After the frenetic activity of the last couple of days, Thursday morning sees me basking in the sunlight waiting for Barry, a BMW specialist who has offered to come and look at Storm and take Storm back to his workshop if he thinks it can be fixed in a day. He was winding down ahead of a planned holiday, but has stepped in to help us.

I have been reading the Haynes manual on the cooling system and have at least understood the different functions of the temperature sensor and the thermostat. Still does not help me make a diagnosis.

Barry quickly sets to work, he feels there is an airlock in the system and manages to coax air out of the system with the application of more anti freeze and some pipe squeezing.  The radiator is now warm all over and the temperature warning lights remain silent.  I take Storm on a longer ride through the New Forest and all seems well.  A big thank you to Barry for taking the time to help us out. We are back to packing for the rest of the afternoon and will be ready to depart on Friday.

Thanks for all the out of the box suggestions and the generous offer from Anne’s mother of her car as a replacement.  Luckily they were not needed, including my plan to weld a shopping trolley, a sidecar substitute, to Streak. 

A leisurely drive, by car, brings us to Beaulieu, an area we used to hike and camp in, some 40 years ago. We relax over dinner at a local pub with everything back on track and our departure only one day behind the original schedule.  We will start out tomorrow, Friday, with a visit to the BMW dealership at Alton to pick up a replacement ABS sensor. 

So those of you who were dragging their tatty old armchairs back to the shed, to the relief of their partners, bring them back, settle down with your favourite beverage and snack and prepare for another 2slowspeeds saga.

– Anthony