Chapter 14: Don’t Forget About Raymond                                           29.12.2022

Over the past few weeks there has not been much to write about. Raymond has carried on working like a trooper throughout a month of very low temperatures. For the most part, Raymond has been a solid companion on the drive to and from work. So, I thought I would treat Raymond to a nice clean-up. A good hour with some warm soapy water and a sponge got him looking all lovely. I then thought I would give him a rest for a bit as he has been working really hard over the past few months. This, however, would be a mistake, because when I came back to Raymond, he was not well.

Firstly, he was as dead as a Dodo, nothing was working, so we needed to get him on the life support instantly and get that battery charging. Whilst waiting for Raymond to burst into life, I opened the tailgate to get something from the back and suddenly I felt the weight of the top half crash into the top of my skull. The gas struts that usually hold up the tailgate had given up and the price for this was a lump on my head. Maybe Raymond shouldn’t be left alone for any more extended periods.

I took him to work once he was charged up and got the gas struts replaced so that he was back to a healthy L322 again… well apart from the ongoing battery issue… but other than that, smooth sailing.

Chapter 13: The Cold Front Hits                                                                                       25.11.2022

This week in the UK the temperatures have plummeted below 0°C hitting as low as -6°C. Monday morning and I go to get in Raymond and he is completely frozen over. I got in the car and turned on whatever heater I could find: windscreen, seats, steering wheel to try and warm myself and Raymond up. When I finally set off, I was lovely and toasty inside but outside was a different story. The roads were white and like ice rinks, however Raymond handled those slippy roads like they were glue, not sliding once.

Tuesday was the coldest day so without a moment of hesitation all of those heaters were back on making Raymond heaven. The drive was once again sublime, however this is Raymond, so something had to go wrong. Once I was parked up, I went to open the door and nothing happened. I locked and then unlocked the door a few times trying to open the door with each attempt. I thought to myself that it must be the weather and perhaps the mechanism had seized up. I called over to a passing colleague to try the door from the other side, hoping that it was just the inner door handle, but no luck, Raymond had locked me in. I got up and shuffled across to the passenger seat and tried the other door and thankfully with a little persuasion the door opened. Later on, we went to inspect what had happened but lo and behold, nothing was wrong anymore, all the doors were working fine. I think the workshop technicians think I’m losing the plot, with all these issues that ‘solve’ themselves.

The rest of the week Raymond, surprisingly behaved himself, dealing with the tumultuous weather like a champion. Despite the little hiccup near the start of the week, it is times like this when owning a L322 has its benefits and makes me one happy driver.