What a star!

As was documented on Sunday here, among the other aggravations that the day presented, my car fell to pieces on my homeward journey from work. Maybe 'fell to pieces' is a little of an overstatement but given it's young age and given the number of other bits that have dropped off it over the last few months it begins, to feel like it is barely serviceable for the main part.

So, as I was saying, something else parted company with the chassis on Sunday, namely the catalytic converter and I have since then been car-less whilst the guy who patiently does all the work on this rogue vehicle attempted to obtain for me a 'non dealer part', the Citroen part costing a kings ransom and best avoided!

Yesterday evening he called to say he had found one, it would be delivered to him today and he would get the job done sometime later. I pottered off to work in PG's car (that was an experience) and on my return found my car still in it's disintegrated state in front of the flat. I called him, only to discover that the promised part had not yet arrived with him, this was 17.00 hrs!

There was nothing to be done other than wait until morning so said the missing part could be 'chased'.

An hour later 'Mr wonderful mechanic man' called again to say that the cat had finally been delivered and that he would the job this evening. He duly arrived at gone six, put my car on the back of his trailer, drove off and returned just now..... in my mended car, complete with bright shiny new cat! Bear in mind here it is 20.00 hrs, well outside of normal trading.

"Shall I send you the bill" he said...."nope" said I...."hit me with it now, I can stand it" (or at least my credit card can, though only just). A bill was duly presented that also included his working on the brakes last week....this guy is just amazing, it is his sole business, a one man band and yet, of a bill totaling £237.00, only £40 of it was labour!!!!

This guy has in the past rescued me from work at 7 am on a Saturday, mended my brakes on the side of the road at night, opened his workshop at 8 pm to fixed a petrol leak so I could get to work the next day, nearly always fetches and carries my car to save me the trouble and he has kept PG's old 'shed' on the road and passing MOT tests (legally I might add) long after it should have hit the scrap heap.

So........who says all tradesmen are grumpy old gits hell bent on ripping us off? Many may be but this one certainly isn't......... what an absolute star!!