The Opel and the MINIs

29/07/2010. I've been a bit like a cat myself today prowling around my territory and then I saw this Jaguar and for some reason an old Mud song from my teens crept into my head - "The cat crept in... crept out again...". In truth up close this car was a tad disappointing but peaking out as it was from a distance it looked rather grand.

Groovy word of the day: feline

29/07/2010. Well  nothing much has changed on the surface and the Phoney War goes on. In the background though the war machine moves on, battle lines are being drawn and defences are being built. The armoury is looking good.

First, this blog has got the message out that I have a battle on my hands and loads of support has come in from you guys and that is helping immeasurably - the Allies so to speak. Thanks for all your kind words and genuine offers of help and support - now be warned this is a big war some of you WILL be called up for service!

Secondly, my MUM is limbering up for the battle. Mum gets here a week today not just to help with a few nursing duties but also to put the fear of God into the enemy. She's met him before  so she knows how to fight him! Thanks Mum can't wait to see ya!

Thirdly, Mum  is also investing in some armaments and will be spoiling me with an iPad, so there will be no getting away from me! When I was about eight I had to go to the dentist, four of my milk teeth had to come out to make way for my second set. In those days you had gas and I was terrified (rightly so I might add - makes this first op seem like a piece of cake) and to cheer me up Mum bought me an Action Man which I still have today. 42 years on and Mum is here doing the same thing - making my World a better place!

Finally Mrs P is basking in the success of our successful mission to replace the power assisted steering pump on CooperBeast - that's him fixed, me next then is the attitude! She went into work last night to strengthen the War Chest and she has drawn a lot of support from her friends at work too. " R**** had Bowel cancer and he had shadows on his liver too - yep right as rain now" was one conversation. Bring it on we love it!   He kept a diary during his battle and it might be that P will read this. Things like this are a great help.

Most of you who have sent good wishes and support have sent it to both of us  and have picked up on how this is not just about me - Mrs P, my Mum and all those who love me are massively affected by this. They have to be brave soldiers to help me with this battle, while inside they have battles all of their own. A good friend, a young man who has had to put a wise head on his shoulders as he and his partner fight a similar battle, made this point in a text he sent me, his anger, frustration and feeling of helplessness were palpable. I felt his pain it was there when I lost my Dad. My advice to his partner is to do the same as me... I shall help P with this, by being so demanding that she will never feel like she is not helping! (Nothing changes there then!)           

Ok Cheers till tomorrow and Smile for the camera!

28/07/2010 We were standing in the waitrose carpark in Malvern looking over the roof tops and from a distance the chimney pots were peaking over the wall like the ruined columns of an old Greek coloseum. Od course as I walked closer the first impression disappeared but it was what prompted this shot.

Groovy word of the day: sweep

This Disco was seen in Great Malvern and is one of the first 3 door Discoveries. One Life. Live it. Enough said!

The Land Rover Discovery is a mid-size luxury SUV, with off-road capabilities, from the British car maker Land Rover; now a division of Tata Motors. There have been four generations of the vehicle, which was first introduced in 1989. The current 'Discovery 4 is marketed in North America as the LR4.

The Discovery was introduced into the United Kingdom in 1989. The company code-named the vehicle "Project Jay". The new model was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the more upmarket Range Rover, but with a lower price aimed at a larger market segment and intended to compete with Japanese offerings.

This was the only Discovery generation with four-cylinder engines.

The Discovery was initially available in a three door version. The five door became available the following year. Both were fitted with five seats, and an option was made available to have two further seats fitted in the "boot" area at the back of the car. Land Rover employed an external consultancy, Conran Design Group in London, to design the interior. The brief was to ignore current car interior design and position the vehicle as a 'lifestyle accessory'. The interior incorporated a number of original features, although some ideas shown on the original interior mock-ups constructed inside a Range Rover bodyshell at Conran's workshops were left on the shelf, such as a custom sunglasses holder built into the centre of the steering wheel. The design was unveiled to critical acclaim, and won a British Design Award in 1989. The features that were retained included the majority of the interior being constructed from 'Sonar Blue' plastic (with blue cloth trim), map/magazine holding slots above the windscreen, hand-holds for rear passengers being incorporated into the head restraints of the front seats, remote radio controls on the instrument cluster, twin removable sunroof panels (including a special zip-up storage bag behind the rear seats) and the inclusion of a Land Rover-branded cloth fabric holdall in the front centre console for oddments storage that could be removed from the vehicle and worn as a 'handbag' using a supplied shoulder strap (relatively few of these bags have survived, making them collectable items). Despite such features the interior's basic structure was the same as the Range Rover and virtually all the switchgear and instruments came from other Rover Group cars such as the Maestro and Montego. Similarly on the exterior, as well as the necessary Range Rover panels, the Discovery used headlights from the Freight Rover van and taillights from the Maestro van. The latter would continue to bear the Austin Rover 'chevron' logo on their lenses until production of the first generation Discovery ended in 1998, ten years after Austin Rover ceased to exist.

As of recent times the Land Rover Discovery has become the vehicle of choice when owners want to enhance the car to improve its offroad capability or when offroaders are looking for a tough vehicle. Many owners will build up their Discovery with offroad modifications like suspension lifts, bullbars, larger tyres and traction differentials. There are various companies that are making addons for the Discovery and the Discovery is a sought after 4x4.

28/07/2010. I've woke up this morning - Day Two - and I'm thinking back to my history lessons at school. I'm remembering The Second World War and how we declared war on Germany and then there was a period known as The Phoney War, just after Blitzkrieg destroyed Poland but before the Fall of France in May 1940.

Well I guess this is my Phoney War in the battle against the BIG C! However, to continue the analogy; so OK Monday is the Fall of France but let's not forget that France was liberated again in 1944. Yes, Monday might see me on the beaches of Dunkirk but it wont be long before I am back on the beaches of Normandy!

So what do you do in a Phoney War - well work is out, I'll be honest, I can't cope with that it needs me cooking on gas at 100 per cent and my head just would not be there. A few pre op tests but then a power steering pump needs fitting in CooperBeast. Yep it's The Phoney War let's use the time to get our equipment tip top, He'll be back and to, to the hospital next week so let's get him maintained!

PS. Yesterday they were great at the hospital, kept asking me if I had any questions and of course I couldn't think of any - bit like work at the end of one of them there meetings where the Big Man at the end says any questions and it all goes quiet. Today of course I think of one. Shall I get my highlights done or will the threat of Chemo render it a waste of money? Damn I need to know! 8)

27/07/2010. A picture a day can be a real challenge and some days nothing jumps out at you. Today was one of those days. But tonight I was having a chat with me old mate Ray when a sunset appeared in the window. It was beautiful and Peanut was duly despatched to photograph it from our bedroom window. To be blessed with views like this we are lucky guys living in Malvern. I love this place we call home!

Groovy word of the day: inspiration