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This Week
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Friday, 04/Jan/2013 Ok, so we’re edging into the new year now but I just wanted to look back to one of the best drives of 2012 – Christmas Day. |
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Friday, 21/Dec/2012 Motorcyclists have been reminded to carry out regular checks on their machines in a bid to improve safety this winter. |
Mega MOTORING BUNDLES up for grabs Friday, 14/Dec/2012 Well this is it folks, time to give away the biggest bundle of goodies yet in our fantastic Christmas give away. |
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Friday, 30/Nov/2012 Ho ho ho, it’s time once more for the great Friends and alloys festive give away. |
With rising fuel costs, is hitchhiking the future? Friday, 23/Nov/2012 I’m very angry. |
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Friday, 16/Nov/2012 The story of how Friends and alloys reader Ashley Bray fell in love with his Lotus is a touching one, writes Nigel Canham. |
Shades of rust and gold was a sight to behold Friday, 09/Nov/2012 Delighted to say that the round-Britain trip undertaken by Mrs C and myself went really well. |
‘Scot’ of gold at the end of the rainbow Friday, 26/Oct/2012 Don’t know how your Monday morning went this week but for Mrs C and I it was day ten of our journey into the British autumn and we happened to be camped on the Firth of Forth, just a stone’s throw from the centre of Edinburgh. |
Hacked off with insurance charges Friday, 12/Oct/2012 As the owner of three vehicles, insurance is a subject known to get my blood up. |
Rain puts a cloud over gathering Friday, 28/Sep/2012 Oh dear, what a difference a week can make. |
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Friday, 21/Sep/2012 One down, one to go – car shows that is. |
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Friday, 14/Sep/2012 There is already much talk about how the end of summer’s here – but that’s rubbish. |
‘Rip-off petrol prices are a poverty trap’ Friday, 07/Sep/2012 Interesting news has reached this column from Essex, the county which produces approximately a million Ford engines each year. |
Doing my ‘nut’ over carb problem Friday, 31/Aug/2012 Until Saturday afternoon it’s fair to say I had no idea what a lock screw and jet bearing were, let alone that I owned a set and that it would prove to be the source of great angst. |
Taking to the saddle has its sore points Friday, 31/Aug/2012 For the record – I am NOT an example of the Olympic legacy in action, writes Nigel Canham. |
Clean-up operation just got easier Friday, 24/Aug/2012 Mrs C and I have loved having a family of house martins nesting in the eaves of chez nous again this year. |
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Friday, 17/Aug/2012 Delighted to tell you about another date coming up on the motoring calendar. |
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Friday, 10/Aug/2012 I’m probably about to lose motoring friends left, right and centre with the following statement: I never liked the original Mini. |
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Friday, 03/Aug/2012 Mrs C and I have really been enjoying our new campervan these past few weeks – despite a rather unfortunate coming together with a stone wall which left a huge gash in the bodywork and an insurance claim to make. |
The jury’s out on our campervan name game Friday, 20/Jul/2012 No sooner had Mrs C and I acquired our campervan last week did this familiar question creep into our conversation: what shall we call it? |
Part one: Friday, 13/Jul/2012 r> |
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Friday, 06/Jul/2012 I am indebted, as Cyril Fletcher would have said to Esther Rantzen on That’s Life all those years ago, to Jenny Baker, of Newton Abbot, who sent me a clutch of old car magazines and brochures. |
Jethro: last ‘plight’ of the proms Friday, 15/Jun/2012 A fortnight ago our old ‘57 Minor, Jethro, was dressed to the nines, his already less than modest turquoise paintwork enlivened further still by the addition of several fuchsia pink ribbons, bows and flowers. |
Groundhog days I could relive again and again Friday, 01/Jun/2012 First of all, many thanks to BBC Radio Devon’s David Fitzgerald for providing last week’s column in my absence. |
Mid-life crisis car: go on, you know you want one! Friday, 25/May/2012 BY DAVID FITZGERALD, BBC RADION DEVON
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Planning a European roadtrip? It could take its ‘toll’ on your wallet Friday, 18/May/2012 By the time this copy hits the newsstands Mrs C and I should be somewhere in Europe. |
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Friday, 11/May/2012 It really is time to invest in a new inspection lamp. |
Fighting ‘Fitz’ and raring to go Friday, 04/May/2012 There are some characters who are, quite simply, larger than life. |
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Friday, 13/Apr/2012 I don’t care if my neighbours think I’m an anorak, I love washing the car. |
So thick! New coins won’t fit parking meters Friday, 06/Apr/2012 Following on from the tale of parking woe we brought you a fortnight ago – remember I netted a £50 fine after a dim-witted automated voice recognition system would not let me pay – well how about this for another bit of madness? |
