Georgie and I fancied a run out in the E-type but didn’t have too much idea as to where we would go! We decided to head out towards Alfriston and see if our friends Des and Phyllis were home as they may want to have a run out it their car ‘Rory’ but sadly there were no there. We headed up through Ripe and Laughton to Shortgate and then down past the Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum and up onto the A22 where we stopped at the Shell garage at Boship for fuel.

Shell Boship 81,751 51.98lts £67 (156 miles, 11.43 gallons, 13.65 mpg) I thought that I would try and find a new route home but as you can see from the map I simply did a big loop back to the garage! Oopps! It was getting a bit cold and was not particularly sunny so we simply decided to return home via the trusted Wartling Road and through Pevensey and back along the seafront where we dropped into the Tesco Express in the Meads before putting the car to bed.

End Mileage 81,772 (56 miles)

Georgie and I decided to head over to Lewes in the late afternoon but we went the scenic route via Chalvington, Laughton and Ringmer. We wondered up and down the high street but the shops had all but shut by the time we got there so we set off home via Kingston, Piddinghoe, Newhaven and Seaford. At Seaford we deviated down along the seafront where several people admired the Jag and gave us a wave. From there we had a gentle drive back over the downs and just enjoyed the day and the views.

End Mileage 81,716 (49 miles)

We are having an amazing late burst of summer... quite extraordinary. It was another really hot day so Georgie and I decided to go to Rye for the afternoon. We took the road out of Eastbourne along the cost at Pevensey Bay and followed around to Bexhill Jet Fuels St Leonards 81,595 62.78lts £69 (161 miles, 13.81 gallons, 11.66 mpg) and then over on the main road through Hastings and over to Rye.

Unfortunately I didn’t set the SatNav correctly so none of today’s journey was recorded. We wondered around the shops and had a tea and scones in the oldest tea rooms in Rye before heading back through the country side up Peasmarsh, Cripps Corner, Battle and back down Wartling Road and into Eastbourne where we decided to go to the Ship Inn in the Meads for an early evening drink and dinner. I called my friends Colin and Marie and they came down to join us for something to eat. We headed home at about 8:30pm in the dark and as I went to put the E-type away I realised that it was the warmest night that I could remember and so exceptional that we needed to go for another spin!

Georgie was right up for it so we jumped back into the car and had a blast over Beachy Head around Birling Gap and up East Dean hill, through Friston and down to the 8 Bells pub at Jevington where I turned the car around and stormed back, giving the car its head, up to Friston through East Dean up the hill over the downs and back into Eastbourne via Warren Hill where we stopped to view Eastbourne from the top and to walk around in the amazing warmth of the evening under the starry night sky before heading home down the sea front.

Neither Georgie or I could ever remember anthing so amazing at tonight and it was just such a joy and pleasure to enjoy the E-type on a magical evening.

End Mileage 81,667 (89 miles)

It was a very nice morning so I decided to take the Jag to work and whilst it is not the most exciting journey it was still very pleasant to drive along the seafront in the sun. I didn’t take my SatNav so the journey was not recorded. It’s great that in mid September the weather is so good that I can enjoy the car.

End Mileage 81,578 (12 miles)

We are having a particularly nice spell of weather at present, which is a surprise after this rubbish summer! I decided to go to work in the Jag and then in the evening I stopped off a Currys electrical wholesaler to buy a washer/dryer for one of my London flats. Not very exciting but added an extra 'smile mile' to my journey home! It's funny how much fun owning a beautiful car like this can give you.

End Mileage 81,566 (14 miles)

What a beautiful evening. As soon as I got back from work I took the E-type out. A friend of mine, David came out in it as I had been promising him a ride for ages. He loved it! We set off through Pevensey Bay and headed north up to Cow Beach where we stopped for supper at the Merrie Harriers Pub and ate outside as it was so warm. We didn't leave there until it was dark so the journey back was interesting insomuch as the headlights on the Jag are useless compared to a modern car! Motoring has come on a long way since the early 70's!

End Mileage 81,552 (32 miles)

I collected the car from Chiddingly today. Geoff explained that the engine has two thermostats and one of these had failed so he has put in 2 new ones and added the anti-freeze. The engine fans had also failed due to a faulty fuse holder so he changed that. The car is running fine again so all is well! I took the direct route home down the A22 as the forecast was for rain. I didn't record this trip.

End Mileage 81,520 (16 miles)

NOTE: 1 unaccounted mile whilst the car was away being fixed. See Invoice 18/08/16

What a fabulous day! Airbourne was a great success due to the weather and today is even better. Georgina and I just couldn’t miss this chance to take the E-type for a good spin so we decided to go to Scotney Castle which would give us a good run. We drove up to the Vineyard pub for a late lunch and then went to the Castle. It’s not actually what you would imagine a Castle to be as it was originally a fortified house that built another bigger house in the grounds in about 1834. It was definitely worth a visit especially on such a lovely day and I took these photos…. So here’s a bit of fun for future readers, try and find the angle that I shot the first photo and the clue is that I had to lift my phone camera above my head to do so!

