All in a good cause.

16 years ago I commenced my mid-life crisis period. So I indulged myself with purchase of a MG Midget - something I'd coveted since riding in a '77 BGT in Racing Green - the Queen's Jubilee edition - when I was a teenager. And indeed borrowing a mate's Midget (also in BRG) to impress my then friend, soon to become girlfriend (and now my wife), spinning it and her around Manchester, spectacularly uninsured but as a student my ignorance in these matters would have been my defence.

Since buying my Midget - a black 1975 1500 rubber-bumper - she's been cherished, much repaired and improved (at huge cost) and kept dry in a garage, driven on dry, sunny days only when I've had the free time, of which there have been precious few in the last decade and a half. A total of 6,500 miles-worth of those days as it happens.

Since moving here 4 years ago, she's been tucked up in our 1.5x sized garage, and I've installed small elements of woodworking machinery around her. She's been regularly showered with wood shavings from the lathe, sawdust from the chop saw and also, dare I say it, been 'in the way' when I've needed space to work on bigger pieces.

So the time had come to pass her on to another MG-lover, and try to use my space better for my woodworking hobby. Hence it was with tears in both our eyes that she was carted off (to South Wales) on a low loader a couple of weeks ago, and to her 14th owner, who I'm sure will love her as I have done.

Meanwhile at the cottage time has not been wasted in developing the workshop.

New bench and a bigger lathe, to accompany the smaller bench lathe.

And the sky is now the limit, with commissions coming at me thick and fast.