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Air conditioning for Cars
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Postscript - Interesting Rubbish
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We service, troubleshoot, repair and recharge the airconditioning systems of cars and other vehicles.
We concentrate only on the air conditioning system although we are occasionally forced to stray into heater problems if that is affecting the AC. Similarly we sometimes need to look for electrical faults if they are preventing the correct operation of the AC system.
We do not dabble with Refrigeration or with the airconditioning of buildings of any kind. We are pure specialists in the aircon of vehicles whether they be cars, trucks, combine harvesters, agricultural tractors, coaches or plant.
We specialize to the extent that we do not even get involved in new installations of AC into cars - only the diagnosis of problems, and the repair and recharging of existing systems. If however you need a new system added to your car, with our experience we may be able to direct you to a suitable source - we are happy to offer advice where we are able. Please call Jenny on the booking number below, she will call me on my mobile if she needs further guidance
Hints, tips and information on car airconditioning - F A Q's
Rather than put a few answers to Frequently Asked Questions at this point, may I point you to a website entirely devoted to information on aircon in cars. This site rambles on a bit but it answers many questions and there is loads of information on many aspects of this subject. There are no adverts or pop-ups to annoy you and there is a return link to bring you back to this site if you should wish to do so.
So click on this link for about 18 pages of information which may help you to run your system more effectively, to give you an insight into what is going on under the bonnet in the AC department and may also even allow a little self-diagnosis if your AC system is making funny noises or is not up to scratch.
Problems with your auto airconditioning? - The Area we cover
If you require service we may be able to help if you are in south east England or strangely in France or Spain (see main heading for France and Spain below).
Our normal service area is from South East London, to the south of the River Thames going eastwards into Kent as far as Faversham, then south to Ashford, west to Royal Tunbridge Wells right near the border with Sussex, north east to Croydon and then north into London again as far as the Congestion Charging Zone border, keeping the A23 as our general westerly border although in London keeping to the SE Postal codes, not the SW. In other words, much of the county of Kent and a little of SE London although we do occasionally sneak into Surrey, Sussex or Essex when requested and if time permits, but not usually during the spring/summer. During the busier warmer months of the year we are not able to service the extremities of our area every day but would even then, cover the area more than once each week.
Post Codes for the area we cover in the summer time:-
All of the following codes -
BR - Bromley
DA - Dartford
CR - Croydon
ME - Medway
SE - SE London except addresses within the Congestion Charging Zone
Then the following specific Tunbridge Wells codes - TN1, TN2, TN3, TN4, TN9, TN10, TN11, TN12, TN13, TN14, TN15, TN16, TN17, TN18, TN23, TN24, TN25, TN26, TN27, TN30
If you are outside our normal operating area please click just below then on one of the general areas listed where we hope to suggest to you another aircon technician who covers that territory and who may be able to help.
Click here to go to our suggestions
If you have been sufficiently wise to have your aircon system looked at before the normal summer rush and if you are only just outside our normal range it may be worth e-mailing me as sometimes at this time of the year we have the time to venture a little further afield
We aim to keep the aircon of your car going as well as it was designed to go. Apart from all regular British, European and Far Eastern vehicles from say an Aston Martin to a Hyundai Atoz, we see the occasional Rolls Royce or Bentley and we regularly service American cars, both classic and modern and also niceties such as Ferrari and Porsche and occasionally Lamborghini or DeLaurean. Over the past few months we have seen a number of beautifully renovated old classics, perhaps more than usual, a selection of these are:- a 1968 Maserati Mexico, a 1977 Bristol 603 S2, a 1977 Aston Martin V8, a 1968 Rolls Shadow II, a 1986 Daimler Double Six, a 1972 Jenson Interceptor III, an Aston Martin DB4 Superleggera and a 1937 Rolls Phantom III (with a later AC system). Not only old vehicles - occasionally we are asked to investigate brand new vehicles, cars and trucks, which for one reason or another have left the manufacturers with the AC not performing correctly.
We come to your home or business with our vans specially equipped for AC service. As a result you don't need to waste time but can just contiue with what you were doing prior to our arrival whilst we get on with the job. If you prefer to watch - that's OK with us - it usually takes around an hour.
A standard recovery, evacuation, recharge and test (see FAQ's above for details) costs £70.00 including vat.
For cars designed for the earlier CFC refrigerant R12 (basically prior to 1993) it is possible to recharge successfully with a compatible refrigerant for £85.00 including vat but frequently it is worth spending a little more (sometimes £30.00) and having it converted to the modern R134a refrigerant.
We often encounter cars where the AC has become very smelly over the years. This will often disappear naturally once the system has been recharged and is working correctly but where it is known to be a problem we have several possible solutions, the most expensive of which costs £20 if done at the same time as a recharge.
