Thanks for you input LD and Besoeker 
How does that work if the engine is switched off and the car doors are locked?
Better check what type of battery you have first as the modern oneās used in stop-start car engines canāt be charged with a standard charger.
The 2 core feed cable passes through the thick door rubber seals and the door still closes ā¦ just as the roof rack fixing clamps/grabs do. Our car does not need the ignition to be switched on to use the 12v sockets. The internal lighting works without the ignition too, so I presume those items are not ignition switch dependant.
I agree and that is why I quoted the more modern āsmartā type of charger that sorts itself out via its own processor.
Hi Judd 
thank you, I donāt think that āstop startā technology will l be a problem with my ancient Ford Fiesta reg 2007 .
It is one up from a horse and cart but with only 28,000 miles on the clock too good to get rid of.
Hi meg, you can get a smart charger for your car and with these modern chargers they wonāt do any damage if you connect them the wrong way round, the ground you mentioned is the cars body, ie, the negative terminal basically connects to the cars body, but unless you can see a good earth, then it would be best to connect the red to positive ( it will be marked or colour coded on the battery) and black to the other battery terminal ( again it will be marked), but donāt switch it on until you have connected up.
Oopsā¦
Fiestaā¦and there I thought it was a Ferrariā¦!
ā¦Hi Primus I donāt think I will be connecting the wrong terminals to the charger , I was just confused about āfinding a bolt or a clean part of the cars bodyā on which to clip the negative lead as some sites have stated.
In the days when I charged batteries on other cars I always removed the battery from the car and charged it in an open garage, clipped on the negative lead first and never turned on the mains till all was connected but I canāt lift a battery in and out of the car now I am an old lady and I shouldnāt need to with a trickle charger ā¦
Not a chance Besoeker I like small simple cars nothing fancy.
Yes just clip onto the battery terminals, no need to even remove them, charge in situ
Thanks Primus
Although you look upon your Fiesta as ancient, its 1.25L efficient engine was a class leader in its time and not too far behind even considering todayās engine technology. Serviced regularly, your engine should be good for another 100K miles due to the protective nature of modern engine oils. Now as for the bodywork, that is a different matter as steel will corrode as it ages 
but again, with protective underseals available in 2007, car undersides last many years longer than they used to do :thumbup:
LD it is 1.4L
I have refused the generous offer of a more up to date car from my son. My car has only had 2 owners the first for 18 months and myself, it is regularly serviced by a really good little garage.
The owner an ex racing car mechanic says my car is a little gem with the low milage and not to let anyone persuade me to get rid of it.
Back to the trickle charger, I am currently looking at the CTEK MXS 5.0 and if my car has a a āliveā cigarette lighter with the ignition off , I will get an adapter and use that instead of the crock leads :-).
If it costs you very little to run and youāre not into up to date Models, then keep it until it cost too much in repairs, the only problem is if the engine is not the latest in low emissions for the ulez targets that some major cities are now turning to so if you drive into one of these zones then you may have to pay a big charge ( fine) , but you can always use p&r
Hi Primus the only emissions zones I encounter these days are those filled with what comes from the rear end of cattle 
I will no longer be driving in large towns or on motorways just near home. If I need to drive any distance family will take me.
I bought a trickle charger a CTEK MXS 5.0 and having persuaded a socially distancing Halfords man to attach the ācomfort leadsā (O rings that stay attached) to the battery the charger has done a great job and the battery has charged.
A flat battery is one thing less to worry about this winter
Thank you everyone for your input.
Glad youāve taken charge meg
( Iāll get me coat)
I am pleased you now have a fully charged battery and the means to keep it that way :thumbup:
My only concern is with Halfords and the exorbitant way they mark their prices up.
Thank you LD most places with the exception of Amazon seem to charge the same or more I checked and I specifically chose Halfords because there is a branch near here and having read the conflicting advice on whether or not the negative cable should be attached to the battery or the car chassis I thought I might need help.
I did and the Halfords man connected the O ring comfort lead for free so I donāt need to use the crock clips or fiddle about attaching leads to the battery so I am happy with that .