I let them down

They finally came to get me today and we were properly introduced. The nice lady who admired my colour and trim is Christine and the man who decided to buy me is Murray.

They came up to Birmingham where I was and collected me around 9 in the morning. After checking my oil and water were fine they stopped at a garage to fill then tank and then set off - straight on to the M6!

Murray was obviously fairly apprehensive about me and my performance as he took quite a few miles to slowly increase the cruising speed to just over 50 m.p.h. where he decided I was running along happily.

They got off the M6 and onto the A14 before exiting to the A5199 down to Northampton. Just before Northampton at a little village called Chapel Brampton they turned off to the Northampton & Lamport Railway Museum; where there was an MG Saloon day, a day for the 'non-sports car' types to get together.

When we arrived at the event there was a 1952 MG YB there so, when we parked alongside, I stole the honour of being the oldest MG at the gathering. I reckon that since Murray had only, officially, owned me 3 hours at this point he must have had the honour of being the newest MG owner at the show.

Lots of people stopped by to take photos and then Murray & Christine decided it was time to head off home. The M1 was madder than usual as they were demolishing an over-bridge and the motorway was closed in both directions. So, they decided to take the A43 down to the M40 and avoid the traffic.

All was going well until just after the start of the A43 when I felt all the power go from my engine. Murray also said that he saw what looked like electrical smoke coming from under my dashboard. Murray quickly pulled off into what was a disused services on-ramp; a very convenient place to stop as this section of the A43 has no hard shoulder.

Oh, the ignominy! Murray had to call the AA and I sat there, forlornly, as all these flash modern cars roared by without a care in the world.

The AA man arrived in about 40 minutes, listened to Murray's tale, poked and prodded, ran a test and pronounced that I had "blown a head gasket". Oh, the shame of it, these nice people had owned me just 5 hours and already I have let them down so badly. We had only done 70 miles together: I am so disappointed in myself.

The AA man decided that the rest of my journey home should be on the back of a truck so he called in the reinforcements, who took an awfully long time to come. They did not want to take me to London as the roads were mad and there was a big concert on for another grand lady called Diana. So, I am sitting in a garage in Northampton until Murray can arrange an appointment with a garage to see what I need to get me back in ship-shape order.
I'll let you know the details later.