The People's Manifesto – an attack on 4×4 drivers !

Posted: April 15, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: 4wdni, 4x4, Belfast, car business, Government, Interesting, Northern Ireland | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Alan in Belfast talks about Mark Thomas new book, the People’s Manifesto.  Its a good post, read it.  The book looks good to, like a common sense approach to politics.

I just want to pull a few points from the book though,

“4×4 drivers should be forced to drive everywhere off-road, even to Sainsburys.”

That would sadly be illegal, most of the land (over 80% in Northern Ireland) is owned farmland and as such driving across it is trespassing.

“Anyone with a 4×4 in a city must also volunteer for the nearest mountain rescue service.”

On the UK Mainland their is such a thing as ‘The 4×4 response team’ which is a voluntary organisation and they do great work.  Sadly in Northern Ireland this does not exist and no one I spoke to in local council seemed overly bother about setting one up.

I am off course, picking holes.  I am for the 4×4 driver !  The correct 4×4 driver that is, I don’t have a 4×4 at present however when I did own one, I drove it off road.  I stopped to pull fallen tree’s from the road and I pulled car’s from ditches.  4x4s are not a bad thing however the large % of 4x4s on our roads are nothing more than cars ferrying kids to school and mums to shops and these people do not know how to drive a 4×4 correctly !

I will buy a 4×4 again and I will take it off road ! (legally)

Rant over

Russell

Making everyday an adventure

Posted: January 26, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: 21 Days, 4wdni, 4x4, Belfast, Business, Do something Now is good, events, Explorer Scouts, Extreme Scouting, Government | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Making everyday an Adventure : One of the 2008 tag lines of the UK Scouting movement and something that I try to run my life by!

Why shouldn’t everyday to be an adventure? are we so caught up in our boring live’s they we cannot do something new, different or exiting everyday ?

Right now, I’m enjoying life for what it is and not letting the doom and gloom that is a deep recesion and a useless Government get me down but rather taking the time to take the senic route to work, going on mini adventures with my wife and daugther, trying out stores that I have not been in before, trying new things and new foods etc.

Life is good, I’m good ! How are you ?

A couple of new bloggers to add to the millions …………

Posted: December 5, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: 4wdni, Do something Now is good, Explorer Scouts, Funny, Interesting | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

A couple of my Friends and fellow scouters (one is actually my brother) have lets just say ‘made light’ of the fact I have a blog and waste time writting messages for god knows who to read.  Whats the point ? Whats a blog ? Who actually reads this shite ? and just some of the questions I have been faced with.

Well I am pleased to announce that this week they have both set up wordpress blogs and both think they have something worth reading, so allow me to introduce you to Northern Ireland latest bloggers……….

Warren McQuillan, a 17 year old Scout from Lisburn (my brother) big into gaming and technology his blog can be found here .  He is still playing about with themes and trying to put together some content, but will get there.

The Second is Kai Young, a good friend, fellow scouter and the best man at my wedding.  Kai sold his a property last year and the money has been burning a whole in his pocket ever since, so he quit is job and is about to set off on his travels around Australia and dear know where else, but before he does that he is experimenting with Hydrogen as a way of making a petrol car more efficient.  Check it out here.

I hope you will give them some readership and welcome them to the wonderful world that is, blogging

Off Roading – Part One , Getting Stuck

Posted: October 13, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: 4wdni, 4x4, Extreme Scouting, Jeep, Jeep XJ, Motoring, Off Roading, Scouts | Leave a comment


I have decided rather than selling ‘ Old Faithful ‘ my old and reliable trusty Jeep that I am going to do a few modifications and do with it as Jeep intended, Off Road the baby !

The annoying thing about off roading in a 4×4 is that, although they are in theory built to take the abuse they do need some work for that ‘Go Anywhere’ experience, as I found out the hard way !!

At Present, Old Faithful is completely standard and I have tackled a few not to tricky off road courses, all has went pretty ok (apart from I can really see the benefit of off road tyres as my bus slips and slides its away about the hills getting not much grip at all) until Saturday when I got myself a wee bit stuck …….


The lift on the car was not enough as the wheels dug down in the mud, the center of the car touched earch and perched me right there, I remember reading on one of the forums if this happened, simply grab your Hi-Lift jack, Jack her up, dig out the earth and drive on. Great, except I dont own a high lift Jack, but a phone call to a good friends and hey ho, I got one fairly quickly.

With in about an hour, we had Old Faithful dug out and back on the road, in need of a serious bath !

All in all a great days craic, and a list of modification I know I will need if I am to take this seriously and protect my Jeep !

* Off Road Tyres
* 2/3 inch lift
* Flood lights, Front and Back (for night driving)
* Rock Sliders, all round the car for protection.
And thats just for starters, watch this space !