Classic car mechanic – Flash bag wallop

‘In the corner of the workshop, Olli Ragbin sits watching events unfold before him’

(Eric as Dumbledore. He likes to keep this quiet. Not sure why. He was very good)

You get to a certain vintage in life and all of a sudden you find yourself enjoying long walks in the great outside and visiting houses owned by the national trust.

I don’t quite know when it all happened if I’m being honest. One moment I’m finding joy and enjoyment snorting vodka off a spoon in the park with my mates (don't ask), the next I’m looking at plaques in old houses and muttering ‘interesting’ to myself before hunting out the cafe for a coffee and a cake of one sort or another.

I certainly wouldn’t recommend the former, nothing since has ever made my eyes water quite as much, oh the joy of youth, but the latter certainly is my idea of a Sunday afternoon (obviously eventually followed by a long sit down and a bit of sport on the telly).

This weekend Mrs Olli and I visit the quaint little village of Lacock. What we didn’t know before rocking up was that one of the Harry Potter films used Lackock as a back-drop, likely on account of its unbelievable quaintness. I think it may have been Harry Potter and the Jumper of despair (but I could be wrong about that).

Anyway, annoying little wizards aside, Lacock also is home to the imaginatively named Lacock Abbey, home of one William Henry Fox Talbot. Now this fella had an interesting life. Amongst other things, he invented the photographic negative back in the 1800’s. Imagine that… actual inventing photographs (which is pretty much what he did). Since then the evolution of digital photography means everyone carries with them a camera and photo technology is largely taken for granted. You’ve got Billy Talbot to thank for that.

And so to this week at CCM towers. Someone has got Covid, someone has been sacked and someone has been promoted. Just a normal week then….!

Eric has been struck down by the Covids.

At this point in the country the Covids is running absolutely wild with daily records being broken for number of infections. Hopefully because of the widespread vaccination strategy we won’t see those infections translating into higher hospitals admissions, but everyone must feel a little wary as we move toward the festive break.

Luckily Eric’s brush with the Covids seems to be resulting in fairly mild cold symptoms. Here’s hoping for a speedy return to normality with the gaffer.

When he recovers fully however, we’ve got some bad news for him. He’s been sacked.

Now, you may think this a little harsh, but in business, when you find someone who can do a better job than you do, the cold stark reality is that your days are likely numbered.

Alfie took over Eric's responsibility for this week’s photo collection and I have to say that there has been a significant increase in the quality and composition of all submitted images from the workshop.

Let’s take a pictorial run-through of current work in progress.

(Look at this lovely 1960’s MGB. About a clean a car as you could wish for. Beautifully framed photo revealing the sparkly loveliness of this ‘lil classic)

(I’d be quite happy eating my lunch off any surface pictured. Did you know Alfie can actually touch the ground without bending down? Those long arms came in useful for this overhead shot)

(Why is Shrimp eye Justin smiling? Is it because this is a Micra with a strut brace and what looks like a load of go faster goodies attached? Is it because it’s nearly time for tea? Or was this the day Dr Ray was wandering around doing his famous '3 cups and a little red sponge ball' trick? How does he do that?.....we will probably never know)

(I don’t even know which car this was (might have been the VW), but just look at the imagery of how the side body chrome-work leads straight into the tool box draws. A sharp eye for careful picture framing. Eric used to just wander over and point the iPhone in the general direction of work)

(This is a very shiny car with a very clean engine. A Volkswagen Karmann Ghia in all of its glory)

(enough to make a Beastie Boy salivate)

(most things this week have been K reg.. Will (I aint) in full-on concentration mode isn’t K reg. He’s a lot newer. I’m H reg. Eric is a private plate and therefore worth more than most of us)

And so that’s another week under the belt. William Henry Fox Talbot, apart from being over-named, would have been proud of the shift Alfie has put in behind the lens. Eric has lost his photographic job but doesn’t know yet and the Covids visit the workshop, although hopefully only the ex-photographer get nabbed.

A late publication this week, so only just time to wish all our customers a very happy, peaceful and hopefully safe festive period. Next time we catch up I’ll have eaten enough calories to walk a lap of the country, so until then from a sacked Eric, Siobhan, Tasha, Dr Ray, Shrimp-eye Justin, Young Chris, Izzi, Ingrid, freshly promoted snapper-Alfie and Will (I aint), have a great Christmas!

Olli

(Christmas lists don’t get much more pointed and specific as a photo of the car you wish unwrap on Saturday morning. A mince pie to the first person to guess who at CCM has the fast Ford fetish! I for one like this motor muchly)