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Friday, 06/Apr/2012 I hope no Friends and alloys readers were too greatly inconvenienced by the, quite frankly, moronic panic buying of petrol and diesel last week. |
Beware the oversized lunchbox on wheels Friday, 30/Mar/2012 A couple of motoring stories appeared on the Friends and alloys radar this week that just had to be shared. |
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Friday, 16/Mar/2012 Those kind enough to follow this column on a regular basis will know there’s an old Morris Minor in the Canham garage. |
Motoring PR: the ‘pinnacle’ of guff and waffle Friday, 09/Mar/2012 All week long, the Friends and alloys email inbox has been filling up with news from the Geneva Motor Show. |
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Friday, 02/Mar/2012 I can be a bit of a grumpy old Hector first thing in the morning and the thought of sharing my commute with anyone is not an attractive one – for all concerned. |
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Friday, 17/Feb/2012 Stupid, stupid, stupid. |
My bright idea leaves me in the dark Friday, 10/Feb/2012 The following, unbelievably, is true. |
Meldrewesque mishap drives me mad Friday, 10/Feb/2012 It seems the £400 invested in Vredestein’s so called all-season tyres for the Canham C-Max might have been a waste – and beware the forked-tongues of those in the breakdown recovery trade. |
Hunt is on for former garage employees Friday, 03/Feb/2012 We’ve heard from Patricia Hunt, of King Street, Newton Abbot, who is interested in teaming up with her old, er, friends and allies. |
Fuel prices put in perspective Friday, 03/Feb/2012 The eagle-eyed among you might have noticed an absence of Friends and alloys for the past month. |
Will the Chinese Dragon breathe fire on the UK motor industry? Friday, 30/Dec/2011 Ever heard of Luxgen, Geely or Beijing Automotive? What about Great Wall Motors, Foton or Chery? |
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Friday, 23/Dec/2011 Delighted to say we’ve got one more give-away to round off the year. |
‘BRAKING’ NEWS: Win a bundle of motoring goodies Friday, 16/Dec/2011 It’s that time of year again folks when Santa comes a-calling and I’m delighted to say he’s already paid a visit to the Friends and alloys office. |
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Friday, 09/Dec/2011 I did try, honest. |
The perils of buying a used car Friday, 02/Dec/2011 IF ever there is a golden rule to buying a second-hand car, it must be to never, ever fall into the trap of being pressurised into parting with your hard-earned readies. |
I’ve never known a night like it... Friday, 25/Nov/2011 It doesn’t do to put jobs off, it really doesn’t. |
The new Alhambra – so alluring Friday, 18/Nov/2011 It’s always hard to assess how a first date went until the second chance to hook up comes around. |
AA reveals alarming driving statistic Friday, 11/Nov/2011 How truly awful the events on the M5 at Taunton were last Friday. |
Jethro’s birth certificate puts a smile on my face Friday, 11/Nov/2011 Guess I must declare an interest in reporting this piece of news. |
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Friday, 28/Oct/2011 With Halloween round the corner I wondered if I was in for a trick or treat with the Honda Jazz Hybrid. |
Winter’s on its way – be prepared Friday, 21/Oct/2011 With chilly winds sweeping down from the north this week, bringing with them it seems an end to the Indian summer, it’s only wise to think about the motoring months ahead. |
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Friday, 07/Oct/2011 Just a few words about the £396 Vredestein Quatrac tyres fitted to the family jam jar last weekend. |
Time’s come for those mad, bad creations! Friday, 07/Oct/2011 Tempus fugit and all that, but how did this time of year come around again so quickly? |
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Friday, 30/Sep/2011 Readers might recall that a move to the edge of Dartmoor brought about the thought of trading in the Canham C-Max for a 4x4. |
Whirlwind tour certainly lived up to its name Friday, 23/Sep/2011 Well folks the September Canham tour of Britain went partly to plan at least, Hurricane Katia managing to throw a bit of a spanner in the works. |
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Friday, 23/Sep/2011 n More than 60 vehicles took part in the Classic and American Car Show held at Bellamarsh Meadow, Kingsteignton, on Sunday despite the poor weather conditions. |
B-road Britain – a passport to adventure Friday, 16/Sep/2011 By the time this copy hits the newsstands the Canham C-Max will hopefully be part way through another tour of our fantastic island nation. |
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Friday, 09/Sep/2011 In the words of the great John Otway, truly the star of
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‘Riva’ derchi and good riddance Friday, 02/Sep/2011 According to the Top Gear criteria by which a real car nut is apparently measured, I fail to cut the mustard. |
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Friday, 26/Aug/2011 One of the reasons I’ve got a 54-year-old Morris in the garage is to improve my DIY skills under the bonnet. |
