This morning was our Pledge Day at church - the  day on which we were invited to commit ourselves to support in whatever way we are able, and is appropriate for us, the next phase of a huge project we are exploring.

It felt like it went pretty well - the collage of stickers on which we'd drawn ourselves "we are the church" looked amazing and reflected our diversity superbly well.  We sang some beautiful songs and hymns, old and new, chosen by me and chosen by our MD and they all blended perfectly.

Two songs I used were particualrly remarked upon, which made me smile as they were two songs I'd learned whilst working with a Catholic church in Swinton... and one of them is actually from Iona...

Whoever we are, whatever we are able to offer, we can do so in this spirit.

All ages, all abilities, all shapes and sizes, several dogs, a few wheelchairs and several pushchairs

Along roadside, riverside, canalside, pondside and parkside

With drivers 'tooting' their horns in support and people watching from windows as the stream of yellow flowed by

Walking with a friend who was a 'late entrant' in a very super time of 2 hours 10 mins (and given it took five minutes to go the first hundred yards or so...)

A very happy day, and a lot of fun.  Amazingly, despite not having sought any sponsors, I have doubled the target set by the charity... that makes me extremely happy.

Having made my decision (pretty quickly in the end) that Saxo will go to the eternal car park via a charitable donation, and that I will probably subscribe to the local 'car club' on the basis that they have several cars in reasonable walking distance, and that I can use public transport or taxis for local stuff, I feel strangely liberated.  Almost, it feels, as liberated as when I first owned a car and could go where I wanted, when I wanted to get there.

Of course there are implications of not having a car - but nothing insurmountable.

... or stirling anyway.

I think I have found Saxo's final resting place... a company that scraps dead cars for charity... how brilliant is that?

All being well I can do this when I get back from my hols and she will bring hope to someone through her demise :-)

... for my trusty twelve year old Saxo

A spectacular MOT fail - i.e. a whole page of stuff plus advisories - meaning that it (she) is now beyond economic repair.

Fortunately I can keep her off road legally until I decide her ultimate fate... garage reckoned I do better to trade in that scrap but a lot of thinking needed before I'd buy another car given I only do around 1500 miles a year (which is half the problem)

Well done good and faithful Saxo, may you Rust in Peace