and headed off on the rescue mission. First problem was when I tried to find my battery to attach the jump leads to. Couldn’t see it anywhere, and the handbook seems to suggest it’s a sealed for life unit buried away deep in the car. There are points where I can attach leads if I needed a jump start, but it seems they don’t work in reverse.
Attaching the charger entailed running extension leads out of windows and across the pavement, but it was soon hooked up and the battery seemed to be accepting a charge. After an hour, the car would unlock remotely but, though the engine turned over, it wouldn’t start. Left it for another hour while we went for a coffee and that did the trick. With the engine running, Stu set off for a decent drive to top up the charge. Still a mystery as to why it was flat in the first place. It was working fine a couple of days ago and modern cars have systems to switch off lights and things if they’re left on accidentally. I left him the charger in case the battery would not hold a charge over the weekend. Considering that charger must be over thirty years old, it’s nice to know it still works as intended.
In a horrible symmetry to the week, the A590 was shut again (see blip of 16th August) as I headed home. Several police cars shot past me through Ulverston, so I guessed something had happened up ahead - though at least I’d actually done my guitar practice this time! And because I was approaching the closure point at Newby Bridge from the opposite direction, I knew the back roads route that would bring me back out on the main road on the other side of the accident. Bit of a shock though for the two cyclists out for a quiet ride who suddenly found a stream of cars and vans bearing down on them. It seems I wasn’t the only one who knew that “secret” route!