Dear LPG,

I have recently become a 70–something aged pensioner and I do drive which is not really unusual these days, but I have a little story to tell with a moral.

I can imagine that sometimes there is a gap between when you send an article to LPG and when it actually gets posted on line, so I want to start by saying that this happened to me in early November 2018.  It was quite warm for the time of year although, after the really hot summer we had it was beginning to get a bit colder and  it was actually the day that I put the radiators on for the first time that year.

I had just tucked myself in for the night when I got a telephone call. It appeared that my niece found herself on the outskirts of Lewisham with her car broken down and she was waiting for the RAC breakdown service, but they said it could be two hours and she wanted someone to talk to.  I thought it would be a good idea to drive up there and keep her company in person. 

I did find her about half an hour later, but before I left it had occurred to me to make a flask of tea and take a pack of biscuits to keep us company.  I did not have to go to her but when I got there the drink was really welcome and again  I realised how unprepared we are for getting stuck in a car in the middle of a cold winter’s night and how easily we can find ourselves in that situation.

So while it is important to be prepared for the car’s welfare (with our spare bottle of anti-freeze, tow rope, and a few tools)  the self-preservation kit needs to be remembered too,  so  I have resolved to always have something to eat, and a bottle or two of water in the car boot as well as the jump leads.

When I got home I took a look on line to see what advice Google could offer on the subject and, even though some of the advice given could be thought of as a bit extreme for the UK,  I think that I found a fair amount of very relevant information which I thought I should pass on. 

I would guess the weather will be a lot colder by now so, if you have not given this one a thought yet, it is worth being prepared.  It could even be snowing by now…

TS, Dulwich

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