Mr Keith Bennett

[scotty]

It's that time of year again to wish our wonderful KB a very happy birthday sir.

[Dave the rave]

Ooooh, ‘appy buffday youth….

[Agnes]

Hip hip hooray
It's Keith's birthday today
Hope it's GREAT xx

[Keith Bennett]

When I saw my name on the forum, my immediate thought was "Oh bugger, I must be dead", but dear Mr Parfitt was just being kind enough to mark my birthday (for which, many thanks, Scotty).

Happily I can report that this 78-year-old is still above ground and making noises. Gab, however (ten years younger than me) suddenly felt her age last week and decided she'd better off without a working clutch.

Thanks to Derek's recommendation I rang Mini Spares (01707 607700) and three days later a new UK-manufactured metal-bodied master cylinder and slave have arrived and await fitting

If only the human body and brain could be so easily repaired.

[austina40sam]

A very happy belated birthday Keith! Hope you had a good day? Is Gab okay now too?

[Keith Bennett]

All good, thanks Sam. Mechanic Gary is currently run off his feet coping with customers' cold weather bumps, scrapes and leaking pipes so Gab can wait a bit.

It means the VW bus is earning her keep; if only the interior heating arrangement was (a lot more!) efficient.

I was waiting at the traffic lights, wrapped up to beat the sub-zero temperature INSIDE the bus when a movement caught my eye in the wing mirror. A cyclist was warming his hands on the warm air coming from the engine while I - sixteen feet in front - was busy dying from frostbite!!