Test Driving a Tesla 3

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I had booked a test drive of a Tesla 3. We drove to Milton Keyes and walked into the ITSU shopping centre in Central Milton Keynes. The Tesla showroom is right inside the shopping centre. Here a young lad showed us how to work the Tesla in the showroom, and then took us up the stairs to the car park. A row of Tesla vehicles was sat there ready to be driven. We waved the card at the car. opened it up and sat inside. We were allowed to take the car for a 30-minute drive with no one accompanying us, but R asked for the salesman to come in case things went tits up.

So I drove out and took a random route through MK to Willen Lake. The acceleration on the Tesla 3 is very good, and this model was only the rear-wheel-drive model. The one I was contemplating also had both front and rear-wheel drive and faster performance. It definitely accelerated well and cornered around the roundabouts as if on tracks. It was definitely a good drive.

The only oddity, which didn’t take long to get used to, was when you took your foot off the go button, the car slowed quickly. This was the regenerative braking coming into action. Approaching roundabouts, you needed to leave the accelerator pressed a bit, until you wanted to slow down. I rarely used the traditional brakes.

Would I buy one? Yes? Rosemary didn’t like the inside, saying it was totally boring and not a bit like a car. So maybe we will look at the Polestar 2 coming out mid-year. Personally I would really like the pickup trucks coming out, the Rivian, or the Cyber Truck. Strongly suspect those choices would get vetoed by R.

Tesco Vegan Breakfast

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The cafe in the Tesco at Bicester is so much better than the cafe in the Aylesbury Tesco. The Bicester Tesco has cooked breakfast, ideal for morning sustenance while Rosemary is doing the weekly shop. They recently launched their vegan breakfast which comprises two vegetarian sausages, half an avocado, baked-beans, mushroom, tomato, toast and some steamed green leaves (spinach??).

The breakfast took a long time arriving, much longer than a traditional breakfast. I assume this was because the food had to be prepared fresh, and not from a range of food already prepared, or at least cooking on already hot griddles.

So what did it taste like?

The sausages were fine, avocado was good, spiced with some black pepper. Beans, can’t go wrong. The mushroom and tomato could have booked cooked longer with more oil. The toast was OK. The steamed green leaves were bitter and not at all nice.

Would I have this again? No, the cooked standard breakfast was so much nicer than this. I don’t have an issue with vegan foods, just I don’t think you should try and make a pretend English breakfast from vegetable ingredients. Some hummus and toast would have been so much better.

(In case anyone is thinking what a swine I am to be eating while R is food shopping, I should say I go with her blessing. In fact, she positively herds me towards the cafe. Apparently, I become irritating if I walk around with her. (So you know what to do, chaps…..)

Leicester Botanical Garden

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Rosemary and I visited Valerie and Norman in Leicester, staying the night. Rosemary was persuaded to walk around the Botanical Garden, something I have already done. This time we entered the cactus hothouse to see some fabulous specimens. The sculptures in the garden intrigue me.

Ravi and Simon arrived for a pub lunch at the Cradock Arms. The place was heaving and we were lucky to be able to park. The pub was the start and end points of a club’s monthly walk trip. We all departed and went our own way after lunch.

The Bluebell Line

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We visited Rob and Kirsty for lunch. After lunch, we all rode the Bluebell Line from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead and back. First, we visited the engine shed to view the locomotives on display, and of course the shop. The shop, as well as featuring the usual tourist merchandise, also had plenty of model railway gear, and anorak magazines to purchase. We didn’t have time to see the museum, we will have to leave that for another day.

The trip to East Grinstead was mainly uphill, stopping at two stations on the way before arriving. The engine uncoupled and moved to the other end of the train, and we set off on the return trip as the sun set on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Soon the mist started to form in the valleys. On the East side of the track, there were several large vineyards.

Fred Dymock Shoot

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After the weeks of rain, it was decided not to allow unnecessary vehicles on the shooting field. Instead, we would meet at Ludgershall village hall and be transported to the field by a vintage tractor (1980 Fiat) and trailer. Two trips were required. We can thank Jim for arranging this mode of transport. It was a fun start and end to the shoot.

Awaiting us at the shooting ground we had five stands of ten birds each. These were beautifully set up by Brian and his team, along with festive Christmas names. This was also the first outing of new safety cages, strong and light. As you can see from the picture, the field was truly waterlogged. Despite the cloud, there was no rain to spoil the fun. The breeze did add a chill to the air, 8C feels like 5C.

After the tea and coffee break, (please remember to bring your mug), we had a flurry shoot. Teams of three were randomly picked and shot the flurry. Deceptively slow at first, putting you at ease, until two fast, demanding flurries at the end. The final two stands of the fifty bird shoot then completed the shoot. In all 36 members and friends shot.

Village Hall and Lunch

Back at the Ludgershall village hall lunch had been prepared. An excellent buffet meal of meats, salads, baked potatoes and desserts. A big thank you to Celia, Shirley and Ann. After the meal, the prize giving.