300 Tdi engine temperatire

ok so its this time of year i'm normally out playing in the snow - but this year don't have the confidence to do so.

Recently the temperature guage has started to go into the red; some mornings when starting, the engine temp gets to 'normal' in about a minute rather than about 15minutes.

The internal heater is still blowing nice and warm, there is water / coolant in the reserve tank and oil in the engine.

could it be a sender problem? also i've been checking the hose temps - today the top hose was cooler than the bottom hose - but i assume as the heater is woring the pump is ok - is the right?

I've got it booked in to the local shop - but the earliest i could get it in is in a weeks time, shoudl i keep driving it?

Which top hose? Radiator or Heater.

If Radiator, it sounds like the thermostat is stuck shut. But I think it is getting warm very quickly even so.

The thermostat is not too difficult a job to change and I would do it sooner than later to stop anything getting worse.

If heater it may be more of an issue.

I have alsmost zero knowledge of what magic occurs under the bonnet to be honest, but i'm pretty sure its the rad hose looking at a diagram i have

It sounds like you need to park it up till the garage can look at it.

Driving it about with the temp on red will possibly blow the head gasket, not worth risking it. IMO

had it to the garage today - the man said the coolant is going round and thermostat is ok;
he is going to change the sender (i already bought a spare just in case)
He said i could drive it ok as it is - but i just don't like seeing the needle in the red - it unsettles me.