Keeping the winter blues away....

It's a fair trek from you I think but Haynes Motor Museum is open all year round. Its Breakfast Club is the first Sunday of the month, so you could actually pair up a nice weekend away in lovely lovely Somerset with a trip to the Breakfast Club and Museum on Sunday before heading home

But to answer the actual question-

Garage time.
I enjoy building cars as much as driving them(often more so these days) so I spend most of the winter located away making progress on projects.

This year it’s a bit different as I’m actually being a builder and putting up garages and doing house renovations, but it’s with the same end goal in mind.
As soon as the weather turns that’s what my mind goes to.

I feel your pain.

I've another hobby which can be done indoors - I focus on this more in winter and do most of my car stuff in summer.

Mojo is low though, so I'm tempted to sell a few cars to lighten the load. Can't bring myself to do it though (and my wife likes the ones that would be first to go...)

I know exactly what you mean. I am still trying to make regular visits to the garage to just chip away at the odd bit here and there. Even if it's just planning the next stage and making a list of parts to order.

Other things to keep me sane (as a long time SAD sufferer) include:

Regular visits to the gym - even on the days I don't push myself, I feel so much better for going.
Get out in the daytime. Ideally a walk or similar for fresh air, but just getting out in daylight really helps me.
Mini project for evenings. This year I've got a lego set and a Tamiya Lunchbox to do.
Plan next year's holiday or look at a winter break/weekend away. My wife's birthday is very early January, so we often have a weekend away for that, usually at a Spa hotel or similar.

I've got a few evenings in the pub lined up with friends and even a couple of meals out. I'm often so busy throughout the year I don't always see everyone I should, so while I've got some time off work, I get in touch with people and get something organised. A few of my friends aren't local so we find a suitable premier inn (usually cheap the week between Christmas and new year and the rest of January) with a decent pub/restaurant nearby.

Another 'tradition' for me now is to buy the Radio Times and spend 15 minutes going through it to make a note of what I want to watch over christmas. I very often don't watch tv so I find making time to watch something quite relaxing.

Finally, books. I've rekindled my interest in books over the last couple of years, mostly automotive themed, but some autobiographies too, which are very good at taking my mind off the here and now for a few hours.

Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, just a few things off the top of my head.

I've got a few jobs on both cars and my motivation to get on with them is low at this time of year. I'd be more inclined if I had a garage to work in.

I'm going to work on the house over the winter. I've read that airfix have started selling the spitfire model again so I might buy that.

I listen to a lot of audio books which help pass the time whilst doing mundane jobs around the house.

I have also been considering doing some more complicated cooking.

Have you tried one of those SAD light?

Thats why I've not got as much car project stuff done this summer as I'd hoped. Too many "travel on the weekend, work the week, travel back on a weekend" type gigs and also just the fact its tiring as much as glamourous, but its a heck of a lot of fun....

I usually find my mojo works backwards to most. In the drier summer months I cba doing anything, I've been slowly building up my veg garden for the last 3 years and usually spend my time after work pottering around doing that, mainly because it's very relaxing. Now it's cold/wet/dark I'm actually enjoying messing about with my cars again, even though they're all outside. I definitely work quicker/better when it's cold, hate welding/griding/sweating my nadgers off in the summer.

My favourite thing to do in winter as a petrolhead is to buy a 4x4 and hit the by-ways. Something about being in an all-terrain vehicle where most people cannot get to and seeing some stunning scenery in the winter weather.

Tach!
The winter blues hit me really hard the last years....

Years ago in winter i build most of my cars....now i can hardly press myself to get things done in the garage....sad

My 17m turnier projekt stucks since years....and i'm afraid it will get another years to get finished!

Greet