Castlefield Basin

Periodically, my car requires a top-up of a mysterious substance called 'AdBlue', which somehow makes the diesel engine run a bit cleaner. Or something.

Much as with the diesel itself, the car will not start without AdBlue, and you get a warning 1,500 miles before it runs out. That appeared on the dashboard last week, and gave us enough miles for the Minx to drive down to the Shiiine On festival, but perhaps not quite enough for my forthcoming trip to Glasgow.

Hence, I arranged to take the car to National Tyres on Chester Road to have the AdBlue replenished. Or, to be strictly accurate, the Minx did.

Anyway, when I arrived, the chap glumly told me that although the system allows one to book the top-up, said system neither checks stock nor notifies the manager, and so he would have to order some in. This, he told me reluctantly, would mean a two-hour wait.

And I think he was pleasantly surprised when I took this news with good grace, and set off to walk to the office, passing, on my way, Castlefield Basin, which you can enjoy in today's Blip.