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On a rather dull and damp May Day Bank Holiday Monday I decided to venture out into the Derbyshire Dales (partly because my new fleet car is arriving earlier than anticipated and I had some fuel to use up). It was an excellent day, I just set the SatNav for a village in the Dales and then just went where I felt like – it was all a bit random and serendipitous! In true English fashion I took a flask of coffee with me, although I did end up in Ashbourne having a cappuccino after some chips! Lunch was an excellent salmon roll and salad for only £1.40 in Hartington Village Hall, and while there I dropped into a flower festival in the village church. Hartington also has an excellent cheese shop, and temptation got the better of me! The highlight of the day was a visit to Dovedale, somewhere I hadn’t been back to since a school outing many years ago. Health and safety legislation has increased since those days, and so the famous stepping stones are now higher and flatter! Check out my complete photoset here or just the best ones here.

Yesterday (on the last day of my spring holiday) I travelled up Middlesbrough to see the new appointment I’ll be taking up at the end of July 2012. I met the officers I’m taking over from, and shared lunch with them in what will be my new home. I also had the chance to see round the hall in the centre of the town. The photo shows the main worship hall. I also met one of the local officers, and we had a good chat about the vision the corps has for future. As a Salvation Army Officer I’m given changes of appointment by my leaders, following discussions with the corps and conversations with me. Following this process, I discovered where I was going in an early morning email back in February 2012. I’m already looking forward to this new opportunity for Christian leadership, witness and ministry, and count it a privilege to serve God in this way. I’m also grateful for the trust the Salvation Army has placed in me for the new responsibility.

I’ve had a great day visiting my parents in Northampton today, making the most of my relative closeness to them before I move to Middlesbrough later this year. Having not slept the other night, I overslept this morning, but I still arrived in good time. Lunchtime was a visit to a local Toby Carvery (which is rapidly becoming a regular haunt when in Northampton) where we had a good natter about all sorts of things, not least my new Salvation Army appointment. Late afternoon was a wonderful opportunity to sit with my 88 year old father and watch 6 Nations Rugby (England v Wales) on the television, my mother even prepared sandwiches and tea for us so we wouldn’t miss any of the match! My father has always been (and still is) a keen gardener, and the photo is of crocuses in the garden.

When you turn the steering wheel of a car, you expect that the wheels will respond and move the vehicle accordingly – it’s a basic function of a car. This has always been my experience in forty years of driving, until recently that is! I was driving round a roundabout, but as I turned left to exit, the steering jammed and I only just managed to wrestle the car round. The steering continued to be unbelievably stiff until I managed to bring the car to a safe stop. Incidentally, I managed to stop near a post box and I did have some letters to post, so at least it served a useful purpose! Having switched the engine off, locked the car, unlocked the car, and restarted it – the problem disappeared! Unfortunately, as I drove to my destination, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I was thinking it was going to happen again any minute, such was my loss of confidence.

As soon as I had the opportunity I did what everyone does in situations like this – Google it! It soon became clear that it’s a common problem with the Meriva. I also quickly found several friends on Facebook and Twitter who’d had the same experience as me, and a YouTube clip from the BBC programme Watchdog where it was featured. So why did I have a Meriva with this problem? Why hadn’t Vauxhall recalled the unsafe vehicles? What was the Vauxhall dealer going to do about it?

Well, they repaired the car and told me they had fitted modified parts that don’t have the fault. This begs question, why no recall?

So, for me, the main issue is why hasn’t there been a recall when so many Merivas have this potentially dangerous fault? Imagine I was doing 50 mph on a left-hand bend with oncoming traffic when it happened? The Vauxhall garage was excellent, although they’re clearly well-versed in dealing with Meriva customers with the same problem!

Here is one of my favourite pictures taken from inside The Deep in Hull. I love buildings, both old and modern, and I feel this shot captures an aspect of this iconic building designed by Sir Terry Farrell.

I love the delicate quality of light in this photograph taken in York 2008. It was part of a site-specific art installation by Keiko Mukaide in St. Mary’s Church. If you enjoy my photos, please check out my Facebook photography page and click the [Like] button, John Ager’s Art & Photography.

As I cycled across Leicester today, to attend a weekly meeting of the University of Leicester Chaplaincy, I was thinking about the gears on my mountain bike (21 by the way, but I generally only use the middle 7). The gears, of course, are known as derailleur gears, and that got me thinking about the title of the classic rock album by Cream.

The title of the album was taken from an inside joke. Eric Clapton had been thinking of buying a racing bicycle and was discussing it with Ginger Baker, when a roadie named Mick Turner commented, “it’s got them Disraeli Gears”, meaning to say “derailleur gears,” but instead alluding to 19th Century British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli. The band thought this was hilarious, and decided that it should be the title of their next album. Had it not been for Mick’s turn of phrase, the album would simply have been entitled “Cream.” (Wikipedia)

Incidentally, the album contains the track Sunshine of Your Love which is largely responsible my interest in rock music after I heard it covered by a school rock band called “The Dark” in Northampton. With hindsight I should have bought the album they released, because I heard a few years ago it had become a collectable!

It was great to get out on my bike earlier today, for the first time in ages! I had to buy myself a new helmet, some suitable cycling trousers and sort out a few bits and pieces before being able to venture out again. I bought the bike while living in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, and I certainly needed something rugged there! I’ve had many a scary moment riding down winding mountain tracks, some of which are used for WRC events (which I’ll write about on another occasion) and were driven on (and crashed on) by the legendary Colin McRae. You may know (from a previous post) that I’m trying to lose weight and improve my overall fitness, cycling is a wonderful way of doing this. Now to find my way round Leicester, but (after this morning’s ride) I may need a more comfortable saddle!