The day Jethro took on a giant...and won Friday, 19/Aug/2011 The David and Goliath moment came on Sunday afternoon on the road between Moretonhampstead and Postbridge. |
Search for a 4x4 brings me down to earth with a bump Friday, 12/Aug/2011 Yes it’s August but my mind is on the snow and icy conditions we’re bound to experience this winter. |
A ‘rad’ idea – but is it false economy? Friday, 05/Aug/2011 A colleague whose ageing Peugeot has developed a habit of losing its coolant asked me the other day about whether or not he should use a can of radiator sealant as a means of fixing the problem. |
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Friday, 05/Aug/2011 If you want to get ahead get a hat, so said the British Hat Council (yes there was such a thing) back in the 1930s. |
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Friday, 29/Jul/2011 It’s a hackneyed old phrase but one worth repeating none the less: to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail. |
A moment of magic in my time machine Friday, 22/Jul/2011 Truly astonished and delighted to know how many people are taking an interest in the adventures Mrs C and I are having with Jethro, our 1957 Morris Minor. |
Peugeot with the most delightful kink… Friday, 15/Jul/2011 To anyone other than an anorak like me the phrase ‘Hofmeister kink’ would probably conjure up any number of things. |
Morgans to Minis, buggies to bubbles – a classic day out Friday, 08/Jul/2011 THOUSANDS of holidaymakers, day trippers and locals admired a feast of classic cars on Teignmouth Den, writes John Ware. |
Plastic licence renewal drives me up the wall Friday, 01/Jul/2011 Ever since we moved into our last cottage in the South Hams 17 years ago my old paper driving licence has borne an incorrect address. |
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Friday, 10/Jun/2011 Growing up on a farm in Ideford gave Charles Cornish a life-long love of all things mechanical. |
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Friday, 03/Jun/2011 I don’t know what Friends and alloys readers were up to in the winter of 56/57 but on the Morris production line at Cowley the finishing touches were being put to a rather fetching turquoise Minor 1000. |
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Friday, 20/May/2011 Proof, if ever it were needed, that petrolheads can do something other than obsess about four wheels for the sake of it has been provided by Exeter man Mark Townsend. |
TR7 – COULD IT BE MY classic GR8? Friday, 13/May/2011 Gosh, what a task it’s becoming tracking down the elusive classic car for Chez Canham. |
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Friday, 06/May/2011  Great to hear from a group of vintage Morgan enthusiasts in Newton Abbot who, by the time this story hits the newsstands, should be on their way to the 2011 Vintage Revival at Montlhéry. |
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Friday, 29/Apr/2011 As the Canham two-litre diesel C-Max has clocked up more than 20,000 miles in the past year I’ve been giving it a bit of a fettle lately. |
Is your car a star? Then let me be the judge of that Friday, 22/Apr/2011 Brace yourself Rodney because Del Boy’s Reliant van has been pipped to the post in a poll to find Britain’s favourite TV motor. |
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Friday, 22/Apr/2011 Delighted to hear from reader Peter Bolt, a winner in our competition for tickets to the Bristol Classic Car Show. |
The tractor that changed the world Friday, 15/Apr/2011 Despite being a lover of all things automotive, the real passion that so many people seem to have for tractors never fails to amaze me. |
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Friday, 01/Apr/2011 Thanks to the very generous organisers of the Footman James 32nd Bristol Classic Car Show later this month, 12 lucky readers have a really great day out to look forward to. |
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Friday, 25/Mar/2011 It was great to hear this week that a club formed in this neck of the woods a year ago to celebrate the motoring marvel that is the Austin Seven has gone from strength to strength. |
Kickstart your way to motorbike club Friday, 18/Mar/2011 Delighted to hear from the Kickstart Club, Torbay, a group formed in 1977 for the preservation and restoration of old motorcycles, writes Nigel Canham. |
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Friday, 11/Mar/2011 Nothing stays the same of course, take Christow in the Teign Valley for example. |
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Friday, 04/Mar/2011 The wheels of the house buying business move slower than those on an old Ford Prefect I once owned, it seems. |
Fuelling the debate for a rural rebate Friday, 25/Feb/2011 Filling up the tank from near-empty at the weekend and decided to stop when the pump notched up £30, partly because I didn’t want to splash the cash and partly because carrying less fuel saves weight and, er, fuel. |
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Friday, 18/Feb/2011 Delighted to have heard this week from a few readers about their old cars, past and present. |
