Journal

“May the Fourth…”

Cheezy title, I know.., But this date holds so much meaning for me. This was the date in 2014 when Gillian and I got married. Yes we picked the date specifically.

May the fourth” be with you all, to safely get through everything life throws at you!

Happy Anniversary Gillian! ❤️??

#MayTheFourth
#forGillz

My view on the EV future

Been saying this for years.

EV rant ahead…

Battery electric-only is neither the green or the long term answer for cars, trucks, busses, helicopters, trains, planes..etc! City cars and milk floats, it makes some sense but not EVERY vehicle on the road.
Internal combustion engines are far more efficient and overall better for the environment when driving out of town. No, really they are!

Hybrid is the direction to go. Electric motors for within town and an eco friendly fuel of some sort for the drives out of town, whether it’s some sort of fuel to electric conversion or some new form of combustion fuel.
Really concerned we’re all going to all be forced to jump on the EV bandwagon when the next alternative fuels are just round the corner.

In a few years we’ll have millions of ev vehicles piling up on the scrap heap trying to figure out how to safely dispose of all those volatile lithium batteries! Which caused so much environmental harm to mine out of natural resources, to begin with!

At which point we will look back and think, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/opinion/354806/its-almost-though-death-knell-has-already-sounded-petrol-and-diesel

Happy 20th Birthday Scooby!

Happy 20th Birthday Scooby

Adopted you when you were just 5 years old, Been up and down the UK multiple times together. Round the north of Scotland even more times. And that was before it was known as the NC500!. Met some good friends along the way, and lost some… ?

Still one of the best drivers cars on the road. Absolutely bonkers with a great sense of theatre! It’s not just a drive, it’s an experience!

Yet it will quite happily cruise on the open road. Getting you form A to B without silly electronics getting in the way of the connection between the driver and the road.

Seems like you’ve been with me for two lifetimes already! Both had multiple operations to keep us going in the last 15 years and still, we fight on! Here’s to future adventures!

#forGillz …wish you were here x x
…. she loved that car, almost more than me! ?

stv News interview for National Day of Reflection

This has turned out to be a bit of a busy week. Earlier today had a brief zoom interview with stv about the up and coming “National Day of Reflection” on 23rd March.

I was approached a couple of weeks ago by Marie Curie on behalf of stvNews if I would do a short interview about what the National Day of Reflection meant to me after having lost my Wife to Cancer During Covid Lockdown in September 2020. ?

#MarieCurie
#NationalDayOfReflection
#stvNews
#forGillz

Our Story on Marie Curie UK

in past few weeks I have been giving the story of my sadly cut short relationship with Gillian. From when we first met to dealing with her final illness and sadly her loss.

Today Marie Curie published the article on their website.

“There are so many people, hundreds even thousands of people who’ve died from conditions other than Covid-19 this last year. If you look at the news coverage, you could be forgiven for thinking that the only thing people have died from in the last 12 months is coronavirus. That’s not right and I wouldn’t want Gillian’s death forgotten. It’s so important to remember everyone we’ve lost in the past 12 months.”

Alan’s wife Gillian died of cancer in September 2020. Read his moving story: https://bit.ly/3vtx9bp

Cancer is still the big ‘C’

Woke up this morning to the sad news that Sabine Schmitz (Queen of the Nürburgring) has lost her battle with cancer.

Another good one taken from us far too soon at the hands of Cancer. Just 6 months and one day after loosing my Gillian to cancer.

I really hope when all this nonsense is over that the resources used to tackle covid get transferred to tackling cancer, but I bet they won’t!!!

Cancer is still the bigger C word taking more lives in the UK than Covid! That’s right, covid is just a flash in the pan. Cancer has been around much longer and will continue to be here, killing people and disrupting families long after covid is dealt with!

We may never know how many cancer deaths occurred across 2020/21 due to cancelled or postponed treatment that was later declared a covid death!

I was due to start chemotherapy treatment a year ago in March 2020 but never got it due to the appointment being cancelled as we went into lockdown. Fortunately, I have been getting tests every 6 months or so, and so far all clear.

Each year In the UK, Cancer takes more lives than covid!

Think about that! Please, if you notice any new lumps, strange bleeding, anything odd or sudden changes in your body get yourself checked! Speaking from personal experience get checked early!…

So far I’m surviving cancer but so many each year don’t!

#ScrewYouCancer
#forGillz

Snowbaru

Subaru doing what Subarus do best today!

Transporting family to get their Covid-19 vaccine in poor road conditions!

My 2014 Subaru XV/Crosstrek 2.0 Diesel

On the way home, pulled into the side of the snowdrifts a couple of times to allow other cars to pass, and continued to drive out with no fuss. There was deeper snow earlier but the dashcam didn’t record it 🙁

The same stretch of road was blocked on and off through the afternoon due to other vehicles getting stuck. Not a problem for the scoob! 🙂

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