Maybe cast an eye upon ye olde alternator brushes, whilst resting 'twixt such wanderings?

I replaced them last year and not done a great amount of miles since (the previous set lasted about four or five years). I'll continue to observe and see how it pans out.

Why don't you just check them?

pattern ones don't last long and Ducellier types are measured in months rather than years

It's an Iskra alternator. I'll whip the brushes out sometime and check them for wear.

I used the 2CV to get to work again today, on the way I thought the LED on the in-car charger was pulsing (meaning the circuit had been cut due to no charging), so I pulled over and whipped the brushes out. They look absolutely fine if I'm honest and after refitting them I found the drive home this evening saw no pulsing and when I rev the engine the headlights brighten, so hopefully that's a good sign.

Dropping it round to Peter Cross at Tibberton later. He's going to replace the rear brake cylinders and if needed, the shoes too. I've never been happy with the brakes on this car, so hopefully I'll have it back later this week with brakes worthy of a 2CV. It's like the antithesis of Ettore Bugatti, who was once asked why the brakes on his cars never worked and he replied- "Because I make my cars to go, not stop!" With the 2CV, Citroen made a car to stop, not go.

Just returned from collecting the 2CV from Tibberton. The brakes are superb and I'm well chuffed. I've never had the brakes on this particular 2CV feel so right. The pistons on the previous cylinders kept retracting and allowed the shoes to move away from the drum, so I had to double press the pedal to get a good feel from it. The rear brakes were also badly imbalanced (upto 40%), so now the brakes feel spot-on all round.

Currently in Shetland, been on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Isles, so by default the most northerly island in the British Isles.

Was very, very windy yesterday, but has been much quieter today. I very nearly stopped to open the hood but decided not to as I wasn't far from Leirvik/Lerwick and ended up spending the afternoon there. I love these islands.