I've had Black Circles e-mail newsletters over the years, but always found that the difference overall from my local outlets price wise was very little different in the end.
But all credit to Mike Welch - earned his reward.
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Whenever I've shopped around online for tyres, Black Circles always gave a higher quote than most others.
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I've just had to order 4 tyres for the Transporter. £94 inc VAT fitted and balanced for 255/45/18 103 Nexen N8000 tyres (what its got at the moment, and which have lasted 30,000 with swapping), from Tyres On The Drive.com. And only an extra £2 for a 2-hour slot as opposed to waiting in all day. Black Circles don't do Nexens but their prices for other tyres were more than TOTD. The proof is as always in the pudding, so we shall see when they are fitted next week.
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Unfortunately when Mr Tesco bought in this was always going to be built up and sold. Original prices were phenomenally cheaper than elsewhere, but still made a profit, so hope Mike waits out his contractural obligations and starts again.
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I always take my car to a local family-run place, small enough to care but large enough to have a comprehensive choice of tyres.
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Well i have had the tyres fitted by Tyres on the Drive.com, and now report back as i said i would.
They come to your home or place of work and for just £2 extra you can book a 2-hour time slot, which seems very reasonable. My fitter arrived 10 minutes early as his previous job was cancelled. The tyres are seemingly fitted perfectly and are balanced, even though this is done on a machine in the back of a Sprinter van and as the fitter admitted, the van sometimes rocks making it harder.
As I say, an apparently faultless fitting at a very good price and convenient fitting arrangements. Recommended!
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Kwikfit do that too if booked online at no extra charge.
Pat
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You are getting up earlier and earlier, Pat.
And posting less frequently? Is everything ok?
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Everything is fine Duncan, thanks for asking. The alarm goes off between 12.30 and 2am each morning (by choice!) for Ian work, which means we get some afternoon and early evening together.
Posting less? Yes, maybe a bit disheartened lately with some of the threads but also the garden is a major pull for me these days!
Pat
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>> but also the garden is a major pull for me these days!
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>> between 12.30 and 2am each morning (by choice!) :-)
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I have the same problem and I do not have any veggies to deal with.
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>> The alarm goes off between 12.30 and 2am each morning (by choice!)
Gordon Bennett!
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I seem to remember you like webcams of birds Pat. Norwich cathedral has updated its webcam of the Peregrines nesting on the cathedral spire. Now have three chicks and getting through numerous pigeons feeding them. Worth a look (you need to wait until it gets light though) ;-)
upp.hawkandowl.org/norwich-peregrines/norwich-cathedral-peregrine-live-web-cam-2015/
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Thanks CG, I shall enjoy adding that one to my list.
We have beaten you here in Nottingham though
www.ntu.ac.uk/ecoweb/biodiversity/falcons/index.html
There are 4 chicks and they were ringed yesterday,
I'm also eagerly awaiting the Osprey to hatch any time now here at Rutland Water
www.ospreys.org.uk/webcam/
Not to mention the Barn Owls at Heligan!
I have a wildlife cam in the garden and it's a source of amazement to me just what comes into our garden during the night.
The count last night was 2 Foxes
3 Hedgehogs
Our assorted 5 cats
A pair of ducks at daybreak
........and I still missed the Heron before he pinched a fish out of the pond.
Pat
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There were 4 in the Norwich nest but one died at the beginning of May. They have a great HD monitor in the cathedral cafe and you can see much more detail than on line. There are at least 3 racing pigeon rings in the debris of the nest. Some local enthusiast is not going to be happy!
Saw a peregrine take a pigeon over the cathedral close yesterday. Great sight! Apparently the hit rate is one pigeon in three so they have a fair chance of escaping the talons. I wonder if racing pigeons are an easier target than the cannier feral type that abound in the city centre
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I think racing pigeons must be easier prey as there are always rings in the NTU nest too and just as many complaints on the blog they had last year!
I've no idea why they may be easier prey though, have you?
Which reminds me of Meldrew.
Where has he got to, he used to help voluntarily at Rutland Water.
Pat
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These three are really getting me worried now and I wonder if you could just pop up there CG, and put a bit of a safety net up please?
I spend many a happy hour watching them as dawn breaks and I'm sure they won't be there for much longer now.
Pat
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OK I'll shin up the spire later. The growth rate is quite amazing isn't it? The all pigeon diet must be quite nutritious. Can't be too long now before their first flight - it's only 250 feet straight down. Makes me nervous watching them flex their wings standing on the edge in a stiff breeze!
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I missed it! there were three there at 3.45am all standing on the ledge and I've just checked back at 6.15am and there is only one left.
He's standing there saying 'I really must be brave':)
Pat
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It's still there peering over the edge. I reckon it might go tomorrow morning. Wondering how the other two made out. Might take a stroll down to th cathedrql tomorrow to take a look.
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Still there at 3.45 am, won't get much work done this morning!
Pat
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7.40 am update: He finally found the courage and took a big leap off the far side. I was determined not to miss it!
Pat
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>> this is done on a machine in the back of a Sprinter
>> van and as the fitter admitted, the van sometimes rocks making it harder.
Not parking on level ground can make a difference as well according to a man from ATS's mobile service. Parking on a slight incline can make the balancing machine less accurrate. Dead flat is best apparantely.
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>> Dead flat is best apparantely<<
It's what we get in the Fen, we don't have a choice:)
Pat
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>> >> Dead flat is best apparantely<<
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>> It's what we get in the Fen, we don't have a choice:)
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>> Pat
I can point you to several Droves that are far from flat!
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They undulate gently!
Have you tried the one turning off the Forty Foot over the river to Warboys;)
Pat
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I drove over the Cairnwell pass yesterday, 2199' above sea level. I had been following a well driven artic loaded with gravel on the narrow twisty A93 through Glenshee, the road has been improved as it climbs up to the pass so I was able to overtake. The lorry climbed up to the pass at about 10 mph. The Fens are too flat for me. :-)
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Too flat for me too, I miss the rolling hills of home (Leics).
The wind never stops blowing and it rains sideways. Not much good for a gardener who likes growing Sweat Peas!
Pat
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At least weather forecasting is easy. Just look where the wind's coming from and you can see it from 50 miles away!
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"I miss the rolling hills of home (Leics)."
We walked up Beacon Hill a couple of weeks ago when we went home to visit the ol' man; I haven't been there since we used to cycle to Charnwood Forest when we were kids.
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Beacon Hill at it's best!
s100.photobucket.com/user/Veeeight/slideshow/Beacon%20Hill
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Thu 21 May 15 at 02:50
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>> They undulate gently!
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>> Have you tried the one turning off the Forty Foot over the river to Warboys;)
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>> Pat
Puddock Road? Yer you can get a good old up and down wallow going there if you get the speed right
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That's the one!
Locally it's called 'across the concrete'.
When I first started driving lorries in the Fen for a well known local haulier we *had* to run out and in 'across the concrete' and only put the tacho in and out at Warboys:)
Pat
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Black Circles sold to Michelin - Stuartli