In some modern cars (often Mercedes) where Fault Codes (DTC's) have been created preventing the operation of the AC system even where it has been completely recharged, for the use of our Electronic Diagnostics Equipment to correct these DTC's we charge £20.00 in addition to the recharge cost if done at the same time.
We accept Visa and Mastercard credit or debit cards (but not American Express) and also happy to receive cheques or cash for our mobile service.
Our refrigerant analyzer enables us to make checks for contaminated refrigerant.
Should your car require new parts we are well served by several excellent specialist aircon suppliers who are able to supply many airconditioning replacement parts at prices usually well below the car manufacturers list price. We hold a stock of some of the most frequently required parts and are able to obtain most other parts in 24 hours. Our service vans are well equipped with spare fittings and specialized tools and we are often able to repair damaged hoses and pipe work or make up some completely new hoses on site.
Much of our work is dedicated to the accident repair trade. We offer a specialized service to these and to other trade services. Our current clientele include some of the largest Accident Repair Centres in the South East, including Porsche Approved Repairers, Mercedes Repairers, Jaguar and BMW specialists and main dealerships.
AC Fault Diagnosis
The complexity of modern car air conditioning or climate control can sometimes result in a failing AC system that will not respond to just a routine vacuum and recharge service. In these circumstances the requirement is for good observational skills to detect operational abnormalities, extensive vehicle data files to act as a reference point, a wealth of AC experience and an analytical brain to utilise these factors and come up with the solution. Increasingly however electronics are very responsible for problems and additional tools may be employed. Electronic Diagnostic Devices, able to identify and remove Fault Codes generated by the onboard computer network in modern vehicles. Multi-channel Oscilloscopes to observe the actual waveform generated by whatever control module in the car we are investigating. We also use variable width squarewave generators to simulate the the action of the AC Control Module as it controls the latest generation of AC compressors. In the hands of an experienced technician these pieces of specialised test equipment are invaluble and can help diagnose most problems but if the brain behind the tool is inexperienced the outcome may be disappointing.
In the process of investigating AC faults our High Tech equipment can sometimes reveal other related faults or even Fault Codes unrelated to the AC system which we are able to correct. For example a distant problem with a rear door window motor may have generated a Fault Code which may prevent the central locking system working correctly. This may identified in the process of investigating an AC fault and corrected simultaneously.
We are a small family company and are not associated with, or part of, any other grouping or franchise
Our company has been operating for well over 30 years and about 12 years ago decided to specialise only in the airconditioning of vehicles.
We are a founder member of a pan European association devoted to this specialisation.
As a small company we are able to give a very conscientious and personal service in this specialized arena. Our company consists of three family members and one long term trusted employee - and a dog.
Jenny is probably your first contact with us. She answers the phones and takes bookings and enquiries with endless patience and courtesy.
Derek has worked with us for many years and has our full confidence in his work as an aircon technician. He is careful and thorough in his work.
Mark, our son, is well steeped in the business, as befits a family member and has a wide experience for such a young man (mid twenties).
John, that's me, - I'm the old one.
The dog, Gem, a red and white border collie travels almost every day in John's van and virtually as soon as he exits the van moves over to the driving seat. She is now twelve years old but like most border collies still thinks she is only about two. Even after all these years and all those thousands of cars, her knowledge of airconditioning is not up to scratch.
Aircon Direct
for bookings - 01 474 83 29 41 - Service costs
for advice - Try the info site just below first - during the winter months I am happy to offer advice over the phone but unfortunately do not get time for this during the busy summer period
For more general information on Airconditioning in Cars - no advertising - just facts, tips, information, history and a little self-diagnosis that should answer many of your FAQ's, click on
For a little more information about us click on http://www.aircon-direct.com
You can email me but as I work mobile much of the time you may not get a very fast response, so if it is urgent, particularly during the summer months - pick up the dog and bone.
Contact Us - Email address - please read this carefully
In an attempt to stop the automatic email address harvesting that feeds much of the spam, I am not giving a click-on address but I am sure that you will have no difficulty in typing this into your email browser
john@ac1 dot biz That is john@ then ac, a figure one, then a dot, then the word biz - no spaces of course
Due to the very cold spring this year we are extending these offers for an extra month until the end of April 2008
The Ford Mondeo Mk II (1996 to 2000) has an aircon system which is second to none for its simplicity and efficiency, it really is one of the best systems around. Unfortunately it also has a serious design fault on the condenser which causes it to loose the refrigerant and stop working. To restore the AC we fit a condenser from an alternative manufacturer which we feel is better than the original and does not have this design fault. During last winter and early spring 2007 we made this out of season offer and are happy to do the same again this autumn of 2007 up until the end of March 2008. This is to supply and fit this new condenser, evacuate, recharge with refrigerant and test the system for a total cost of £188.00 including vat. This is considerably less than just the cost of the new part from the main dealer.
