Preparing your car for Winter in Marlborough

A few useful services and tips to ensure your car is ready for winter- which definitely appears to have arrived in Marlborough this week!

For bits and bobs for your car try Acceler 8 in Hilliers Yard who, according to a glowing report on our business directory, are great for giving help on advice on motoring and more.

Not a huge choice of garages (petrol stations I should say) in Marlborough itself or very nearby, only Dean’s (“The Bridge Garage”) and Watters Car and Commercial (Fyfield), which is now under new management. If you need new tyres to help cope with the winter weather Kennet Tyre Services and ATS Euromasters are both on London Road and also do MOTs, brakes and exhausts. In addition Kennet Tyre services have a large accessories store for anti-freeze, scrapers etc. Axford Garage Services does class 4 & 7 MOTs and servicing, repairs and more for cars, light commercial vehicles and 4x4s. Checkpoint Marlborough (near the old Skurray’s) can help you get your car set for winter and seem very friendly.

Cadley Garage “do everything” on any car, but specialise in Volvos, Jaguars and Landrovers while Clarke and Rodway offer a similarly wide range of services, but specialise in Citroens and Peugeots. For motorbike repairs and servicing there’s Martin Ashby Motorocycles on Elcot Lane.

See the Motoring section of the Marlborough People Business Directory for other garages and motoring related businesses in the Marlborough Area. If I’ve failed to mention a brilliant garage you go to or mechanic you use please do give them a good review on the business directory, and if they’re not on it maybe mention to them they can add their business- very quickly and for free.

General tips for Winter driving from The Highways Agency

• Plan your journey before you set out. Check the weather forecast and road conditions, and leave extra time for journeys if travel conditions are poor.

• Delay your journey if the weather becomes severe.

• Be prepared with warm clothing and an emergency pack including food and water, boots, de-icer, a torch, and a shovel in case of snow.

• It can take ten times longer to stop when it is icy, so allow more room to slow down and stop.

• Avoid losing control of your vehicle because of wheel spin by using the highest gear possible; and avoid sudden braking, acceleration and sharp turns.

• Take care around vehicles spreading salt and clearing snow, which may be travelling at low speed. Only overtake if you can do so safely, without driving on any un-cleared snow.

For extremely extensive advice including winter car care see the AA’s Winter Driving Advice page on their website.

For the latest travel information in the Marlborough Area listen to local radio travel news or tune into the Highways Agency's Traffic Radio online, or on DAB Digital Radio.

Up-to-date information on road conditions on motorways and trunk roads is available on the Highways Agency website or by calling 08457 504030. For the latest Marlborough weather forecast, visit the Met Office website or listen to local radio.