I put a bid on the 1929 Rover Coupé at the auction of The Great Collector's cars but cancelled it after I'd driven it around the field. The bottom end was rumbling away, and I couldn't run to a white metal rebuild. Oddly enough, the car went for exactly the amount of my bid which had me checking to see my cancellation had gone through. The car went to a buyer in Norway, so I might bump into it if I ever go back to work in Halden.

It left an itch which needed to be addressed, and so a couple of weeks later, I was at another auction and bought this BSA C10L for very little money. I rode it home and I have to say that in all my years of motorcycling, I'd never had a scarier ride. Just looking at the front brake provoked a shimmy that nearly had me off at 25mph! The front forks were completely shot. Happily, Draganfly Motorcycles, up the road in Bungay, have all the bits I need.

It looks like the gear lever has been adjusted, and there's a reassuring spot or two of oil on the floor. I'll put a single saddle on it and pull the handlebars back a bit for my own comfort. Otherwise, the engine ran very sweetly, the lights worked, and with a new battery, rims and tyres, there's a few miles in it to enjoy.

Awkward's line up of motorcycle projects may have had a bearing on my decision to embrace two wheels again.

A small aluminium welding job to stabilise a piece of catering equipment, took some doing. It looks a bit of a mess because welding 1.5mm sheet to an aluminium extrusion whilst not burning the Perspex has its challenges.

We were scheduled to take Learned Counsel's SDAR to Snetterton a week last Wednesday but didn't get the car finished in time. The following Tuesday looked fine, and all the work was completed, so off we went for a track evening.

Things didn't go quite as well as expected. Towards the end of the sighting lap coming through Coram and into Murrays, an oil pipe let go. That held up proceedings for everyone as the cement dust came out to soak up the spill. It took a good hour or two to clean up the undertray of the car - a lot of it only just accessible.

Mr Cox (see 'The Wizards of Oz') was visiting Europe and popped in to see the progress on my Special. A week or two later, he messaged me to say that a chum was scrapping a Lancia Aprilla body and would I like the rear window section - free to a good home. I didn't hesitate.