Once the AC stops working on these good family saloons the car will have lost a lot of its appeal and it can easily turn into an old hack. Even though the trade-in value may be very low, a small investment in a car that you know well can provide several more years of comfortable, reliable service and you should even recoup some of this cost when you finally come to trade it in.
The Mk III Mondeo (late 2000 onwards) does not have this condenser fault but some of them have another fault which results in the same thing - the AC no longer works. This time however Ford have recognised their error and have redesigned the part to overcome the previous deficiency, pricing it very reasonably. With our modest hourly rate we can supply the genuine Ford redesigned part, fit it to your Mondeo and recharge the system properly for £177.00 including vat, a noticeable saving on a Ford dealership price.
Many Vauxhall Astras and Zafiras suffer from a problem which results in the AC packing up completely. Owners are probably told by the Main Stealer that they need a new compressor that will cost them enough to justify a second mortgage. We can however repair these to work again. From now until the end of March 2008 we are happy to offer this for £130 including vat and this of course includes a full recharge (worth £70 in itself).
Similarly with many Volvos the compressor can wear heavily so that reshimming or replacement is the only option which can prove quite costly. The difficulty depends on the model and engine but for example the V70 with the 2.3 turbo engine - we could restore this AC system to full working order, including a complete recharge for £120 including vat until the end of March 2008. Most other Volvo models should be similar in price but speak to us for confirmation.
Mitsubishi Pajeros are deservedly very popular in this corner of England. Many of the long wheel base models suffer from the same fault which results in the refrigerant leaking out over a few weeks or months. We can repair this usual fault for £35 including vat until the end of March 2008 and then the system will need recharging. For a post 1993 model (using R134a refrigerant) this means that the whole repair and recharge could be done for £105.00 including vat. The earlier, pre '94 model Pajeros are still very common but use the earlier R12 refrigerant however. These can be repaired for the same amount but will cost a little more to recharge but not a lot more. It is better to see the installation and to assess then which is the most economic way to proceed.
Have you a car in which the AC has not worked for ages? Your assumption may be that it is not worth the possible large cost to resurrect it. You may be pleasantly surprised that all it may need is a recharge, we often find this. If there is a more serious problem like a leak or an electrical problem which may be expensive to resolve then you can stop right there - it may cost you only £20 to have us diagnose what is wrong with the system if we are able to fit this in economically with other journeys until March 2008. I frequently find that this applies to older Jaguars. Designed as they are to have AC, they tend to be very uncomfortable in hot weather if the AC is no longer working yet the problems are usually very predictable and not usually particularly expensive to overcome.
France and Spain
If you are in south western France or Spain there is a distinct chance that in the future we may be of direct assistance to you as we hope to establish a centre probably somewhere close to the E15 (A9 in France, A7 in Spain). I cannot see this dream becoming reality until at least sometime in 2008 but I am secretly planning for a more relaxed lifestyle and more civilised hours of work further south (at least nine degrees of latitude south would be nice). Having spoken to a number of Brits in the general area of my plans, the response has been very enthusiastic, giving me no end of encouragement - if you have any views on this, whether positive or negative, I should be very interested to read any e-mail from you and grateful for your participation. Although I have a great love of Catalunya and the eastern Pyrenees, some suggestions are for us to go much further south in Spain than the area of the French/Spanish border that we are currently thinking of, nothing is set in stone yet, any suggestions would be appreciated.
In the meantime we are of little use to you except for expats coming back to England by Eurotunnel or by ferry to Dover as we are located only a few minutes off the A2 London to Dover Road about 6 miles from the Dartford Crossing..
Here are several websites that owners have found useful or very useful. If you know of any others that you have found worthwhile please email me the address and I should be able to incorporate them into this list.
A possible source of information is to search for, say, 'Vectra forums' if you own a Vectra into Google or whatever search engine you prefer. This tends to bring up quite a list of useful sources.
BMW www.e36coupe.com
Citroen XM www.club-xm.com
Ferrari www.ferrarichat.com
www.customferrariparts.com interesting parts together with alternative part for common
recirculation flap fault
Ford Focus www.ffoc.co.uk
Ford Scorpio Ultima www.fordscorpio.co.uk - an extremely good site for Scorpio owners - much information
Ford Granada and Scorpio www.ford-granadaguild.org.uk
www.granada-and-scorpio-online.com
Ford Galaxy/VW Sharan/Seat Alhambra www.fordgalaxy.org see also VW Golf below
Jaguar www.jec.co.uk or www.jag-lovers.org
LandRover www.LR4x4.com
Lexus or Toyota Soarer www.lexusclub.co.uk
Mitsubishi Shogun/Pajero www.pocuk.com
Nissan Surf www.yotasurf.com
Nissan 300ZX www.300zx.co.uk
Opel/Vauxhall Vectra www.vvoc.com
Volvo www.swedishbricks.com
Volkswagen Passat www.passatworld.com
VW Golf http://ffp-motorsport.com/tuning/18tcodes.php - also can
work for Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra
Trucks www.chrishodgetrucks.com loads of interesting photos of historic trucks and much other hgv based information.
