Elbow grease

Nothing like a bit of elbow grease to get things clean. We'll be a car lighter tomorrow when we've handed this one over to Rob and Vicky so they have some transport at their new house. We've loaded up two cars with junk spare furniture we're giving them as they're moving from a furnished rented flat to their new place which they'll be furnishing themselves.

I think Gill is more excited about this house move than they are. When I was a lad in Yorkshire we used to call it "flitting" when anyone moved house. To do a midnight flit was to leave your house without paying the rent.

We bought this little Toyota new more than 10 years ago for about £7,000. Apart from an annual service and replacement tyres and break pads it's needed very little else and it's never broken down. All three boys learned to drive in it and drove it when they passed their tests. It's done a bit under 60,000 miles and should be good for a few more to tide Rob and Vicky over for a while during a time when they'll have a lot of outgoings. It has a few dints and scratches - but so do we. We've probably paid more in insurance over that time than we paid for the car but, other than that, the motoring costs have been quite reasonable to say that some said I was daft to buy a new car for learner drivers.

We've worked all day but it's been good doing jobs at home. I'm working now to get clear so we can help them move tomorrow.