Now let me explain the “Future Mrs Hardy” concept. This is a position that indicates I like someone in “that way” but they must be unobtainable and have a strong sense of humour. The current holder of the post fulfils these criteria wonderfully; Intelligent, attractive, ludicrously young, a sharp of humour and what I take to be failing eyesight.

Last night I had what I thought was a good evening, bravely fighting the corrosive effects of drink I was (in my unbiased estimation!) occasionally amusing, listened well and near the end of the evening gained the FMHs phone number, I mean, what could go wrong…

I’m not going to say exactly what went wrong but suffice to say drunks should have their fingers removed to prevent embarrassing late night texting issues occurring.

Impressed, I don’t think so!

Just recently I took it in to Hastings Motorcycles for new tires and a 24,000 mile service. One of the things I asked for was adjusting the tappets.

When I picked up the bike they said that they had checked the tappets and “surprisingly” they did need adjustment.

And low and behold I now have what appears to be a new bike, there is no pinking at all.

Now this may seem like more Coopers bashing but why the hell didn’t they check this before they sold it to me, it was second hand but buying even a second hand BMW from a dealer is not cheap. Dealers have the equipment, the skills and one would assume greater knowledge of the marque they are selling than anyone else but they appear to not give a shit.

To be honest I have only myself to blame; in my early twenties I read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” and it warns against motorcycle dealers, particularly mechanics (and, as I recall, all people) who don’t care about the quality of what they do. I have still got this touching faith that most people are not like that but slowly I am being proved wrong.

Engine after service by modern commercial mechanic

I will, at great personal sacrifice, go down Poor Boys to see how he’s taking it.

The good news is that early poll research, me and Keith down the Sea Angling Club, indicate a landslide for our boy Andy Dumas. So tomorrow morning I expect to awake in a world were the sun shines all the time, we are all nice to each other and digital cameras are free.

Andy Dumas turned out to be every bit as good as his pamphlet, in fact a lot better. He was originally an American born in Dallas, Texas and to be honest it’s worth spending and evening at his bar just listening to his stories from that period of his life.

As a potential councilor he was a complete revelation; encyclopedic knowledge of Hastings combined with common sense, the classic American “can do” attitude and a sense of humor, whats not to like?

I spent a couple of hours at Poor Boys talking to him and others around the bar (its that  sort of place) and not once was he evasive or in any way like the classic politician we have come to know and loath in this country.

He is taking on Godfrey Daniels in the election. I have met Godfrey once, my abiding memory of that occasion was, after hearing my opinion that we should strengthen democracy by having many more referendums he said, with the tone of a kindly school master, “Steve, that would be too expensive”. Within a short period of time his party was spending billions “bringing democracy to Iraq” against the obvious wishes of the majority of his fellow citizens. He was a nice man but that remark alone summons up the patrician attitude of the rulers who always know best.

Back to Andy, hes got my vote and I suggest if you’re interested in voting, and you should be, you get down to Poor Boys and check him out in the flesh – democracy and drinking, you know it makes sense!

Andy Dumas, the man, his bar and a snack.