29th March 25. Saturday working again.

I'm beginning to realise that the phrase workaholic might apply to me. Maybe I should get help. If you are reading this and thinking about getting into this business. Don't do what I do. Do what I say. Or advise anyway.

This is a perfect job for organising a few weekly trips and seeing places you have never been to. Travelling the country by road, train and any other way you prefer . Getting there. Enjoying a walk in the sunshine and breathing fresh air. Having your own thoughts to yourself about anything you want. Sounds great. Good.

So don't work too hard.

Me, yes I'm working on a Saturday again. I swore I wouldn't and I will swear that as we go forward into the summer. But it will happen. Because I like the challenge. Ignore me.

So today we set off early for Bolton Lancashire. Yes, we. Alda is keeping me company today to get that feeling it's not actually work. It's a pleasure trip. (Well, try to)

We get the BMW I3 fuelled up. I know, It's electric. But this is an older version with the small petrol driven motor solely charging the battery as it goes. It actually works brilliantly. This is a first for me. I have driven an I3 previously for over a year. But a full electric one. And that was a good car. This is better. so the 181 miles was covered with only one stop for fuel in the quite small tank. Very economical. The I3 is a very different car to drive. Firstly, get the idea out of your head it's going to behave like a car should. Like my 328 does. Those days are gone. The very tall narrow wheels firstly don't allow it to. It's quick off the line but corners are to given respect. It rolls a lot given it's short length and it's quite high. It hangs on ok, navigating corners and roundabouts but it will let go earlier than you think. Due to the battery weight it does have a low centre of gravity and the rear wheel drive helps with the overall feeling of balance. But that battery weight does change things in the handling department. It also bounces over speed bumps quite alarmingly given it's short length. That bouncing carrys on too long for comfort.

We arrived at the small independent dealer who had bought the BMW from a main dealer on the Dealer Auction platform. This has been going since around 2009 and I was one of the first users of it. We used to put our non retailable cars on their for sale to other smaller car sales operations. When it started it was £30 a month and About £60 to sell a car. It was a great way to make profit from your older part exchange cars. Ones that you couldn't retail yourself. Then it was an independent operation. With some good friendly accounts management. Now it's owned by Autotrader and a huge company.

But, would you believe. After nearly 20 years of championing this platform to every dealership I have worked with and bought and sold 1000s of cars using it.

They now won't sanction me joining it. Because I can't provide one invoice made out to me. Where a dealer has sold me a car professionally. I'm not finished with this complaint yet.

Arrived at the independent car dealer who purchased the I3 to find what was an old red stone warehouse. Which, when you entered was a dark and dusty area full of cars some classics I can start focusing on. A man was talking to a potential customer and came over introduced himself and said he would be a few minutes.

I started my digital appraisal and then noticed the BMW E30 M3. Wow. Haven't seen one in the flesh for a while outside shows.

This was apparently for sale on behalf of a customer who wanted six figures plus. (Not so sure)

But it was on the face of it a beautiful thing . I quickly took some hurried shots.

I had driven one of these back in the day and they were amazing cars. That dog leg first gear on the ZF gearbox reminds me of my first Lancia Fulvia. And when driving fast was a great gearbox to use.

Once signed for and delived we walked outside to summon up an Uber. Which, in these parts are always plentiful and cheap.

One arrived in minutes and was so cheap we used it to get to our drive home.

The Uber from Bolton to Bury was only around £7 and was much easier and quicker than the train.

We arrived at the dealership to collect our car home which was going to a dealer in Aylesbury first thing Monday morning.

As usual the sales team knew nothing about it but spent time faffing about and finally got the keys to the 2022 MG ZS

Which, as usual again for this dealer had zero fuel. Another annoying factor. Made more annoying for me as I know the sales manager is told to make sure every car on display has fuel enough for a test drive. It never happens.

Customer's arrive to look at and test drive a car and the first thing they see is a fuel light on. We maybe second thing. First is usually some piece of rubbish left in the car by another sales exec.

When finally leaving the area. We noticed a lot of Jewish people obviously being a Saturday coming from a Synagogue. I have never seen one with this dress though and there were hundreds of them. Made for an interesting sight and conversation with my Jewish mother about who they were . They are Hasidic Jews and this is their look when visiting the Synagogue on the Sabbath.