Just phoned my regular place and no appointments till 19th Dec, someone off sick so looking for recommendations.

Glenesk

Throston Northgate or Lido at Crimma?

Whenever I see a question like this a lot of answers are usually...Brian's Garage.

Sent you a message with the best one in town. The only reason I have not put the name on the thread is because he is always chocker but will fit in a recommended new customer.

That’s my regular place

Big Brian, Brian the Cap, Oily Brian, Mad Brian or Brian O’brien…… with the limp…….

Joe's Garage on Hallwood Road.....












.....Ketrin!

Brians at " Honour motor repairs " in Blackhall.

Currently a planning application in to demolish Glenesk Garage and build 3 bungalows so might not be there for much longer.

[quote="Snowy"][quote="Kettering Poolie"]Joe's Garage on Hallwood Road.....


Y’know what, used to cut through Kettering from Northampton when one of my sons lived there or from Pompey just to avoid the bloody M1….and I never, ever found the centre
Is it like a Polo mint…?



Yes- I've lived here nearly 15 years and still searching for it!

Seriously though, there is a one way system that is a bit of a ball ache to navigate, so you never get near the centre as such. Not that you're missing anything- the place is thoroughly average and the precinct has died on its arse since M&S left 5 years ago. My branch of Lloyds Bank shuts on Thursday and the Post Office has announced it's pulling out too in the New Year.

They built an out of town retail park (Rushden Lakes) a couple of years ago on reclaimed land that used to be gravel pits. It's killed all the smaller town centres around it.

That said, rival town McCorby has had loads of money ploughed into it, with Olympic Swimming Pool, Purpose built Theatre and reasonable shops.

It's just bizarre, they are building loads of houses in and around Kettering but the infrastructure is just embarrassingly piss poor.

It’s been on going for about three years……doubtless they’ll be going somewhere else….surprised it lasted so long there when you think about it.

Retail parks are a curse, my idea of hell… but Council’s don’t help with their parking restrictions everywhere you go…..

a lot might depend on the vehicle you have to repair. if its new and complicated then find an independant garage who for the make of car you have. lots of cheaper back street guys do a good cheap job on simple vehicles but struggle on the newer complex stuff. have you got an EV and keeping it quiet from all of us.

My brothers started their careers as motor mechanics, every night they would come the swarfega out cleaning the grease of their hands and dispensing with their coveralls covered in oil residue etc, they both left the trade to work for a pharmaceutical company. Both of them could strip and rebuild engines etc.
Fast forward nowadays, walk into a main dealers garage, ‘mechanics’ in spotless clean coveralls wearing ‘marigolds’ Most of their tasks involve changing parts like for like even engines, gearboxes etc, they don’t strip down engines etc. Remove it send it back to the manufacturer and replace with a new one.
Watching YouTube vlogs the ‘mechanic’ sits in the car with a diagnostic tablet either plugged in or connected through Bluetooth scrolling through to find what faults come up.
Changing out brake pads, exhausts, tyres etc is now done in places like Halfords, Kwik Fit with lads trained up for those tasks,

Whatever you do dont go to the Ford or Vauxhall main dealers i have lots of horror stories to tell when i had company cars.
Go for local independents.

I never go to any main dealers ever….the wife’s car went in for a free service a few years back ..that finds loads of tit bits that aren’t covered by the service agreement and the bloke in charge told her she couldn’t take the car because it’s front tyres need replacing and it was dangerous…..I’d dropped her off and always wait till she comes out….she told me, we went in, she introduced me and he handed the keys over…trouble is how many women get done by this…..the car was a year old…new tyres my arse

Similar issue with a main dealer, I was told the discs were corroded and I needed you pads by a nice lady at reception who said the car is not safe to drive. I contacted the dealers head office and was invited back for an inspection by the Service Manager, he said whilst there a little bit of corrosion, nought serious, the pads and discs were ok. It was a case of the dealer touting for business, the nice lady at reception gave me the cold shoulder treatment.

no matter what make of car you have there are main dealer horror stories. after my lad went into the trade starting as a peugeot apprentice and getting a list of what to check on a peugeot 505 that his foreman told jim were missed out on servicing. why do people bother asking for a cars service history when they are looking to buy it is beyond me. unlike the lad who bought my xsara estate the other week who was actually glad the main dealer hadn,t touched it for 10 years.