Radio, goats, stars, weasels

T and I went down to south Somerset and Devon yesterday to appear on a radio show - this is the station on which we're going to have a regular slot, if all goes to plan.

You can find it here:
http://nettalkradio.co.uk/public/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=20

Not sure how you log into it, though! We were on the morning show, which I think is going to be repeated this morning from 10 -12. It was good fun. Ross works out of his attic, which is in a barn conversion in a little village. We were assisted by his lovely assistant Lulu, who is a chocolate-coloured half Burmese: first time I've been on radio with a cat on my lap. (We'll be on next Friday evening as well, on a show called 'Now THAT'S Weird!' Such is my life).

After this we went to a local pub called the Globe, which does very good food and is decorated in a slightly haphazard 30s theme, with old railway posters - the kind of thing that is clearly someone's obsession rather than an interior designer's imposed whim.

From here, we then went over the border into Devon to visit some friends who live on a smallholding in a steep vale near the Exe Valley. Beautiful countryside at this time of year, with golden hedges of beech and hazel. L and W have two little goats, who were much shyer than Lulu (they were like mad maiden aunts: 'Oooh, look, Tansy, there's a MAN! A horrid man! Ooh, don't go near him, dear, you don't know what he might do.' 'But he has ivy leaves, dear. I wonder if one went just a little closer...' She snatched the leaves from T's hand and ran away, quite overcome).

We also checked out L and W's homemade solar panels, constructed out of an old radiator, painted black, in a glass box. Powers several lights. I was impressed.

Also we saw a weasel undulating across the main road, and on the way home, a shooting star, glowing down over the black expanse of the Somerset Levels.

Car query

Anyone out there drive a Jeep Cherokee? I drove a Jeep for a bit in New York State some years ago and got on well with it, but does the thing have any besetting problems?

Same question for the Land Rover Freelander. I got warned off these the other night by a friend, and an ominous sentence involving the words 'head gasket' was uttered. But I'd welcome input.

Yes, there is a reason. The meta-reason is called 'eating crow', for anyone who has heard my views on the phenomenon of what on this side of the Pond is known as the Chelsea Tractor.

More car

Thanks to everyone for their input on vehicles - this is really useful.

We had a look at the Jeep and I took it out for a drive. We're probably going to go for it. It's an automatic (I'm used to a stick shift) but the brakes aren't as fierce as the last automatic I drove, which nearly put me through the windscreen. This car is 10 years old, and the cost is £2350, but they're going to take off several hundred in part exchange.

The guy who is selling it confirmed the doubts about the Freelander. He says that they're basically pretty crappy cars, although he is very pleased with the LR Discovery that he's driving. We need something robust - I drive a tiny Ford KA at the moment, which is fine for zipping around towns, but not so good here in the country. As someone else said, I do have to move hay bales and a lot of stuff for the shop, and we live in an area where many of the roads sit on peat - this means that the road surface literally changes from day to day, and to say that it's a bit bumpy is like saying that the moon has a few potholes.

So we have an appointment on Monday to sort all this out and from next week I am likely to be driving an American car. T is very pleased - he thinks highly of US motors.