Moderator Avatar change?

[rubbernecker]

Did my eyes deceive me or has French Frank's avatar just changed to a mini? What's going on...

[french frank]

Did my eyes deceive me or has French Frank's avatar just changed to a mini? What's going on...

I've now explained elsewhere.

My beloved mini was stolen from outside my house last night.

I hope The Turk will return as my avatar soon - when my car is returned to me

[rubbernecker]

Sorry FF, I truly hope the Turk that hath done this misdeed is caught and punished and your conveyance returned to you.

"And say besides that in Avon once, / Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk / Stole a mini and traduced the state, / I took by th' throat the c********d dog / And smote him -- thus."

[french frank]

Sorry FF, I truly hope the Turk that hath done this misdeed is caught and punished and your conveyance returned to you.

"And say besides that in Avon once, / Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk / Stole a mini and traduced the state, / I took by th' throat the c********d dog / And smote him -- thus."

Thank you, rubbernecker - The Turk is an automaton, of course (he sits in the Café Roland in Bratislava). The driver of the car that had parked in Paul's place has just called to say he arrived at 7.45 this morning and the space was empty (and he knew my car). Everyone is agreed that Paul was probably stolen to order and will not be broken up for spares.

The registration number is S386 EAE. If you see him, please let me know

[Anna]

Paul? You give your car a name? Surely, all cars are female, therefore he should in fact be Pauline? It's a terrible thing to happen, did you not have an immobiliser that clamps between steering wheel and gearstick. Hope you will see him again but as it's a bit of a classic car I guess he's undergone all the relevant transformations by now. So sorry to hear of this.

[Pianorak]

Oh dear - I'm truly sorry to hear your car has been stolen. I do hope the car will be returned to you and the miscreant severely punished!

Re Anna's "All cars are female" - reminds me only my first car, a Beetle, had a name: Isolde. Subsequent cars had to do without.

[french frank]

Paul? You give your car a name? Surely, all cars are female, therefore he should in fact be Pauline? It's a terrible thing to happen, did you not have an immobiliser that clamps between steering wheel and gearstick. Hope you will see him again but as it's a bit of a classic car I guess he's undergone all the relevant transformations by now. So sorry to hear of this.

It's a Paul Smith designer mini - no one wanted them in 1999 so the dealer offloaded it for the same price as a basic mini. Now ...

The only hope is that transformations lower the value of the car. They're all blue - Paul Smith blue. Oll Korekt. Yes, it had an immobiliser and a steering column lock. No sign of glass anywhere. A professional job and probably a long way from Bristol by now.

[My cars have been called Wilma, Ernest, Roy, Emily, Gladstone and Paul - all but Wilma were minis. There were Reasons for every name]

[Anna]

My cars have been called Wilma, Ernest, Roy, Emily, Gladstone and Paul - all but Wilma were minis. There were Reasons for every name]

How intriguing, presumably Wilma was some sort of stone age model? A Skoda? Honestly frenchie I would never have imagined you would be such a sentimentalist about naming your vehicles!

[french frank]

How intriguing, presumably Wilma was some sort of stone age model? A Skoda?

Wilma was named after Wilma Rudolph - the fastest woman in the world. Wilma was an MGB but ... something went horribly wrong. I stepped unscathed from the wreckage . After that, I stuck to minis.

The only radio I had was in that car and I used to drive out to Hazlehead Park, Eburdeen, and listen to Radio 3 in the car park

[Simon]

Sorry to hear this ff. Apart from the nuisance I do understand how one can get attached to a car.

Are you sure it wasn't the faux-leopardskin seat covers and the two furry dice they were after? Or maybe the nodding dog on the parcel shelf?

Try to cheer up if you can though, eh?

Simon xx