The actual meeting was quite sad. Billy had failed a crucial exam due to one his wheel bearings being too clunky. We tried as hard as we could to find a technician to coax him through the test but not even his makers could rectify the problem. We found Poppy via internet dating and though not a perfect match we are going to give her a go. She is slightly deficient in the size department, much younger and requires a personal dresser (or pimping up a bit). She has the same number of seats and is going to be much more economical and less high maintenance.

We both shed a tear when we had to leave Billy behind as part of the deal. He was much loved and shall be sorely missed. We will have to change some of our habits to get along with Poppy which will be challenging. There will have to be less skip diving, or at least, more selective scavenging, as carrying capacity is less. We will have to initiate a cleaning regime to maintain Poppy’s good looks and hopefully avoid some of the corrosion which affected Billy so badly.

In time I am sure we shall learn to love Poppy just as much as Billy but for different reasons. Welcome to the Ski Breezy family.