12 December 2025
To be fair, when I normally renew my tax on the cars and tractors (mostly zero) the DVLA is very efficient.
However I needed a new V5C for our new electric car because Volvo messed it up. Sadly I had to send a cheque (or postal orders). I am also trying to get a tractor registered, again I have to write a cheque.Why!!
Come on DVLA get your act together. You are normally doing so well. This is spoiling it
8 December 2025
Another full council meeting in Burton. Today’s main contentious issue related to a number of Reform county councillors whose social media appear more aligned to racism/white supremacy. Very unsavoury. I spoke out against them.
5 December 2025
Always a good event leading up to Christmas. Despite the weather forecast of wind and rain, it remained pretty dry throughout the event.
Getting ready to go on the procession.
Mia loving it. Some large and impressive lanterns.
At the end they are put away for another year.
4 December 2025
Looking after my grandson.
He was having a great time at the soft play centre. I quite enjoyed it as well.
2 December 2025
Yet more potholes, this time on our road. Unfortunately I can’t blame the County Council, this time it’s the electricity company.
Classic, filled the hole in, but did a poor job. 3 weeks later they came back and did it properly.
28 November 2025
Start of the Christmas season, and we are off to Chesterfield to watch our granddaughter in her first school performance at her High School.
As usual, a very enjoyable evening. What surprised me was the size of the theatre, a little on the small side. Even so looking forward to many more performances.
26 November 2025
Changed our EV for a new small electric Volvo. Sadly the experience wasn’t great.
Our old charger was broken, so it was great that Volvo offer free charger. Sadly they are hopeless. If they did it right they would get the charger installed for when the car arrives…. Not Volvo. In the end I had to wait 5 weeks for the first attempt to install, hopeless.
The installer arrived – late because the usual Screwfix store didn’t have the right bits! Then he went to the wrong house (miles away). Then his instructions were wrong, they charged me for surge protection, but forgot to tell the installer. Then he had the nerve to say he would give me a credit to save them coming a second time as it would cost THEM too much money.
Hopefully they will soon do the job properly, only 8+ weeks after I got the car. Super impressed.
25 November 2025
Driving home from Boys Brigade when I had a blowout in my 1958 Wolseley. Thanks Staffordshire County Council for not fixing the potholes.
Downside, I was driving in the dark, along country roads with an 8 y/o in the car. No hazard lights, couldn’t stop, so no alternative but to drive on with a flat tyre.
Luckily they were steel wheels and not alloys, otherwise everything would be shredded.
Still no fun driving like that.
23 November 2025
Went out for a meal in Burton with a group of friends a few weeks ago.
We arrived in the dark, so didn’t see any car parking charge signs, and when we went in the staff didn’t tell us to register our cars.
Net result several of us got car parking charges…. Sneaky they left it several weeks hoping we wouldn’t have the invoices etc…Not happy.
As you would expect we appealed and got the charge cancelled (no thanks is to the restaurant).
Will not be going there again.
17 November 2025
Saw this sign in Grassmere.
Makes you think that some parts of the country, have more challenging weather than others.