It’s a rare opportunity to have your own 24-hour race track available free and on demand.
The M25 London orbital motorway is 40 this year but when the first section between South Mimms and Potters Bar opened it was the road to nowhere. The spotless concrete runway was largely deserted until the rest of the motorway linked up to became part of the world’s first circular car park.
The Junction 23-24 section was the ideal place to hammer down the three-lane, traffic-free curve for 2.6 miles, pushing my Ford Cortina MkI “Shadowfax” to its limits to the smell of hot tyres and engine oil.
Then it was slow into the roundabout at each end and back down the opposite carriageway, timing each run.
Of course, this needed music, Bat Out Of Hell, Born To Be Wild, Deep Purple’s Burn, Speed King.
Later I used the same section as a baby soother. If my daughter wasn’t sleeping I’d strap her into the child seat and drive – gently – up and down. She went out like a light but still knows the words to Bat Out Of Hell.

LONDON-on-Sea hosted its first film and comic convention last week. Thousands turned up dressed as sci-fi and fantasy characters. But this is Brighton. They blended in perfectly.

HAD a scam email from a Texan lady sergeant in the US Army in Afghanistan offering to split $10.5million cash from an oil deal. She’s had it smuggled to safety by the Red Cross and UN via diplomatic cover through Jordan. My cut is 40 per cent. This woman has a great future writing thrillers.

THE John Lewis Christmas TV advert has created its usual seasonal frenzy. Who is this old guy alone on the moon? My best guess is he was dumped there decades ago after a particularly wild stag night party. https://youtu.be/wuz2ILq4UeA

I STILL hesitate to use cloud storage. Do you stash your photos of happy memories in fluffy white clouds and stormy times in Cumulonimbus?

IN case I forgot to mention, all five of my DANNY LANCASTER crime thrillers are still available for just 99p each on Amazon. Taste the sample chapters on my website.

www.billtodd.co.uk
bill@billtodd.co.uk
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GUNNER: My dad’s war diary – all proceeds to a military charity
UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LGSZQTU – only 99p
US: www.amazon.com/dp/B00LGSZQTU – only $1.52