Expensive day

Today was supposed to be a practical day of dotting about Edinburgh to sort out many wee jobs and get home to do other tasks.

Unfortunately, it turned out that we'd be spending 2 hours at National Autocentre at Causewayside as they sorted out the tyres. We got a flat tyre, managed to nurse the car to the BP where there was an air pump. It became very apparent that even just pushing air into the tyre that there was something chronically wrong. Once the tyre was off it was very easy to see what was wrong - two huge splits in the sidewall. Probably from running on it with not enough air, but in the end it was the oldest tyre on the car. Off it came and on went a new one.
Then, as that was done the nice mechanic did a wee inspection of the others. And guess what, I had excessive wear on the insides of both my front tyres - something I was slightly aware of, but when we looked at them the cord was now visible and also I am sure I saw some steel braiding too. Off they came too. This was slightly more complicated as they had to get 2 from another centre in town. This let us pop around some of the shops in the area that we pass on a daily basis, but never get in to.
Some lunch in No.1 Grange Road (formally Bierex) and also for the first time ever - Cotterell Lighting. A bit of a strange shop, seeing as it is based in an old church but it was nice. Managed to finally get a huge outdoor light for my mother.

Now the car has 3 new tyres that I wasn't expecting at the start of the day. Admittedly, it does drive better. Something that shows me how much I was putting up with a poor ride.

Now I just need to put some time into cleaning the car now!