There was a point tonight when I turned left at a set of crossroads, having congratulated myself for timing it so I didn't have to stop for the lights, and then the car stalled. That was the point where I decided I need a new car.

Mine's nineteen next month and I keep telling people that there's nothing wrong with it, except what I, the people who broke into it, and the pheasant did to it. Except when the petrol hose sprang a leak.

It would be nice to have a car that starts immediately when I turn the key and has pedals I can reach. Everything else is optional except I'd really like to not have a fifth gear, except I don't think you get a choice on that. Although I'd quite like power steering or a less heavy wheel because I don't think it's doing much for my right wrist.

Except the car doesn't like the rain. In normal dry conditions there's a certain speed you can lift the clutch up after you've stopped and beyond that it'll stall. In the wet it'll stall a when you do it a lot slower. So I'd worked that much out and thought I'd be fine tonight. I already knew that if you go along in first gear without a foot on the gas or clutch it's not happy, but that's only really applicable in queues. Tonight I turned at the crossroads at a speed that was quite slow for second but would have been fine in the dry. Not in the wet.

Since I'm taxing it this month and MOTing it next month that's what I'll be saving up for for next year. Maybe I'll hate driving a bit less with a car that goes better, you never know. I won't hold my breath though.