Country Living: Our Man in Arundel
“So, are you going to buy another car?” asked mum. I was surprised. Of course I’m going to buy another car. I’m just making my mind up at the moment.
In the grand scheme of things, I’m a lucky chap. I work from home most of the time, which means I don’t need to battle with commuters. I live on my own, which means I can work whenever I want. And I work on my own, which means I don’t fritter the day away talking about that annoying sales rep.
The downside is… I spend most of my days on my own. I’d probably turn into some kind of eccentric if I did this for the rest of my life. (I don’t plan to – the “rest of my life” part, I mean. I think the “eccentric” part’s already happening).
Why am I mentioning all this? Well, it’s the car, you see. The car I’ve just sold was – er – hmm – how can I put this favourably? It was slightly bigger than it needed to be. That’s “slightly” in the same way that Michael Winner occasionally eats in restaurants and David Beckham makes a bit of money. It didn’t get used much – honest!
But back to mum’s question. Much as I enjoy driving, I’d love to live car-free. If I was a hermit, I wouldn’t need a car. And I’d much rather have the choice of travelling whilst reading or listening to music or dozing or having a beer… except it’s not that simple, is it? Arundel has a railway station and a bus service, but neither is particularly convenient if the place you’re visiting isn’t similarly connected. So I’m looking for a car that’s small (because terraced cottages don’t have much room to park outside), economical (because my girlfriend lives 30 miles away – and I have a soft spot for the planet, too) and (with apologies for the self-indulgence) fun. Meanwhile, I’m relying on public transport… and encouraging my friends & family to visit me!
In the grand scheme of things, I’m a lucky chap. I work from home most of the time, which means I don’t need to battle with commuters. I live on my own, which means I can work whenever I want. And I work on my own, which means I don’t fritter the day away talking about that annoying sales rep.
The downside is… I spend most of my days on my own. I’d probably turn into some kind of eccentric if I did this for the rest of my life. (I don’t plan to – the “rest of my life” part, I mean. I think the “eccentric” part’s already happening).
Why am I mentioning all this? Well, it’s the car, you see. The car I’ve just sold was – er – hmm – how can I put this favourably? It was slightly bigger than it needed to be. That’s “slightly” in the same way that Michael Winner occasionally eats in restaurants and David Beckham makes a bit of money. It didn’t get used much – honest!
But back to mum’s question. Much as I enjoy driving, I’d love to live car-free. If I was a hermit, I wouldn’t need a car. And I’d much rather have the choice of travelling whilst reading or listening to music or dozing or having a beer… except it’s not that simple, is it? Arundel has a railway station and a bus service, but neither is particularly convenient if the place you’re visiting isn’t similarly connected. So I’m looking for a car that’s small (because terraced cottages don’t have much room to park outside), economical (because my girlfriend lives 30 miles away – and I have a soft spot for the planet, too) and (with apologies for the self-indulgence) fun. Meanwhile, I’m relying on public transport… and encouraging my friends & family to visit me!
posted by Mark Bridge at
12:27 pm
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