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I’ve just finished mowing our rather large lawn and came in to find a chum had sent me this conversation between God and St Francis: GOD: Frank you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, buttercups, daisies, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But all I see are these green rectangles. ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your plants 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass. GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees only grubs and earth worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there? ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing the grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn. GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy. ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not Lord. As soon as it grows a little they cut it, sometimes twice a week. GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay? ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags. GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it? ST. FRANCIS: No Sir just the opposite. They pay to throw it away. GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow they cut it off and pay to throw it away? ST. FRANCIS: Yes Sir. GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work. ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it. GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life. ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down Lord.. The Suburbanites have got a new cycle. As soon as the leaves fall they rake them into great piles and pay to have them taken away. GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose? ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They bring it home and spread it around in place of the leaves. GOD: And where do they get this mulch? ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch. GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight? ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber' Lord. It's a story about.... GOD: Never mind I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

No updates of late, but having now picked up my completion kit there'll be no holding me back - LOL. Boxes of unidentified bits all over the place. Still no manifold but am assured that its not far away.......... I now have a pile of wire in a box stripped back from the loom - hopefully I have only removed the bits I definitely don't need - but there is still an awful lot of wire in the MX5 loom. Loom now draped over the car- still not looking forward to this bit. Anybody got a decent wiring diagram for the Mk1 1.8? Concentrating on getting the rear of the car completed, so have been a little delayed whilst refurbing the MX5 parts and then finding the tank protection bar was missing from my completion kit. As usual, easily sorted but frustrating non the less and then having to fit a longer bolt to the lower rear wishbone as there was no thread showing beyond the nyloc nut on the original. Also forgot to save the spring clips that hold the handbrake cables from the donor so had to wait for them, but as the pic above shows, backend now complete bar final adjustments. Moving to engine and gearbox next. Maybe see some of you at Stoneleigh

At last the grin lasted from start to finish on todays blast. Replaced the carb main jet for a slightly larger one over the weekend, thats seems to have sorted the carb issue. 1st stop was to replace the old (very old) Goodyear NCT60 tyres that came with the car. Having looked at many options for road use only, I went for Yokohama A539 185/60 13. On the extended blast home they performed well on the sometimes wet roads of Shropshire. Many thanks to you guys for all your help and advice over the last few months, I now seem to have my new toy ready for those hot summer day blasts!!!!!! Dave

Found this in Father in laws old westie stuff along with loads of race times. anybody know how old it is ? doesn't look that old..

nice to see everryone today at aintree and all the guys who drove there in there westys ,i couldnt make the starting point to drive there together but still made it in the lotus unlike one person who used the excuse of breaking down at the fuel station i reckon he looked out of the window this morning and saw a cloud in the sky and jibbed out but thats just a rumour im starting

Nick You like taking the p*** out of me so I I am happy for you to commentate Saves the others taking the p*** too

It looked great as you all drove along the access road

I do like chrome yellow but 5 cars us even too much for me. tricky's green managed to bring some order to things

Thanks for allowing me and the lad to gate crash your gig today guys. Makes a change to get over the wrong side of the pennines without having to arrange a visa, although I did feel like the stooge invited to a party and being the only one in fancy dress, all your steeds being banana yellow!

Hard to beat something like this,

yes the ultima was desgin by lee noble and was also used asa test mule for the maclaren F1 during development I actually know where that particular Noble is...