29th May 25

I have been promising myself to get up to date. I'm digging into my diary to tell you what happened in May, during beautiful sunshine. But because I am busy (taking on too much work) I'm not getting time to write every day. So this episode dated 29th May 25. Is being written from my diary and photos taken that day. On a quite cold Halloween afternoon the 31st October. The question is. Do you really need to hear about every day from May to now? Or would you prefer to get a daily, on the day it happens account of the day?

Who knows? Who cares? Maybe nobody is reading. But I know exactly how many and when. So do you want to hear about every day from May. Or shall I jump to the present day?

Let me know email me on richard@just1idea.com. or don't. You decide.

So on the 29th May 25. I had to collect a brand new Kia Sportage from Kia Chichester and take it to Kia Maidstone.

It's always strange driving a brand new car. I suppose it's because I am a little OCD about my car. I wouldn't want it driven before I owned it.. what is the point? It's not new anymore.

Having been to many manufacturers sites the cars have many people moving them around before the new owner gets it.

One manufacturer who shall remain nameless,

Has cars littered around the factory having been taken off the production line with faults or damage. To go eventually to a prep centre for repair. So your bee car may not be as brand new as you think.

I actually bought a couple of BMW's and went to the factory in Munich to collect them. I wanted to be the first driver of the car. I thought at the time.

But this car today was an already PDI'd car (pre delivery inspection) as some cars cannot actually be driven on the road until this is done.

In fact. A little known piece of information on new cars. I will share.

Some manufacturers actually, occasionally, put out a bulletin on a model where the car cannot actually be registered. This is due to the car needing something urgent as either an update or a safety issue.

I've actually had a certain brand, stop all registrations of a particular model. Two days before the end of March. Yes the busiest new car registration month in the year.

We were not allowed to register any, until the update was completed. It took a week to come through.

The already spoilt, entitled customers really went to town on us. The feedback and reviews after they finally got the car. Killed us financially the next quarter when bonus time arrived. Yes. We had to take the pain for the manufacturer cock up. And it wasn't the only reason we lost money.

The Sportage drove nicely on the trip from Chichester to Maidstone. Being a new car I didn't connect my phone or change any settings. Why? Because I know the phone and map settings wouldn't have been deleted by the selling dealer and I wouldn't. As you now know. Have been pleased, getting a new car with someone else's phone still attached and previous destinations still on the sat nav.

Because, technicians don't bother their arse to do this normally

Once I arrived I did my appraisal and walked the mile or so back to Barming Station and the three hours train journey to Aylesbury.

Another day another dollar.