My car engine gave a dreaded click when I tried to turn it on the other morning.

Oh no, I thought. What a terrible omen for winter and it isn’t even properly cold yet.

The vehicle isn’t new, but then what do I need a new car for at my age?

However, it is well looked-after. Stan the garage man services it and I make sure that any niggle is fixed immediately.

The car, touchwood, is in tip top form. Except that it wouldn’t go. Just a click. Not even a groan when I turned the key.

Gloom descended. But then I remembered I had Home Start from the RAC.

Stan the garage man advised me to get this a couple of years ago. As he pointed out, most problems, particularly in winter, happen in a morning when you try to start your car.

They happened last year when the car groaned, but wouldn’t fire into life.

The problem turned out to be the slope of my drive rather than anything mechanical.

Petrol had drained to the wrong end of the tank.

All the RAC man did was roll the car down on to the flat and Bob was my uncle.

The knight of the road who came to my rescue this time was Mick Hunt from Bradley.

“Been busy?” I said. “I’ve been around the world already,” he said, with a smile. It took a few minutes to check the battery and discover it was only charging at a fraction of its potential. Which was why it had become stone dead.

“You need a new one.”

“Bother”, I thought, or words to that effect. Half a day wasted getting somewhere to have a battery fitted.

“I have one in the van if you’d like me to do it.” Five minutes later, a Premium Battery was fitted.

It came with a five-year warranty and a promise that if I found the same specification battery cheaper elsewhere, the RAC would refund the difference. Mike was friendly, efficient and quick and I was back on the road. And it just went to show that a problem need not become a drama.

Thank you, RAC Home Start.