The journey back was lovely, I stopped for fuel at Pevensey Pevensey BP 81,434 57.42lts £62.53 (165 miles, 12.63 gallons, 13.06 mpg) on the way home and thought it a shame that the journey had to come to an end.

However it was not without some drama. As I put the Jag back into my garage and turned off the engine I heard the water rumbling about in the engine and upon lifting the bonnet could see water and steam escaping. I put on some gardening gloves and took the cap off the radiator…BIG MISTAKE, boiling water shot up in a fountain hitting the bonnet and going everywhere including all over my hand! Fortunately it missed splashing all over my bear arm and whist I had to whip off the glove pretty smartish, my hand was only stinging and not burned. Something has clearly gone wrong and so off to my garage went the car on the back of a recovery lorry.

End Mileage 81,503 (76 miles)

Very sadly, last night at 7:34pm as we watched TV there was a very loud bang outside the flat and two people lost their lives in a horrible hit and run car crash. This morning when Georgina and I went down to the seafront to watch Airbourne 2016 I was stopped by a reporter at the end of our drive and ended up on the local news report in the evening… shame about the circumstances. That aside it was a lovely day, great for Airbourne and perfect for a ride out in the car so whilst Georgina got on with the supper I took the Jag for a quick spin up over Beach Head and around town.

End Mileage 81,427 (13 miles)

I had to work this Monday so I left Georgina's early morning to get to Stone Cross and took the straight route down the A22. When I left Stone Cross I shot home to clean the car and then found an excuse to go out for another run on the pretense of making sure it was completely dry before putting it away in the garage! To be honest I thing it was more about 'posing' than driving because I took the car over Beachy Head and down into Eastbourne Old Town, through the town center and up to the seafront for pootle up to my flat. Just a quick run but fun.

End Mileage 81,414 (33 miles)

Another lovely day. What a delight to have sunny weather after a pretty awful summer. Georgie has been looking forward to a run in the E-type and today did not disappoint. Georgina was chief navigator, hence the rather odd route pattern :-), but that aside it was a good choice of roads taking us on a winding mystery tour between Buxted and Rotherfield with some very narrow bendy country roads with no passing room! All great fun and very enjoyable. It was lovely being in the Jag and I took this little video...

End Mileage 81,381 (31 miles)

It promised to be a nice weekend so I took the chance of taking the E-type up to my girlfriends house. I decided to try and find a 'off the beaten track' route to save doing the uninspiring A22. Lullington, Ripe, Laughton, Shortgate and Isfield proved a very enjoyable trip to Uckfield.

The weather was great and so later in the afternoon I took the Jag for a spin through High Hurstwood, Poundgate, Nutley, Horstead Keynes, Sheffield Green, Piltdown and Maresfield before returning to Uckfield for an evening party in the grounds of Georgina's estate where she lives. I travel along roads that I had never been on and through some breathtaking countryside... what a delight! The party afterwards wasn't bad either, so all in all a great day!

End Mileage 81,350 (59 miles)

I collected my Jaguar E-type from Taylor Automotive Engineering in Chiddingly and it was sparling clear in the summer sun. The car is now in great condition and definitely much quieter now that the annoying rattle has gone. As it turned out the noise was not from the torque converter which is in good condition and neither was it from the gearbox which was stripped down to find the cause.

As it turned out all it was was a rattle from the flywheel plate which simply needed the rivets re pressed! Having got the automatic box stripped it was sensible to have it completely reconditioned even though it was not necessary nevertheless another £3,214.94 Invoice!

I took the car up to Georgina’s in Uckfield for a lunch party with some friends. The day turned from a very windy and cloudy day to a lovely evening so when I returned home I went the long scenic route through Wartling and Normans Bay, stopping at Boship for fuel. Shell Boship 81,269 45.38lts £55.77 (121 miles, 9.98 gallons, 12.12 mpg) It was a lovely drive and really great to be back in the Jag!

End Mileage 81,291 (46 miles)

NOTE: The car has been away for the last 2 months at the garage having the automatic gearbox reconditioned, new break master cylinder fitted and a few other things done although in the end it turned out that I didn’t actually need to have had the automatic gearbox reconditioned as the noise was caused by loose rivets on the torque converter plate! The car was driven 6 miles on road test. See Invoice 27/06/16 See Invoice 08/07/16

I took my car up to Taylor Automotive Engineering and left it with Geoff. He is going to sort out the break problem and at the same time they will take out the gearbox and fix the torque converter, or possibly the gearbox, so that it stops making a rattling sound. I've also asked him to do a service and check the wheel alignment so that the car is is tip top condition and ready for my enjoyment over the summer!

