Bobby Mobile

Our former neighbour Sepp who dropped by on Sunday evening with his wife Heidi, phoned this morning to say he would be passing in his company vehicle and make a short pit stop. I think Angie and I are the only people who call him Sepp (Josef) which is his proper name but he is otherwise only known as Bobby, even to his wife. He has never given me a satisfactory reason, just a shrug and "I want it that way". Perhaps it's a compliment and frankly I don't want to know the reason and enjoy having the privilege. The extra photo confirms it with the number plate and also shows his age but I know most won't think he's reached 51.

Sepp's visit was particularly interesting for me as I hadn't seen his new "harnessed team" except on his forestry service webpage.

200hp Valtra T203 Unlimited
Crane loader
Mus-Max 7L - Terminator wood chopper/chipper

Once on site, he simply swings the driving seat through 180°, and loads the wood/branches with the crane directly in to the chopper, air conditioning and CD player doing their jobs in the background.

It is no surprise to find the web site of Valtra (Finland) in various languages, they are after all part of the AGCO group which includes Massey Ferguson and Fendt. Mus.Max though is a smallish Austrian company with under 100 employees:  a quick look at their webpage and you will get a choice of 16 languages - I suspect they are respectfully holding back on Scottish, Welsh and Manx until button 50 is pressed.

Some years ago, Sepp was lucky enough to be taken on a tour of the works in Finland, see some of the operating conditions there in the forestry business for which Valtra's are targeted and I think he mentioned a drink or two on various sightseeing tours.

Quick bottle of alcohol-free water and chat before Sepp set off to his next job on the Austrian border. Amazes me how large the area is he covers which includes Munich and I know he has done work for the railways and electricity boards.

I guess it's all about providing an excellent service and having a first class reputation. Talking of which, the phone then rang and the agricultural engineers, Frick & Auerbacher called to say the mower was fixed - but I only took it in yesterday! .So set off with the sky turning dark grey but luckily Angie insisted I took her ex German Army rain poncho (anno 198?). And indeed it started drizzling on the way, hard by the time I got there and not letting up for the return trip. But thanks to the Poncho, I was 95% dry. 

Given the speed, one might have thought that the repair work was limited to that which one encounters in many car garages - they don't repair things they simply swap old for new parts or even worse, whole assemblies. Of course they checked the price for a new cylinder found it "inappropriate" and so took it apart, replaced the bent bit, adapted the attachment brackets and the job was done. Respect, Gentlemen

So thanks to the two events, Sepp and the mower, the day has to be called a good one, despite the end of the wonderful weather. Tomorrows opening parade for the Oktoberfest in Munich will probably be a wash out but hopefully all the thousands of participants in the much bigger Sunday event, with all the groups from all over Bavaria and even invited international ones, will be able to parade in traditional costumes.in the dry.

Note for my diary
Now try finding something in any way whatsoever export orientated in the innovative UK firm of G-Tech cordless home machines, whose owner so clearly uttered on SkyNews many months ago why Brexit was essential. Try ordering a product  from their online shop for sale & delivery on mainland Europe even assuming you can speak / read English. I guess they can cook with their own sauce and won't miss their neighbouring Welsh customers. Oh by the way, German firms make a very good Worcester Sauce and it's labelled as such. Someone was a bit lapse in getting protected status under  EU rules unlike the Bavarians who got their Swabian Spätzle and Nürnberger Bratwurst, registered -  on offer this week in Lidl UK stores but as son J found out today, supplies are running out.. I'm not bashing, not making the Eu to be great, simply frustrated at the lack of information UK citizens have been given - fault for that can start at the EU itself and then the Remain campaign and way down the list UKIP..