Another Link - as a small family based company we try very hard to give an exemplary service. As such we applaud any other company we have used who also aspire to this ideal. A company which services domestic machines, has no financial tie-in to us at all but has impressed us in the past with its service is www.instant-services.co.uk Their shop is a couple of hundred yards from Rochester Cathedral and they serve the area around the Medway Towns.
We've recently made use of a brilliant computer company, not for their computer expertise (which is obviously immense) but for their expertise in Sage the financial package. The technician who helped us, converted our Sage package, set up many years ago by an accountant which was all but useless to a normal human being, into a system that we, as lay persons, could understand and use intelligeably and which produced accurate results, statistics that meant something and invoices and reports we were able to use. The Sage Users Guide, possibly written by a Chinese robot, certainly encourages any user of this program to make use of Sage's own dedicated expert services. Our company is small and lean and does not have money to burn, using www.dbnetcomputers.com was an extremely competitive way of achieving our objects - I just wish that we had known this company years ago.
Are you curious about the statue of the young pretty Red Indian girl at the top of the page?
Well we are based nearly three miles from St Georges church in Gravesend where this statue stands in the churchyard, about 200 yards from the waterfront (the River Thames at this point is quite wide and is rapidly turning into the estuary).
The statue commemorates Princess Pocahontas who was buried in the chancel of the church on March 21st 1617. Although made more famous today by the Disney cartoon film she was in fact a real person, a native American Indian and a daughter of a great chief. After her marriage to John Rolfe as quite a young girl she came to England with him where she was fêted by London society. Intending later to return to Virginia, she took ill with pneumonia or possibly tuberculosis and unfortunately she died soon after boarding ship and was buried in the chancel of St Georges church (the chancel was normally reserved for the clergy or very notable parishioners). She was only 21 or 22 years old when she died, still a very young woman. Gravesend was an important port at this time (it still is the home port for all the pilots in the Thames Estuary). As Gravesend churches come within the diocese of Rochester cathedral the register of Pocahontas burial is available on Medway City Archives (http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/).
There is a very good account of the life of Pocahontas on www.apva.org/history/pocahont.html if you are interested. Another very interesting and informative account written by one of her descendants is on http://pocahontas.morenus.org/ . The website of St Georges church also has a good account of her life together with a photo of the Burial Register on http://www.stgeorgesgravesend.org.uk/The_Story_of_Pocahontas.pdf
The statue at the top the page was presented to St Georges church by the Governor of Virginia in 1968 and is a replica of the statue in Jamestown, Virginia, USA. Also in the church are a memorial tablet and memorial windows. Jamestown founded in 1607 celebrated the 400th anniversary last year. The church will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the statue this year.
A bit more about Gravesend and environs.
Gravesend is in the county of Kent, the bottom right-hand corner of the UK, the most south easterly county in England and the one nearest France and the rest of the continent of Europe. Prior to AD 43 and the arrival of the Romans this county was a kingdom in its own right, ruled as a separate nation by its own Celtic king. Even the name of its border to the north, the river Thames is Celtic and thus is very old. In AD 368 a very mysterious people, the Attacotti plundered much of Kent. This tribe was reputed to include cannibals and to speak a language quite unrelated to any other European language but very little seems to known about them. The Romans had brought German mercenaries over to Britain before AD 400 and these Angles and Saxons obviously encouraged others of their homeland that Britain was a good place to be and for the next few years many Saxons arrived in England, particularly in Kent. Kent in those days was still considered a kingdom and frequently the King of Kent would be sufficiently powerful to govern London as well and in AD 604 King Ethelbert of Kent erected St Pauls Cathedral (not the beautiful Wren Cathedral but an earlier version). Gradually London, doing what it has always done well, trading, became more rich and powerful and became a virtual City/State.
Kent was always a rebellious kingdom and then subsequently a difficult county with the motto "Invicta", which means 'Unconquered'. This refers to the very difficult time the Kentish Men and then the Men of Kent (there is a difference) gave to William the Conqueror after he had vanquished London in 1066 and then turned eastwards back towards the coast. William eventually signed a treaty with the men of Kent in 1067, quite possibly on the site of the later Stone Castle (a couple of hundred yards north east of BlueWater Shopping Centre) but if not there almost certainly within about 2 miles of there.