End Mileage 81,239 (15 miles)

It was another lovely day to Georgina and I decided to go for a spin and drop in to see some friends of hers for tea. We went off up the A22 through Boship and Horam to Foxhunt Green where I met Mike and his wife Angela and shared a glass of wine and cup of tea with them. Mike's into old motorbikes and cars and is very knowledgeable.

From there we decided to give the car a good burn along the B2124 through Ringmer and Glynd and along the A27 turning south at Drusillas and up to the coast road at Exceat and home over the coast road. It was a fabulous drive but the breaks are still playing up!

End Mileage 81,224 (49 miles)

I had to take my car back to the Garage in Hailsham for its re-MOT at 9:45am but I still haven't managed to get the washer pump working so needed to find a replacement quickly! I shot down to a car parts place just off Lottbridge Drove and then rushed back home to fit it. See Invoice 07/05/16 Once that was sorted I rushed up to Hailsham and within 10 minutes had my new MOT! I then returned home and gave the car a really good clean, including the engine bay so that it was looking splendid in the sunshine. I had arranged to go and see Dad for lunch which meant that I needed to visit Tesco in the Meads for food, and there I bumped into my Brother and his family who were also on the way to Dad's for lunch, so off we all went for a lovely time with my father.

When I left Dad's flat in Darley Road I dropped off my shopping at my flat and headed out East along the seafront towards Bexhill through Norman's Bay and Cooden Beach for a spin. It was a lovely day and a really enjoyable run. From Bexhill I headed North up through Ninfield and then west to Boship Farm where I filled up with petrol.

Shell Boship 81,148 45.37lts £54.40 (118 miles, 9.98 gallons, 11.28 mpg)

From there I went through Ripe and Drusillas Park, Alfriston and Seaford, returning home along the coast road. Before I put the car away I popped into my very good friend Colin's new house in Rochester Close. It was a wonderful day! There was a downside however as I started to notice that the breaks were binding on and the break peddle was not feeling right.

End Mileage 81,175 (86 miles)

I dropped my car off in Hailsham for an MOT at a garage called MOT 4 U early in the morning as I was meeting Colin at the garage and going up to one of his flats in London to help him move some furniture. When we got back in the early afternoon my car had failed! Fortunately it was only the washer bottle pump not working so it's an easy fix.

From there I went and got myself a McDonald's milkshake just off the big round-a-bout north of Polegate.

End Mileage 81,089 (34 miles)

It was a lovely bright but cold spring day and Georgina and I decided to take the MG-TF out for a run which ment collecting it from Stone Cross. We went over in the E-type so that we could enjoy a run in both cars!

End Mileage 81,055 (12 miles)

The sky was clear and the temperature low but good enough for Georgina and I to brave the temperature and let the Jag out for a run! As usual we didn’t really know where we were going to roam but thought that we would have lunch at the Yew Tree pub where I used to play cricket from 1979 to 1987 and then again 1994 - 1999. The meal was good enough but not much atmosphere so we got away as quickly as possible and went north through Chiddingly were I also played cricket for a couple of seasons in 1992 and 93.

We stopped off for a walk around Waldron Church yard where Georgina's father's ashes are marked with a small head stone, and also had a wonder around the square as this is home territory for Georgie. After that we headed home via Horam with a petrol stop at Boship. Shell Boship 81,030 60.42lts £68.21 (172 miles, 13.29 gallons, 12.94 mpg)

End Mileage 81,043 (46 miles)

It was a cold day but a reasonable sky so Georgina and I decided to go for a run in the E-type. We didn't really know where we were going but thought that we would stop in Hastings to view the John Bratby exhibition. We headed out of Eastbourne towards Battle which is always a nice run and then down into Hastings and along the seafront to the Jerwood Gallery. We were rather lucky because when we got into the exhibition it just so happened that John Bratby's son was there ready to take a group around his father's works and give a bit of an inside into his family life and the subjects in the paintings. It was rather interesting albeit that I am no fan of this style of painting!

By the time we left the exhibition the weather had turned and it had started to drizzle so I was forced to put the roof up! Fortunately it dried up only a couple of miles into the journey so we put the roof down and bore the cold again! not long after putting the hood down the drizzle started and did not stop all the way home but we just ploughed on regardless.

All in all, not a bad run for this time of year!

End Mileage 80,997 (49 miles)

We have had a lot of bad weather recently so with today being sunny and dry, I was compelled to take the E-type out for a quick spin! This was the first opportunity for Georgina to experience the car but we left it a little late and by the time we set off the sun was disappearing behind the hills and the air turning cold. Still, undeterred we set off over Beachy Head, doing my usual loop through Birling Gap and up over East Dean hill and back down into Eastbourne and up and down the seafront.

The car was difficult to start (as expected after such a long time) but ran faultlessly. We got a very enthusiastic wave from another driver coming towards us in his modern Jaguar!

End Mileage 80,948 (20 miles)