It's getting to that time of year when the tabloids begin to warn us that world-ending snowstorms are heading straight for the UK, and that travel chaos is bound to follow. Last year the buzzword was Arctic Plunge. The year before? Arctic Blast. This time around, they seem to have settled on 'Weather Bomb' which, though it sounds as if it is perhaps a bit far-fetched, is remarkably a real meteorological term (explosive cyclogensis if we're getting technical).
Like any right-minded person, I don't put much faith in the headlines. But it does make me worry about my classic which, unlike my previous cars, will be forced to spend the winter months cowering under an impossibly hopeless (yet unfeasibly expensive) car cover at the back of my flat.
Last year ROE 163M was tucked-up safe and sound in a lock-up, which meant that it was easy to declare its SORN, stick it on axle stands and ride out the worst of the weather. This time around, though, I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth all the hassle of keeping it off the road. It's going to get wet anyway, and it may do more harm than good not being run for months on end.
So I find myself on the cusp of throwing caution to the wind and taxing the old girl for another six months. It'll mean that I can drive it when there isn't too much salt on the roads, which should not only keep it running sweetly, but I will also be able to enjoy an early morning Sunday blast – and they're the best.
Who knows, I might even take it out for a run if we have a particularly heavy snowfall.