Gravesend is on the southern bank of the River Thames approximately 23 miles from central London and about 62 miles from Dover. On the other side of the Thames opposite Gravesend lies Tilbury where from the fort on the river bank Queen Elizabeth I in 1588 made her famous speech as she rallied her troops before the Armada when she said "I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too".
Gravesend lies very close to the Roman road Watling Street which travels from Reculver (on the north Kent coast between Herne Bay and Margate) to Canterbury and then in a pretty straight line right into London roughly at Westminster where the river Thames could be forded at low tide and then on to North Wales. Although usually referred to as a Roman Road, Watling Street is actually an ancient trackway far older than the Romans used by the Celts but it was the Romans who paved it over.
The main London to Dover road that was used for centuries until the 20th century actually veered off the roman road to pass closer to the old part of Gravesend based on the river front. Travellers on horseback or travelling by stagecoach towards London diverted off Watling Street soon after climbing the ridge of the North Downs from Rochester towards Gravesend where perhaps horses might be changed, soon to rejoin Watling Street a few miles further on at Dartford. There must have been a distinct advantage to do this as this road through the southern part of Gravesend was a Turnpike (a toll road). This road is still called Old Dover Road. The original roman road, Watling Street just south of Gravesend became for some centuries just a very straight country lane. This changed around 1922 when as a result of Gravesend's growth this straight country lane was upgraded to become a bypass for the town.
When I first moved to Kent from my birthplace and youth in East London, Watling Street from Canterbury as far as Greenwich was also virtually the same as the A2 trunk road which was now the main Dover Road. Over the years the trunk road has been completely upgraded and often moved a few yards or sometimes a little more, from it's original route as Watling Street, although the route of the original Roman road is still quite clear on a map right up to about Greenwich Park (where the Meridian is and the London Marathon is started). Each time the road is moved the excavators unearth more Roman remains. Shortly they are to move the section of the A2 nearest to our home, less than a mile away. This section is to be moved only about 100 yards to the south for some reason that seems a little obscure to me but I am sure that during this move other Roman or other items will be unearthed. As at August 2007, the new carriageway is well under construction and the team of 50 archaeologists have already unearthed many interesting finds during the past 11 months. Evidence of settlements from 3,500 years ago just a mile or two away makes you wonder just what life was like around here back in the Bronze Age. Interesting "High Status" Roman burials were also discovered complete with a wide range of grave goods interred with the deceased.
The A2 near Gravesend is currently a dual carriageway partly of three lanes and partly of four lanes in each direction, built to broadly motorway standards. The three lane section is being moved a hundred yards or so in a southerly direction where it will lie virtually adjacent to the Eurostar railway line (now called High Speed 1) which runs from central London to Paris (and various other locations in France and Belgium). The Eurostar trains going past just here are travelling relatively slowly at around 130 mph as they accelerate away from a sharp bend but they speed up considerably (up to 186 mph or 300 km/h) as they travel to the Tunnel under the English Channel (or La Manche if you are looking at it from the other side). Once past the 23 miles of sea there is about 180 miles of Northern France to cover to the Gare du Nord in Paris. In just over two hours from when I see these stylish trains passing locally they are arriving in Paris or Disneyland or even less time to Brussells or if their destination is Lille they will be there in only about an hour and a quarter. Although these times seem quite fast, on March 3, 2007 the French made a record speed attempt an their new TGV line from Paris to Strasbourg with a souped-up TGV and achieved an incredible 574.8 km/h which is 357 mph and is the fastest yet obtained for a railway on wheels (the Japanese magnetic levitation train managed 4 mph faster but doesn't travel on wheels). To put this achievement into perspective, a passenger jet airliner leaves the ground at approximately half this speed.
Our local interest in this continental link is strengthened by the new Ebbsfleet International Station about three miles from here and two miles from Gravesend. This station has been built on the site of the old Northfleet Industrial Estate where at least two paper mills used to make paper for packaging (I think that the shiny brown wrapping paper that used to be used for Mars bars was made here). To enter this site the railway line had to burrow under the existing A2 trunk road which is right on the route of Watling Street. This was an absolute goldmine for the 30 archaeologists who found more than 150,000 objects during the period of just over two years. These included 80 Celtic coins (the Celts lived here 150 years before the Romans arrived in AD 43), 2000 Roman coins, a large number of brooches (Saxon and Jute) and a huge Saxon sword on the site of a Saxon cemetery. Interesting website on the Eurostar link is www.raeng.org.uk/news/publications/ingenia/issue17/Bechtel.pdf
This new line through Ebbsfleet Station and then under the Thames, travelling through East London, passing close the the site of the 2012 Olympics and then into a completely renovated St Pancras Station in London started on November 14, 2007. Just five days later Ebbsfleet International Station opened for traffic with 7 trains daily to Paris stopping at Ebbsfleet, 5 trains to Brussels and 4 to Lille and of course the same number of each on the return. As a result the number of trains stopping at Ashford International Station has been dramatically reduced.
