My new (09 plate TDCI Titanium) Fiesta wouldn't start yesterday. My wife and had I decided to have lunch in

the local Harvester. I went in the garage to get the car out, I suspected

a flat battery as all the instruments just kept flashing on and off. So I decided that we should try going in my

1971 VW Beetle which hasn't moved for over a year but it started immediately !

When we got back from the Harvester, I called the AA via Ford ( it took all of six minutes for them

to arrive !) and he confirmed it was the battery. He couldn't find any fault with

the battery or the charging (the alternator was pushing 33 amps into the

battery at tickover !) so I have put it down to eleven months of very short

journeys (< 2miles). I am still a little surprised that a modern car couldn't cope with that though. We decided to go on a run afterwards to

charge the battery.

The Beetle is 39 years old, all original and still going strong. There is a lot to

be said for simple technology. Fortunately, I keep it insured and MOT'd (tax disc is free).

The ride to the Harvester in the Beetle (in falling snow) wasn't the most comfortable,warm or quiet but it got us there and back and it washed the dust off it.

I had the same problem recently with the missus's Rover 200. I bought a brand new battery this time last year for it as the old one had died. A year (almost) to the day - and the 'new' one died. I had to put it on charge overnight in order to bring it back to life. She only drives to & from work each day - a combined mileage of about 5 miles! Saying that; this winter has been long & very cold (it still is!) - so it's no surprise really. But a year?!?!