'Agatha Christie' week. The mystery deepens at CCM

‘In the corner of the workshop, Olli Ragbin sits watching events unfold before him’

What a turnaround a week brings. There’s been a sharp frost most mornings but the skies are blue and the air crisp. The lark is on the wing and the snail is on the thorn. Is it spring yet? Feels like it, even if BoJo still has us with hatches battened, masks on and keeping distances social.

The CCM workshop doesn’t stop though. It’s light and airy, well ventilated with plenty of space for the techs to weave their magic. Eric & Siobhan are masked-up in the office fielding calls, haranguing suppliers, chatting to customers and all the while giving words of wisdom and guidance to the techs when the need arises.

On Wednesday though, without warning, the atmosphere changes. A palpable tension can almost be tasted in the air. Dr Ray has spotted an oil leak underneath his box-fresh Yamaha DT175. Good Lord. A lightening inspection of his favourite patient reveals, well, not much. Cardboard is lovingly placed below the weeping DT by the nervous Doctor.

Meanwhile in a far corner of the workshop, Justin spanners a classic, whilst gently sniggering. Young Christopher is making no eye contact with anyone at all. Odd.

Half an hour later and Dr Ray has a quiet work with Eric.

‘I think we have a problem with my patient’.

Eric and Dr Ray investigate.

‘Mmmmm’ says Eric. 'Curious'.

Instead of lending a hand, Eric bimbles toward the office.

‘Load up the CCTV’ he says to Siobhan. What’s he playing at?

Sure enough, the grainy footage reveals, not a leaking DT175, but a CCM technician going rogue. The unmistakable form of ‘Tech A’ (it wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal his/her identity), can be seen squirting oil beneath Dr Ray’s beloved DT.

‘Gotcha’ says Eric quietly under his breath.

I can’t publish a pic of the above shambles as Dr. Ray is insisting on an identity parade and a lie test. When we’ve got through that, we’ll run the tapes.

Whilst that little mystery is being resolved we have the first of this week’s beauty parade to discuss.

Land Rover. An iconic British brand. Old and new graced CCM, one with an emergency steering rack fix needed, the other being prepped for a visit to Normandy. A motorcycle oil-stain removal kit to the first person to write in guessing which one is which.

Last week we learned that Eric had ‘invested’ in classic himself. A beautiful Rover P5. He’s sent me more photos and keeps talking about it. Ingrid says she is sure that she heard him muttering something about ‘leather restoration’ in his sleep. It doesn’t surprise me. He proudly showed me the spare speedo that came with his new pride and joy. The combined total mileage on both old and new speedo is around 3k….which is astounding for a specimen of this age (the car, not Eric).

Eric was bitten by the bug many many years ago. There is no known cure.

CCM is a tight-knit family. Both the young Collins’ can be seen working for the family firm. Siobhan this week helping with the puzzle that was a Range Rover air-suspension pump re-build (which young Chris took on) and Izzi getting serious with the planning of upgrades she wants to do to her Mk 6 2005 Fiesta.

I remember being her age and having similar dreams with my own car. Mine was however significantly lower down the cool wall than Izzi’s. There is only so much you can do with a 1973 Marina. Especially when it’s been hand-painted orange. You could see the brush marks. I wouldn’t bet my life against it not being household paint. I was not to be put-off though and proudly drove that car around in all its gloss orange-ness until it suffered terminal failure on account of it being a complete bin.

Izzi’s car on the other hand is much worthier of her dreams than the Marina was of mine. It’s great to see this sort of interest in cars from the new generation. Puts a genuine smile on the faces of everyone.

The lovely Riley and a J4 van were being readied for paint this week.

We’ve got a great relationship with the gang at C&S Coachworks (https://candscoachworks.co.uk/), neighbours to CCM. Their work is literally immaculate and they’ve always got something interesting in. I spied a gorgeous modern DB11 on my way home last week and in the workshop they had this fabulous Jensen Interceptor with a rumbly V8 from a Lexus!

The picture doesn’t do the paintwork justice. Glossy depth you could literally swim in.

Another MG this week, a midget with an old dynamo and regulator which needed coaxing into life. We were hoping to grab a shot with her proud owner but couldn’t quite in time, so here is the old girl on her lonesome.

A big thank you to Justin and Young Chris for the work on my Range Rover (an almost permanent resident at the moment). Front shocks and a fixed air-suspension pump and she’s ‘driving like a Bentley’ according to Eric. It’s true. The difference is amazing. I do love the Rangey but wish it was a bit more like Izzi’s Fiesta in terms of running costs.

I’ll finish this week with a bit of shameless self-publicity. My role at CCM is, as you know, both storage and supply or rags of many dimensions. This week however the team have given me a couple of more responsible jobs. I really think they are starting to trust me. Siobhan has asked me to source some tartan paint which I’m about to crack on with. First though Justin has sent me for a long stand. I’m still waiting for that, but once it arrives I’ll get onto the paint. Oh, and the glass hammer that Dr Ray says he needs for something or other. Not sure I’ll have time to get Eric’s sky-hooks today mind.

Stay safe people and we’ll see you next week.

Ollie

(ps.. better put a pic in here of this 'lil looker...... if I don't someone is going to get the raging hump I tell ya. Naming no names)

((#Eric))