The opening of the new International station has prompted a change of name for the local football team. In 1890 Northfleet United fooball club was formed and 3 years later another club, Gravesend United started. Just over 50 years on the two clubs amalgamated at Northfleet, using the existing Northfleet colours of red and white and now known as Gravesend and Northfleet FC but always known locally as "The Fleet". This was of course an abbreviation of the name "Northfleet" but was particularly appropriate as the pitch lies adjacent to the River Fleet only yards away from Ebbsfleet where it runs, or ebbs, into the Thames. The new International station is so close to the football ground it must have obvious that a change of name to Ebbsfleet United was imperative - but it will still be known as "The Fleet". The change of name has obviously made an impact on the team - The Fleet played at Wembley in this years cup final on May 10, 2008 - and WON THE CUP - really well done lads!
The continental connection for the area was further strengthened last summer by being a small part of the largest annual sporting event in the world. On Saturday July 7, 2007 the Tour de France started in London. The first day, called The Prologue was around a circuit of London roads. The second day (Sunday the 8th) is Stage 1 of the race proper and started from The Mall, zooming through the Square Mile of The City, past the Tower of London then over Tower Bridge, through Greenwich and on through Dartford, then half a dozen miles to Northfleet and Gravesend and on to a total of 130 miles around the county of Kent to finish the first stage at Canterbury. As both Rochester and Canterbury cathedrals were built about 900 years ago by the Normans both were virtually on the race line so that the French riders could see the influence their forebears have had on us. The Tower of London, which they also flashed past, also reminds them that at one time they, in the person of William, Duke of Normandy, had their foot firmly planted on the collective English neck. William the Conqueror also called Guillaume le Bâtard (William the Bastard) - referring to his parentage, not his personal qualities, was actually a very good man. He was physically strong and mentally gifted and was a fair and wise king. He brought the Anglo-Saxon age to an end even though the current French media prefer to refer to us, and other English speaking populations, as "les Anglo-Saxons". All subsequent monarchs of these shores carry his blood and are direct descendents of William, including of course our present Queen.
The route through the Medway Towns passed the old Navy dockyard at Chatham where the massive 100 gun Ship-of-the-Line "Victory" was built. HMS Victory (now residing in drydock at Portsmouth of course) was highly instrumental in restoring England's pride at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 by finally destroying the last hope that Napoleon had to invade England. In this battle the English navy led by Nelson proved their absolute superiority over the combined French and Spanish fleets. Within five years the navy grew to about 1000 warships and the "Senior Service" was thus to ensure that England was now impossible to invade and for the next hundred years until the early 20th century was completely world dominant.
Le Tour 2007 is now just a vivid memory. I went down to Northfleet to watch it flash past about 100 yards from where my wife was born and then drove down to Canterbury to see the finish of the first stage next to the old city wall. Very exciting and great to see. I have every admiration for those riders zooming past so fast yet knowing that there is still well over 2000 miles to go before they can stop pounding the pedals once they reach Paris. I found the experience really interesting. Although no cyclist myself (I'm too fat and lazy) the whole spectacle was great to watch. The race is accompanied by hundreds of cars, both official and team, many with their roofs packed with spare bikes. The racers are shaperoned around very efficiently by a large contingent of French motorcycle policemen. These are delightfully different from our British police. I'm sure that they must be quite a hit with the ladies, they seemed to be picked for their good looks, and they ride in well-fitting breeches, short shirt sleeves, open face helmets, sun glasses and usually big smiles. Not a single ugly fluourescent jacket visible on them - 'ealth and safety is obviously not allowed to spoil anyones enjoyment in France.
Back to Gravesend - the town was a particular favourite for Londoners after 1815 when a steam packet service was started to Gravesend from London each weekend. This was the Clyde built paddle-steamer Marjory, built in 1814 the first steam powered vessel on the Thames. By 1840 Gravesend had some 20,000 visitors each weekend and over a million visitors had enjoyed it's gardens and baths and entertainment. By 1870 there were some thirty seven stage coach lines passing through Gravesend and pleasure boat trips from London were taking place every day of the week. For some strange reason Gravesend is frequently the hottest place in the UK, possibly to do with the winds blowing up and over the North Downs which lie eight or nine miles to the south of the area and then increasing in temperature as they descend (perhaps a mini Föhn effect wind). The Victorians must have been a lot smarter than we think.
