Daisy May is still having a starter problem. The starter motor was dismantled and the armature tested. Almost certainly finally given up so we fitted another one from the starter bits store and trialled it but it too is dud. There is no short cut now and I need to steel myself to ring Daisy May's owner and tell him that a rewind is the only answer. There is only one place in this part of the world who still does rewinds and, with trepidation, I rang to check they still did and thankfully they do.

Bringing the new tractor back from East Sussex was the final straw for the truck and Gary and Ivan have spent a hard three days taking the axle off the old van we bought in for this very purpose and fitting it to the truck. On the way they have skimmed the drums, fitted new handbrake cables (brake cables on a Mercedes 410D are handed) and sorted the brakes to a point where I cannot believe how efficient the handbrake is. They also fitted the doors off the van onto the truck to replace, on the passenger side, a door with the window broken and on the driver side a door which was very difficult to open and whose window would open but not shut! This last caused problems at the Blackwall tunnel where I nearly fell out of the door hanging out precariously to pay money to the kiosk. This manoevre was further complicated by the presence of four new chickens bought in Kent who were quite keen to get out of their box at the scent of fresh air at the same time.

The new tractor is a very interesting case. The owners told me that it started beautifully but stopped after thirty minutes and wouldn't start again. It stopped for us at thirty-three minutes which was near enough. Gary knows what the problem is but is running a series of tests to confirm it. More on this later.

Apologies to everyone who was inconvenienced by the collapse of the workshop computor. Seven days computerless caused absolute chaos and one irate customer. (It says a lot for the lovely nature of Ferguson owners that everyone else was incredibly understanding when they finally managed to get me on the phone and I was able to explain.) I couldn't ring them because my phone numbers are all on the computer! Needless to say, now I have it back there are hard copies of vital info. and back-up copies in case of total melt-down. Computers!!!!

Tomorrow Gary is going to get back from working endlessly on the truck to sorting out the East Sussex tractor while Steve and I take the Suffolk one back to its very long-suffering owner. I will be in a bit before eight to finish costing out Bob's parts and getting the report and quotation off to his owner. Gary will be in just before eight as well- he suggested this new time regime which I think is great though we are supposed to finish at four and it is quarter past seven so I must go home and put my chickens to bed...

PS I meant to tell you all about Steve falling off the cliff last week - will do so tomorrow...