Monday 1st August 2016

I have a mobile phone for work, and what with me travelling between mainland Europe and home, but the fact I only use it as a phone at home, not as an alarm clock, means that I leave its clock set on Central European Time, and CET is one hour ahead of GMT, or BST as it is right now. Not that this is ever a problem, but imagine if you will that you are spending the night in London and want to be awoken at five in the morning, so to catch the train to the airport in good time.

Can you see the problem?

The alarm went off, and it seemed dark in my room. I looked outside and it was dark. And quiet. Dark and quiet. And this was central London. Hmmm, I realised that the clock had cone off at five CET, meaning four in the morning, London time. I was an hour early.

I snapped the scene outside and went back to bed, but my mind was racing. At half four I got up, dressed and packed and downstairs handed my key in, crossed over the main road to Paddington, up the escalator to the main concourse, back through the entrance to the taxi rank, where I had to wake the drive at the front of the line consisting of four black cabs.

I ask him to take me to Paddington, and he whisks me over Westminster Bridge, along the Embankment as Whitehall was closed, and then along Park Lane up to Paddington. It was sunrise, and the light as we crossed over the rover was spectacular, coupled with the lack of breeze creating perfect reflections; but I had no time to stop.

I paid the guy, walked down the escalators and across the concourse to buy my ticket; a train was due to leave at 05:25, so I walked to the train, found a near-empty compartment and sat down; phew. Done it, and ahead of schedule.

Once underway, we passed the new depot on the main line, and I was treated to my first sight of the new generation Virgin East Coast Azuma trains. But we were past it before I could think about snapping it.

At the airport, I get my boarding pass, drop my bag off and am through security before six, meaning that I had an hour and 40 minutes to kill, and I had yet to have breakfast.

I went to Gordon Ramsey's Plane Food, as there is seldom queues and has free tables, and being as the company was paying, I didn't mind the cost. Fruit salad, pancakes, banana, maple syrup and crispy bacon. And three cups of coffee. I felt almost human, but one that required four more hours of sleep.

I walked to the gate, in time to board as I am a business traveller don't you know. But I did see the dozens of young Reading footballers I had noticed earlier all waiting to board. And so it came to pass, that Jelltex found himself surrounded by excited and shouty young footballers all on their first trip away from home, so excited the young lad couldn't help but shouting out every new exciting this he saw.

Sleep was impossible. Reading was impossible. So I told myself, this is just for 90 minutes, stay calm and soon you will be free of the footballers.

It was a good trip, considering, the coaches tried to keep the kids under control, but it was hard, but we did reach Denmark, and we were able to get off, and me leave the kids behind.

However, there was a line and a half at the car hire place, so I waited my turn, but in no hurry as I had no meetings for the rest of the day.

I get an Audi A3, so once I had signed, I was free. I walked through the parking house, found the car, threw my bags in; it was just past 11, not bad I suppose.

The run to Esbjerg was OK, fun in the Audi for sure, but then the weather intervened, and it began to hail, then the sun came out, then it rained. Danish summer.

I went to the office, caught up on things, checked my mails, worked to four. Then it was about time I went to the hotel, where I was met by two lots of more teenage football teams, neither British, but sitting quietly, looking at their phones.

I checked in, went up to my room to find the air con had been set on high, and even in the strong sunlight, was as cool as a fridge. Great.

After a couple of hours, working, listening to the radio, I went downstairs for dinner; steak with pepper sauce, which was really very good, and the footballers had the private dining room, so it was quiet enough. As you can tell, I am set in my ways.

Back in my room, I tried to call Jools, finished listening to a radio show, and at nine was so tired, I went to bed, with the fabulous sunset still in full swing outside. I slept like a dead man.