Self-indulgent extravagances

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tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
All this chat of Alfas has reminded me of my old metalwork teacher at secondary school who bought a new Nissan Sunny (always in white) at the start of each year and always said the same thing each year when talking about it - "I fancied an Alfa Romeo but just thought I would be better off with a Sunny!" Obviously he must have appreciated his Nissan's reliability.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
All this chat of Alfas has reminded me of my old metalwork teacher at secondary school who bought a new Nissan Sunny (always in white) at the start of each year and always said the same thing each year when talking about it - "I fancied an Alfa Romeo but just thought I would be better off with a Sunny!" Obviously he must have appreciated his Nissan's reliability.

Can’t be that reliable if he had to buy a new one every year.
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
Can’t be that reliable if he had to buy a new one every year.

Not so much nowadays but years ago it wasn't unusual for people to buy a brand new car every year here. It was a case of trying to impress the neighbours with your nice new number plate which clearly shows the year so loads of people with good jobs would have placed an order in December for a new car so they could register it ASAP in the new year to show off.
 
Oh, and really good quality art supplies.

Cheap paints, pencils, inks, brushes and paper are either frustrating or a false economy. Or both, sometimes. It's worth spending money to buy the best, as painting and drawing then becomes a pleasure.

I'm currently doing a pen & wash study of a Chevron B38 Formula 3 car.
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
Not so much nowadays but years ago it wasn't unusual for people to buy a brand new car every year here. It was a case of trying to impress the neighbours with your nice new number plate which clearly shows the year so loads of people with good jobs would have placed an order in December for a new car so they could register it ASAP in the new year to show off.

Apart from the only new registration date was 1st August wasn't it?
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
I bought a "Back to School" pack of 25 pencils from Office World a few years ago. It was suspiciously cheap with good reason. Every single lead was broken at 4mm intervals, as I quickly discovered with a pencil sharpener (and growing frustration).

Now I buy Faber Castell 3H pencils that cost over a quid a pop. Worth every penny.
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
Apart from the only new registration date was 1st August wasn't it?

I remember as a kid getting excited in August and going out to see who could spot the new cars. Somehow it seems to have lost its appeal as I've got older...
 
I bought a "Back to School" pack of 25 pencils from Office World a few years ago. It was suspiciously cheap with good reason. Every single lead was broken at 4mm intervals, as I quickly discovered with a pencil sharpener (and growing frustration).

Now I buy Faber Castell 3H pencils that cost over a quid a pop. Worth every penny.

Faber Castell pencils are the dogs danglies.

You're probably buying the 9000 range. I have a few of those (HB & B) and some of their Polychromos ones, but I have the entire range of their Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils - I treated myself to the big tin during first lockdown as they were on offer on Amazon. They're pretty well much the best colour pencils money can buy.

If I can't get Faber Castell graphite pencils or artists pens, then the Staedtler ones are a good alternative.
 

Chislenko

Veteran
All this chat of Alfas has reminded me of my old metalwork teacher at secondary school who bought a new Nissan Sunny (always in white) at the start of each year and always said the same thing each year when talking about it - "I fancied an Alfa Romeo but just thought I would be better off with a Sunny!" Obviously he must have appreciated his Nissan's reliability.

He could have had the best of both worlds..

An Alfa Romeo ARNA.

ARNA stood for Alfa Romeo Nissan Alliance

They also produced the same car badged as the Nissan Cherry Europe.

Both the ARNA and the Cherry Europe were basically a Datsun Cherry body with a flat four Alfasud engine in it.
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
I recall at least 3 brand new (Aug 1st) company cars I had. I must admit to feeling smug while taking the long way home ^_^

I used to have a new company car every three years, back then we used to get a two thirds reduction on company car tax if we did over 18000 business miles, plus the company gave us fuel cards.

These days a company car is a car you don’t really want but have to pay for!
 
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