Hiya Everyone,

Ok i hope admin do not mind this post as it is a little off the beaten track but hope it will be allowed .

I have been on this forum for about 10 months and have been amazed at how brilliant a forum it is . It is well run,easy to navigate but for the most part the thing that makes it great is for the most part there is very little attitude and even if a question is posted by a newbie thats been asked before there is usually someone willing to help out. Now just before i got my car i asked LOTS of questions and continued to do so after with some brilliant replies.But here is the reason i did so and will maybe make folk think in future about posting.

I am 43 now but at the age of 24 i was a succesful healthy guy working in London for a global Architectural firm and playing semi pro football in my spare time but my other passion was cars.I would love in the early 90's doing up a couple of Astra SRI's and a GTE as well as a beloved Renault 5 GT Turbo.It was my drug.When folk i knew were smoking weed i would not touch it as i wanted to put money into getting the next bit for the car ICE system etc.

I had just finished a 4 year diploma course and to celebrate went abroad.On the final day i got very sick and from that day my life changed . They could not find what it was and i went into a dowbward spiral . I ended up losing everything,job,life savings,pension,girlfriend,many "friends" but worst was my freedom and my car . It turned out i had a bad case of CFS/ME . For 5 years i was totally housebound and would spent days on end in bed thinking why me and wishing i was able to enjoy life but was not to be . I also dreamed one day of being able to even travel 2 miles because i had and still to this day have 24 hour nausea and travelling was near impossible for a further 5 years but slowly things improved. I will never be fully healthy it would seem but the past 3 years i now have a gf who has helped me beyond belief and actually this coming friday i am attempting to travel to Amsterdam,a journey which has not been possible since 1996 ! But the biggest deal to me was i sold the last of the things i had and was helped a little to raise some funds and finally got a sports car . I could have gone for an old banger but i vowed i would do my best that one day i would get back something sporty i could be proud of.As i am not able to work i dont have an endless pot but managed to in February get my 2010 Zetec s . Ok it is a bit under powered for a 1.8 and the suspensions hard as hell but it is MY car.

Now why am i rambling on about this you may ask on a car forum ? Well as i had been out of the loop i really needed the help of those who are passionate and knowledgable about their cars.I needed reassurance that i was doing the right thing and also a helping hand to sort things if they went wrong . Well right here is where i have had all of that . In the first month the amount of questions i was asking no doubt a few thought i was a pain in the bum,i hope i was not to annoying but i will never forget the help during the first month from the legends that are Lenny and Salsheikh.You gave me enough confidence to take the gamble to go for it and have helped since many many times and i will be eternally grateful . Lenny you said a few times to me that you do it in the hope those you help will help others . Well i am no guru but each time i see a newbie ask i always try to help if i can now because YOU said that.

So what i am saying is maybe as a bit of a chritmas lesson to us all is that yes some questions can crop up a few times and no doubt we have all done the "Oh lord how many times has it been asked?" when we have seen some questions but maybe just maybe there may be more to why the questions being asked as you can maybe see by my case.

So i would just like to say a huge thank you for all the help you have given a single user who has been down on his luck but has fought back and got one of his dreams back thanks in no short measure to all you guys . Be it the legends like Lenny and Sal,be it the mechanical experts or the amateure tinkerer , be it the admin here or the casual user we all share the same love of cars and have a wonderful community.And in this time of terror attacks etc it is so nice to have a little haven here like this.

So may i be one of the first to wish every single member here an amazing Christmas and the most happy and healthy (And heavily overspent on your Focus haha) 2016 .

Cheers guys

Jon

Well said buddy,have a great 2016 to all,look after your cars,be safe and above all have some fun.

Sent from my iPad using Ford OC

Good luck to you, and let us hope you are on an upward spiral from now on. Have a great trip.

as said good luck on all fronts

Well said, good luck, Merry Xmas to you too, Jon :) :)

Thank you gents,felt a bit of a soppy s-o-d typing it but thought it is maybe nice to realise that everyones posts can and do help others out :-)

Well said Jon about the help you have received on the forum. Lenny has probably helped everyone on here at one point. Same goes for Sal. Sal is also on the focus st owners club. And like on here if he can help someone out he will,

I have never met Lenny but feel I know him if that makes sense just with the help he gives all the members.

Well hopefully you enjoy your break to Amsterdam mate. And its giving you a new start in life, good luck mate

It was very heart warming reading your post and how your life has changed.

I trust that things will continue to improve and you will have the support of us here!!

Happy Christmas Jon! Have a good time in Amsterdam!

A great post fella! It is true that we know nothing of the others on the forum and what they suffer. I know I can say I have had an interesting arrangement of health problems and chaos. Much like you, I could find a deal of solidarity and comfort through troublesome times on this forum. I have been here for a few years, and its one other part of the attraction between myself and fords!

Cheers Fella, have a great christmas, new year, and hope 2016 is a great year for you!

It's good to see that the club has helped in more ways than mechanical things.

Best of luck Jon and have a hoofing trip.

Fantastic Jon all the best in the new year and your trip!