One Victorian
of note was a certain Charles Dickens who lived and wrote locally in Chalk,
Cobham and Higham and indeed died at home in Higham at Gad's Hill Place, right
on the old Dover Road. While there Dickens completed "Great Expectations"
and "A Tale of Two Cities" and died in the dining room in 1870 with
"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" still unfinished.
The city of Rochester, just a couple of miles to the east of Higham celebrates
Dickens presence locally and has Dickens weekends where many locals attend in
Dickensian costume. The village of Cobham nearby is a beautiful little place
with plenty of ancient history and the local Cobham Hall, an impressive red
brick building (that phrase doesn't do it justice), once the home of the Lord
Derbys was also the home of "The Ashes" a long ago at a time when
English cricket was able to compete with the Aussies.
General Charles Gordon, probably best known for his exploits in the Sudan (Gordon of Khartoum), first made his name in China (where Britain was trying to force China to LEGALISE trade in Opium !!! ) and after a successful war there, came to Gravesend to command the Royal Engineers in erecting a fort to defend the Thames. He lived here in the town for six years and being a very devout man ran Sunday School classes locally. He was an incredibly generous man and out of his £3000 annual salary gave the majority (£2700) of it to the pensions of local poor people, even for several years after he left Gravesend. Posted back to Africa Gordon was instrumential in helping to suppress the slave trade there, particularly in Darfur. After many successful travels Gordon finally was sent back to sort out the problems of Africa and eventually met his fate at Khartoum, being killed and beheaded only two days before help arrived from England. Another example of a small man (he was only five feet five inches) having a huge influence on the world in which he lived.
A few years ago Gravesend amalgamated with it's much larger neighbour, Northfleet and several smaller village areas (including Cobham, Chalk and Higham) to become the modern conurbation of Gravesham. This name is actually very old and is the name by which Gravesend was known in the Domesday Book. At this time (1086) Gravesham belonged to Odo (William the Conqueror's half-brother), who was Bishop of Bayeux (in Normandy of course) and Earl of Kent. Three hundred years later in 1380 French ships sailed up the Thames, sacked the town and took off most of the inhabitants. King Richard II granted the remaining citizens of Gravesend the privilege of being the only people to be able to transport passengers by river into London in an effort to restore wealth to the ruined town. All subsequent monarchs renewed this privilege which exists right to this day. This privilege is called Long Ferry and ran from Gravesend to Billingsgate. The standard boat was called a wherry. This was a slim craft of twenty two and a half feet carrying up to five passengers and pulled by two oarsmen referred to as wherrymen who had a reputation for being rather uncouth. I hope the present citizens of Gravesham are not considered thus. Modern inhabitants of Gravesend are are pretty cosmopolitan lot. In addition to the Kentish locals there are a large number of people of Asian origin, mostly very friendly Sikhs who have been here for several generations. This community are now building an extremely impressive new temple in the town. Also in the past couple of years there have arrived many young people of Eastern European or of Balkan origin.
Although Gravesend is an old town there are very few really old buildings. Most of the old town was centred on the river front and the majority of buildings were timber built. Much of the local trade must have concentrated on shipping and would have involved the storage of ropes and sail cloth, pitch and paraffin and candles, masts and spars and deck timbers, all highly combustible. It seems feasible that they may have even stocked gunpowder. In 1727 a massive fire devastated most of the town including St George's church where Pocahontas was buried and this was followed by a several more, although less serious, fires a few years later.
Northfleet was heavily associated with shipbuilding and the cement and paper industries. Many of the East Indiamen were built in Pitchers Shipyard in Northfleet but shipbuilding ceased in the late 1800's. The area is mostly one of chalk downs and from Roman times this chalk was extracted and used for making cement. In the mid 1800's a much improved material, Portland cement was first commercially produced at Northfleet Creek and the oldest surviving cement kiln in the world can still be seen at Northfleet. There is still an enormous cement mill in Northfleet, taking chalk from the hills surrounding the site and taking clay from Essex in a pipeline under the Thames from Thurrock on the opposite, north bank of the Thames. The large shopping centre BlueWater, surrounded by high chalk cliffs, is built on the area that was the source of much of this chalk. Paper was also made in a number of mills in the area, from newsprint destined for the presses of Fleet Street just 21 miles away, to specialised papers and to tissue papers for facial, toilet and kitchen wipes.
Nothing to do with car airconditioning of course but if you found any of it interesting I am grateful.
John Orford AMSOE AMIRTE AffIMI
If you have noticed my surname I must have a brief mention of another castle with Norman credentials. This is Orford Castle on the coast in Suffolk. Building was commenced in 1165 and was completed just eight years later and was used as a royal residence. At that time it was a very strategic part of the defence of England but the sea changed all that by leaving the castle some way inland. All that remains now is the keep but that is 90 feet high and very impressive and worth a look if you are visiting this fascinating coastline. See www.visitsuffolkattractions co.uk for photos of the castle but this small town itself is also well worth a visit as it is very attractive and seems stuck in a timewarp. Bring your binoculars if you come as this remote part of the coast right up past Aldeburgh and Southwold to Kessingland has lots to see with many exotic (to me) sea and wading birds.
