Friday 23rd November 2018

Dr Who's 55th birthday.

Jools' 55th birthday too.

In fact the doctor's surgery rang this week as she can now get the flu vaccine.

But I was a couple of hundred miles away on the Isle of Wight, trying to get out of bed and be ready for breakfast at half seven.

I was booked on the half ten ferry, but I had a flexi ticket meaning, in theory, I could get on an earlier one. If I got my skates on. So, I skipped a shower, not because of time, but for allergy avoidance to be honest. Went down to the breakfast room and heard myself order a full English, I had a hard half day;s travelling I told myself to justify it. Neither Kate or Katharina were down by the time the half tin of beans that came with breakfast beat me.

I was now against the clock, so....

Up to my room to pack, throw everything in the case, switch off the laptop and pack that, then down to reception to check out, and almost foiled by a faulty printer. Still no sign of the others, so I leave the hotel, load the car and swing round to drive through the town centre to the floating bridge.

I still had 50 minutes.

But still had to wait 5 minutes.

We drive on, and after a slight delay the engine whines and we are dragged over the other side of the river.

I wait my turn to get off the chain ferry, drive round the black to get to the check in booth fr the ferry, only to find that the early sailing is full. I am on standby, and first in the standby queue. I should get on I was told.

Thing is, the allergies this week have meant I don't feel rested, and I feel an overwhelming need to be home as soon as possible, so really want to get on this sailing. I sit and watch as all the cars are loaded, then the trucks and buses, someone comes over to me to tell me to drive to lane 14.

More latecomers were allowed on.

I still wait.

There's room for three more the radio burbles. I was waved on, told to park so close to the truck on the freight deck, there was no room to walk between them. But I was on the early sailing.

I walk up four flights of stairs to get to the promenade deck, stand at the back of the ferry while it is made ready for sailing. Ramps lifted, engines stir into live making the water around the ferry, boil.

I take shots as the ferry moves into the centre of the river, then accelerates towards open water, allowing me a look along the shoreline towards the hotel I had just left.

It was a great and gloomy day, little breeze, but that did not stop a chorus of car alarms to go off, blaring away as we crossed towards the main land. I sit in the lea of the ship's superstructure reading another edition of Rail.

So I read the crossing through, not quite reaching the last page as the tannoy announces we should all return to our cars. I was resigned to being very last off, I mean the car was flat against the rear door of the freight deck, but mour lane was waved off first, so we file off, turn onto the main road, anf begin the long drive to the start of the motorway, threading our way through freight terminals and retail parks.

It was all going well, but to temper that, mist came down and the visibility was lass than 100m, but as traffic was light no really problems. But then some people were driving with no lights on, not quite sure how they thought other driver could see them.

I drive up the M3, through Winchester and on towards London. It was only when we got within ten miles of the M25 that traffic began to build, and soon slowed to a walk. And ten stopped. A simple shunt can do that. We sit for ages while the police and ambulance comes and attends to the injured and the wrecks moved off the road.

In time we are on the move again, nudging eastwards on the M25.

Once in Kent the mist lifted, and the further into the county I went, the better the weather got, until I reached Folkestone when the clouds cleared completely and late afternoon sun shone down.

I arrived home just before three, had a brew and once Jools came back from Tesco and we had put the shopping away, we both drive to the port to drop the car off, she then drives me home. And the weekend could start.

As it was Jools' birthday, she had arranged for a family meal at Jen's, we pick up a huge Chinese meal on the way up, and once inside, we fill the table with silver containers of food. All tastes the same really, especially as I smother mine with lots of sweet and sour sauce.

As we sat and talked after eating, and all was going well until my allergies go mad again. Not sure what set it off again, but there was no stopping it.

We do stay to half nine, but I could hardly breath, so we leave and drive home under the view of the full moon.

And so, once home, to bed and the struggle for sleep.