Search for daughter’s car enough to drive me mad M

Y daughter in Ireland needed a car and, as the choice was better over here than over there, I was commissioned to look for a five-seater with room in the back for three children and a boot big enough to take a daft dog to the beach.

”Do you have anything in mind?” I asked.

“Mercedes Benz?” she said. “The A Class seems nice. But anything you think suitable. Anything at all.”

I found a very nice black Mercedes in Bolton and sent her the details. But would that really be practical for those Irish country roads?

Anything at all, she said, so I spent hours on the internet with Autotrader, CarGuru and Honest John, searching all makes and models within the price range, taking notes, assessing value and low mileage.

Over four days, I emailed details of everything from Vauxhall to Hyundai but began to lean towards a Citroen Picasso, because I’ve got one and it fit all essential needs for three children and a daft dog.

Then I faced the dilemma of where to buy. Independent traders are probably mostly men of righteous virtue but I was fearful of dropping on a Northern Del Boy: “Great deal, fraction of the list price and you can’t even see the join.”

Would I be better off in a wellknown showroom? Would a private seller bank the cash and do a runner?

What if the house was empty, when I went to collect the car, and the neighbour said: “Elsie Smith? Never heard of her.”

My daughter was getting fed up of my emails and, to be honest, I realised I was becoming obsessed. It was decision time. Anything at all, she said, so I drove to Doncaster and viewed a perfect Picasso, low mileage, great condition, good price. Done deal. I sent the details.” Perfect for the country roads of Ireland with high seat visibility,” I said. ”What do you think?” “I’ll have the Merc,” she said. Don’t know why I bothered spending four days searching the internet. Roger Moore and Tanya Roberts on the set of the James Bond 007 film A View To A Kill. Inset, modelling knitwear