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Friday, 11/Feb/2011 With the ever-increasing cost of fuel at the pumps it got me thinking about cars on the market that can help reduce the pain. |
Don’t be fuelish – take IAM’s advice Friday, 04/Feb/2011 Hints that the chancellor may not increase fuel duty in April is a small bit of good news for anyone who gets behind the wheel. |
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Friday, 28/Jan/2011 It’s not often these days that a car crops up I’ve never heard of, or which causes the jaw to drop. |
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Friday, 21/Jan/2011 On March 2 drivers in the area will be given the chance to understand the thinking of those of us bold enough to call ourselves ‘advanced’ motorists. |
Jensen presses all the right buttons Friday, 14/Jan/2011 Received a press release this week that revived fond memories of my motoring past. |
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Friday, 24/Dec/2010
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Friday, 17/Dec/2010 Earlier this year when Ring Automotive kindly offered Friends and Alloys six of their fab in-car power inverters you, dear readers, responded in droves. |
Prizes galore for Christmas motorists Friday, 10/Dec/2010 The great Friends and Alloys Christmas car accessories giveaway continues this week with two more great prizes to be won. |
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Friday, 03/Dec/2010 Well here it is, merry Christmas everyone. |
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Friday, 26/Nov/2010 Time to declare a personal interest. |
MAG’s message: Diesel Spills Kill Friday, 19/Nov/2010 Drivers in the region are being asked to do their bit to reduce the number of bikers injured or killed on our roads every year. |
Show leaves me feeling flat like my furniture Friday, 12/Nov/2010 There are two things every new house needs, a few sticks of furniture and an old car to put in the garage and tinker with. |
Classic Stags and a classic stage Friday, 05/Nov/2010 Great news. |
Heed advice or it could cost you ‘deer’ Friday, 29/Oct/2010 As winter draws ever closer so there’s no shortage of advice coming out of the woodwork for us drivers. |
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Friday, 29/Oct/2010 When an old TVR entered the Canham household a few years back there were plenty of ‘midlife crisis’ comments bandied about by so-called friends and, I suspect, not a few enemies. |
A ‘classic’ case of the classifieds Friday, 22/Oct/2010 Ooh er, I’m getting a bit carried away. |
Chance to view some American classic autos Friday, 15/Oct/2010 Up to 60 classic and American cars are expected to turn out on Sunday for the seventh such annual gathering at the Coast View Holiday Park, Shaldon, writes Nigel Canham. |
Kit car show is just the ticket for you Friday, 01/Oct/2010 As promised a week or two ago, Friends and alloys has a fistful of tickets to give away for this month’s Great Western Kit and Car Builder Show. |
I'd still rather rely on a map Friday, 01/Oct/2010 Time to ‘fess up, I’ve been using a sat nav. |
Trusty mopeds serve lads well on week-long adventure Friday, 24/Sep/2010 A few weeks ago we mentioned that six lads from Ashburton were preparing for a mammoth moped charity ride. |
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Friday, 10/Sep/2010 Our friends at the Footman James 10th Classic Vehicle Restoration Show and Auction have come up trumps by offering Friends and alloys readers the chance to win free tickets. |
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Friday, 10/Sep/2010 Our friends at the Footman James 10th Classic Vehicle Restoration Show and Auction have come up trumps by offering Friends and alloys readers the chance to win free tickets. |
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Friday, 03/Sep/2010 After a lot of thought Mrs C and I have put our house on the market, bringing an end to more than half a lifetime for your’s truly in the same street. |
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Friday, 13/Aug/2010 Until retirement a few weeks ago Kev Parsons had pounded the beat in Teignmouth and Dawlish for 15 years. |
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Friday, 06/Aug/2010 REGATTA. |
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Friday, 30/Jul/2010 News that the DVLA is to introduce a new look V5 registration document on August 15 got me thinking. |
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Friday, 23/Jul/2010 Experienced some interesting motoring contrasts of late. |
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Friday, 02/Jul/2010 Splashed across the nationals this week have been stories about the safety of Britain’s roads. |
No deal on those classic wheels Friday, 25/Jun/2010 Made a 320-mile round trip on Saturday to give a 1973 chrome bumper MGB the once over. |
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Friday, 11/Jun/2010 There might be a ruddy great hole in the public finances but thank goodness that, for now at least, our county’s roads are to get the bit of TLC they need following the ravages of the not-so-distant and distinctly harsh winter weather. |
Four wheels good - two wheels better? Friday, 04/Jun/2010 The 4,000 members of the Norton Owners Club would no doubt think so. |
