Right, sit down time!
Firstly thanks for all the advice, its really appreciated. I'll try and go through things in order!
Only car is the aim. But, I am giving my 4x4 to my better half, she currently has a polo on lease that will finish in April, I plan to pay it off and sell it, so we have that as a back up for desperate need I suppose, or a trusty mercedes 190e. We will also have the 4x4 for long non road trip journeys. I appreciate the reliability worry, I have been running a Land Rover product for the last 3 years so maybe I am a glutton for punishment! I do need a partially dependable car, but to be honest (as you will know DocNik) I always aim to get into work about an hour earlier than required so if all did go wrong I would still be ok. And yes, after being in a stuffy hospital all day, it would be great to get a hit of fresh air no matter how cold, good for the spirit (apart from when I pass the milking sheds)
Which brings us onto my commute. It is currently just under 12 miles of superb roads, one 2 mile duel stretch that is very tame and steep but the rest is lanes (warning sign "severe hairpin bends for 1 mile at one point) and the roads are well lit, even on the lane close to home. Snow could be a bugger, but I think if it is for everything, I could always pop a winter tyre on the back, they are miracle workers.
Keeping warm with be a learning process, I used to race off road enduro bikes so know how cold things can get, after reading through on here, I like the idea of giving the better half a heated blanket and wrapping myself up (and filling gaps with tape and silicone)
I will keep reading back through the forum (currently on page 28) to pick up as much as possible. Its a tough one, the sensible head says be sensible, put the money in premium bonds, but god it's a long life and may as well live a little!
Tom
