A purely practical interlude

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

As an admirer of William Morris, I of course want to attempt to make this blog useful as well as beautiful, as far as is humanly possible. I think I have been a bit airy fairy lately with all the photographs of flowers and leaves and evening light and all, so here is a quick, bracing burst of pure utility.

I have a new car. Not new new, of course, but just a little bit second hand, and an entire different animal from the 15 year old rust bucket I have been motoring about in. (A rust bucket with a three litre engine, but held together with baling twine nonetheless.) You can imagine how thrilled I am to have something which does not rattle. But with rights come responsibilities, and there is the ragingly dull matter of insurance and thing. The nice people at Audi had set up temporary insurance which ran out today, so I had to do some practical business involving the telephone, my least favourite of all tasks, especially since it included hunting down errant pieces of vital paper.

Anyway, I finally got through to my insurer, after some minutes of distorted Mozart, and expected stratospheric prices and certain complications. Here my expectations were dashed. The matter could not be more straightforward; it was instantly done; I had to fill in no forms nor send anything through the post; AND the quote was a hundred of my Scottish pounds lower than the Audi people.

So, for any driving Britons out there I pass on the recommendation for Privilege Insurance. Despite their rather annoying ads, they are quick, helpful, efficient, polite and have rock bottom prices. I have only ever had one claim, when I borrowed my sister's car due to the rattler rattling too much for comfort, and I misjudged the length of the trailer hitch, to my crashing embarrassment. It was dealt with kindly and swiftly, with no rancour or blame to compound my shame, and they let me keep my no claims bonus. For that, they shall forever have a place in my heart.

There: utility.

Actually, I realise now, crashingly dull. So sorry about that. I think tomorrow I shall go back to the flowers and the swallows.