European mini break for car club Friday, 14/May/2010 The lengths to which us car nuts will go to get our fix knows no bounds. |
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Friday, 30/Apr/2010 Sometimes the logic of an argument is so strong it blasts prejudice into oblivion. |
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Friday, 23/Apr/2010 The ‘motor for the millions’, the Austin Seven, now has its own club in the area. |
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Friday, 23/Apr/2010 The district’s historic transport fans are in for a treat this Sunday when veteran Devon General buses will once again be back on our streets. |
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Friday, 16/Apr/2010 Had a harrowing journey home from work one night last week. |
Thrills of a weekend at Thruxton Friday, 09/Apr/2010 What a great weekend at Thruxton – despite the bitter wind that swept across the Hampshire circuit from start to finish. |
Spotlight on roadside motor traders Friday, 02/Apr/2010 Cars for sale on the side of the road are to be targeted by Devon County Council’s Trading Standards Service. |
Car change – a right old carry on! Friday, 26/Mar/2010 Two weeks ago the words of Frankie Howerd’s tragi-comic character Lurcio summed up my motoring year – woe is me. |
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Friday, 12/Mar/2010 Oh woe is me, as Frankie Howerd’s Lurcio might have cried. |
5008 paints a better picture than Picasso Friday, 12/Mar/2010 Having been mightily impressed with Peugeot’s new 3008 Crossover last week the team at Blacklers suggested I also try out the new 5008, the firm’s latest seven-seat people carrier. |
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Friday, 05/Mar/2010 It would be nice to think that the editorial team at What Car?, one of Europe’s most respected motoring magazines, logs on to Friends and alloys each week to see what’s what in the world of cars. |
Be careful, considerate and correct to stay safe behind wheel Friday, 26/Feb/2010 Fresh advice is on hand for the district’s older drivers who want to stay safe behind the wheel. |
A chance to boost your mpg rating Friday, 19/Feb/2010 Great news about the Friends and Alloys Eco-driving Challenge. |
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Friday, 12/Feb/2010 Reckon you’re good at getting the last drop from every gallon? |
Has your car been the subject of a recall? Friday, 05/Feb/2010 News that Toyota has recalled almost two million cars following fears that the accelerator pedal could stick is a wake up call to all us owners, regardless of which make we drive. |
Get your free child car seat safety check Friday, 29/Jan/2010 Having become the owner of a seven-seat car, which on day two of ownership carried a number of children, my eye was caught by a free safety check offered by Devon County Council. |
VW Touran – a car to run and run Friday, 22/Jan/2010  Good to be back after a fortnight away – a fortnight with plenty of driving challenges as the big freeze struck. |
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Friday, 08/Jan/2010 So, it’s a new year and, perhaps, a new car. |
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Thursday, 31/Dec/2009 One thing my late brother Robin never lacked was the ability to make an impression. |
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Thursday, 31/Dec/2009 Great news. |
Driving down those carbon emission Friday, 04/Dec/2009 A few simple changes to our driving habits could prevent 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the skies above Devon every year, according to the county council. |
Breathe easy with an alcohol meter Friday, 27/Nov/2009 Friends and alloys has come up with a great idea for making sure the coming Christmas party season shouldn’t cost drivers their licence. |
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Friday, 20/Nov/2009 Friends and Alloys was at Westpoint on Monday to collect an award from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (see page 3). |
Please tread carefully with your tyres Friday, 13/Nov/2009 How’s your rubber? That’s not some ‘ooh, er, missus’ question but a serious point. |
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Friday, 06/Nov/2009 The search is on for Britain’s best young automotive technicians and I’d like to think we’ve a few of them in the Friends and alloys area who will be putting themselves up for the competition. |
See it all and Nigel will eat his own number plate Tuesday, 20/Oct/2009 The organiser of next month’s Footman James Autumn
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Friday, 02/Oct/2009 If the sound of nonchalant whistling was to be heard in the vicinity of the Friends and Alloys desk this week it might have had something to do with the events of last Friday. |
Parking is not a walk in the park Wednesday, 30/Sep/2009 Gulp, today’s the day for the big Institute of Advanced Motorists test. |
Do a deal now, before they scrap scrappage Friday, 18/Sep/2009 Motor trade bosses have said they are ‘bitterly disappointed’ with the news that the government’s scrappage scheme looks like it will not be extended. |
Putting the lost generation back on the map Friday, 11/Sep/2009  We’re doomed. |
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