Using the website www.spatial-literacy.org I can see that the main incidence of my surname in the 1881 census was in Suffolk as expected so presumably my male antecedents came from the town of Orford and may even have helped (probably reluctantly) to build the castle.
The guy who built this castle was Henry II who must surely have been one of the most important monarchs we ever had. As a Norman (although born at Le Mans) he spent at least half his life in what is now France as he reigned over a vast territory of what is now modern France mostly to the west, extending right down to what is now Spain, as well as the whole of England and Wales of course. The southern part of his domain was acquired partly by his marriage to his extremely feisty wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. With such a huge, powerful kingdom he was not very popular with the French king (Louis VII) who had a much smaller territory based in Paris. Louis really expected Henry, as his vassel, to be subordinate to him so Henry had to humour him a bit, especially as Eleanor had previously been the king's wife. Henry was in France when he perhaps accidentally precipitated the murder of his friend Archbishop Thomas à Beckett in Canterbury Cathedral. Nevertheless he is chiefly memorable as one of the founders of English Common Law with juries and judges and by the time he died in 1189 England was the best governed state in Europe. Henry's son Richard the Lion Heart (Coeur de Lion) was another king who was hardly ever in England but seems to pop up in every Robin Hood film anyway. Henry virtually rebuilt the enormous Dover Castle. And he commissioned Orford Castle.
Just a thought - if we hadn't lost all of Henry II's continental possessions in the Middle Ages what a great soccer team England would have now.
That's it folks. You can go to bed now.
Ask friends if they have had good service locally, or try one of the links below if there is one close to where you are located. The technicians listed are all either recommended to me by a very knowledgeable supplier or else I have had conversations with them and have been left with the impression that they are very competent. I hope they can serve you well but I cannot in all honesty say that I personally know any of them well. I am certain though that none of them come into the category of the "gas and go guy", and as such should be considerably superior to trying your luck with the local Yell or Thomson directory. Even national firms sometimes employ technicians with very little practical experience and there are now quite a few companies selling franchises to unsuspecting people unaware that there is quite a bit to know to do the job properly, it's not just a case of putting a bit of gas in and the phone-in helpline only works to a limited extent. Many firms which fit audio or exhausts or towbars have diversified into the airconditioning field perhaps also unaware that frequently there is a little more to it than merely replacing some gas. It is obvious from our experience that some of these do not use a leak detector of any reasonable sensitivity, if perhaps at all.
I am alway happy to receive feedback on any service you may have received either good or bad as it will help to keep this list relevent.
Click on the area nearest to you
Home Counties North - North of London
Home Counties West - West of London
1. - North of Scotland Aberdeen - Scott Refrigerant 07703 483406
2. - Central & Southern Scotland
3. - Northern England
Auto Air NE - Brian Miller - Sunderland 07711 694486
4. - Yorkshire
5. - The North West Polar Vehicle Aircon - Manchester area - Prestwich 0777 4488669
6. - North Wales Menai-R - Caernarfon 01286 671333
7. - West Midlands ARS 07966 266981
Cool Car Air Conditioning, Midlands 07956 524257 www.coolcaraircon.co.uk
8. - East Midlands ARS 07986 266981
SG Autos - Huntingdon
9. - East Anglia MA Automations - Norwich 07767 385811
10. - South Wales Cardiff - Tanners 02920 225580 (Mark)
11. - Bristol Area AutoAir Gloucester 01452 721177
TA Motors - Trowbridge 01225 865800
Mobile Air Products - Stroud 01453 887614
12. - Oxford Area Polar Vehicle Systems - Richard Polley 01844 339096
07730 495928
13. - Home Counties North Air Cool - Hemel Hempstead 01442 214700
07884 008800
Richard Bell - Harrow 020 8385 7993 www.autoaircon.net
07958 362972 autoaircon@hotmail.com
14. - Home Counties West Reader Air Conditioning - Woking, Surrey 01483 726300
15. - Essex
16. - East Kent Coast
17. - Sussex Coast Tom Swain - Crawley 01293 871001
18. - Hampshire Portsmouth - RW Airconditioning Ltd 07074 854671 email = info@rwairconditioning.com
Southampton - Vehicle Services 02380 227159
19. - Mid South West
20. - Devon & Cornwall Plymouth 01752 492207
21. - I don't have a suggestion at the moment, please email with your town and your car details and I will attempt to find a reliable technician. Email address here