Proof that summer has finally arrived...

Taken last night outside the rather quaint Hesketh Arms in Churchtown, in Southport.

That is all.

Why Saab deserves a second chance

THERE is, positioned in the House of Commons alongside some other Prime Ministers, a statue of Magaret Thatcher.

This is unusual for just one historical reason, no matter what you make of The Iron Lady. Say what you like about The Falklands, the miners' strike, the Poll Tax, the right to buy and the fact she wasn't for turning, because you're wrong. What makes her statue unique is that - unlike all of the other PMs staring down on in the successors from their stoney perches - she hasn't died yet.

A bit like Saab, then, which this week was given a shot of adrenalin in the form of an order for 600 cars from a mysterious Chinese company. It's a step in the right direction, but it's still an Elastoplast on the gaping war wound of a company that - as of last weekend - couldn't pay its own workers and had seen two rescue deals fall through. If cars were Members of Parliament - and I know I've already touched on this crucial topic in a previous piece - the stonemasons would be getting busy.

If all this sounds familiar it's because we British have already shown the Swedes how to utterly cock up a car brand through the final fling of Rover in 2005. The crucial difference is that the Rover 45 was a terrible, dated bit of rubbish that wasn't a patch on its predecessors, whereas Saab's latest 9-5 is an impressive executive express that really can hold its own against BMW's 5-Series. I know because I've driven both.

Saab has a long and colourful history of producing some of the quirkiest saloons in the business, and I'd hate it to end at the 9-5. The guys from Gothenburg are the people who brought you the multiple rally-winning 96, the rampant 900 Turbo, the smart and sophisticated 9000 and even the middle class icon that is the 900 Cabriolet. You, the car-buying public, ought to give them a second chance.

There will, in the next few weeks, be a test drive of the 9-5 in The Champion. I just hope it's not too late.

Fire up the... Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi

I'LL BEGIN this week's road test by declaring an interest. I have, in an article I wrote for The Champion last year, argued Ford's Focus is the world's best car.

It might not be the most exotic motor you'll ever come across, but the Blue Oval's big seller has always done absolutely everything either brilliantly or at least very well, so it's no wonder you see so many of them on Britain's streets. Unfortunately, it also means Ford's third generation of the mid-sized hatchback has some very high expectations to live up to. Yours.

On looks alone it's off to a good start, because while the last Focus drew criticism for its conservative styling the new arrival's much more exciting, offering up lots of edgy angles and swoops in the body details. Subtle it isn't, but you couldn't ever accuse it of being boring.

Inside it's instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with the current Fiesta, with the chrome embellishents of the steering wheel especially similar. It's a comfy, well-presented place to be, although like its smaller sibling I found the control panel for the entertainment system a little too fussy for my liking.

The third Focus, particularly when you get out onto the road, feels like a Fiesta at 1.5x scale, but don't let that put you off because that means it's a smooth and straightforward car to drive that just happens to be a tidy handler. Paradoxically it's bigger than the old Focus - particularly in terms of interior space - but it feels smaller and hence sportier.

Should you buy the same car you know half your neighbours are going to buy? I would, because the latest Focus shows it hasn't forgotten how to make safe, sensible cars which just happen to be fun to drive, even if it isn't the image-conscious choice. If it's the 1.6 TDCi version I tried, with 115bhp, you've got practicality, pace and panache in one handy package.

Amazingly, Ford has done it again.