NeilMH

I have no idea why but my handbrake has always been fine and it's parked on quite a steep slope.

Have fun ... I think it's more of a laugh doing it all on a budget......no pressure or expectations.

I can only wish you all the best with it. The spine is complex and there are issues relating to pain "referred" to or from other parts of the body and no doubt your other injuries affect your posture and movement. The only hopeful thing I can say is that at one stage my wife was almost "written-off" as a basket case (having been housebound for 10 months in one particular year) and now she has a reasonable life within certain limits. Good luck.

Look forward to more updates.

Beautifully put. It's bad enough to have had suffered this problem....the last thing you need is then to give yourself a hard time. There are plenty of people who wouldn't dream of doing half the things you take on routinely. One of my male relations gets into a tizzy just driving to Sainsburys in Wallington....so if the scale of challenge/ambition/achievement is, say, 1 to 100 you are probably still in the top quartile.

My wife tried: - 6 weeks at Unsted Park rehabilitation Centre - Osteopaths - Chiropractors - 1 Month as an in-patient at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery - Acupuncture and Electric Acupuncture - Reflexology, Faith Healer - Steroid injections - 2 Operations However, the things that have changed her life for the better have been having a a very expert Physiotherapist (these are rare when it comes to the spine), swimming and Pilates. Having said that I know that some of the above list have worked on other people.

+1 My wife still has a major problem but she has at least 50% of a normal life now (and improving) because we eventually found a fantastic surgeon and then, in turn, a brilliant physio who actually understands the physiology of the spine, and then an excellent Pilates instructor who worked with the Physio....plus swimming which has now increased to over 180 lengths a week. As it happens the surgeon said that she should't have any more surgery (she had a very early Graf stabilisation) but his detailed analysis of the problem was critical. All our contacts are in and around London though.

Sorry to hear this Dan. Years ago I used to do proper rock climbing and now I don't even like looking over the escalators in the Shopping Centre and I have no idea why. I'm sure there is a proper professional answer but for now my immediate thought is that the idea of the trip is for you to enjoy yourself. If I was me I think I would plan an alternative route....eg. the coastal routes ... where you get some rise and fall and beautiful scenery but without stuff like the Picos de Europas. You can go along the coast across Northern Spain (Comillas, Santander etc) and round the corner to Biarritz, which is a great place. That road cuts round the side of the Pyrenees. Good luck. It's not a competition... it's a holiday....and good on you for having the guts to be open about it. You're not the only one.

DE is related to the engine code...it's the earlier variant.

Excellent

HFCs +1

Following with interest. We will be driving down to Tarragona in about 3 weeks time. Proper traffic lights in Gibraltar

Certainly looks worth a look to me.

I'm lost for words. Well done guys

He is about the only one you won't come across at the moment Enjoying the "jaunt"

+1

Anytime you want to pop round for a nose your more than welcome Thanks Dave - I'll take you up on that offer sometime

Congratulations....I love the XF Having failed dismally with my last tin-top purchase, the XF is high up on the list to try later this year.