Wednesday 6th November 2019

I set the alarm for half five, so I would get the homework done, and read through material for role play activties later in the day.

And to pack, shower, check out, load the car.

After settling the bill, I walk to the car and find the parkland all covered with red and golden leaves, deep as a duvet, and all fresh and newly fallen. I had not one, but two cameras, so in the pre-sunrise cool light, I take some shots, and drink in the scene.

Onwards to breakfast. Where I was going to skip the small fry up, but in the end, the smell of fried breakfast convinced me that I should line my stomach with some lard. So I do.

And then to the classroom to catch up with the others, go over homework and the final modules of the course. That took until ten, and after coffee, it was into the role playing prep, I was partnered with a guy from London, already forgotten his name, but turns out we were a perfect fit as I had prepared one half of the handouts, and he the other, and so when we got our heads together, it went so well.

Wow.

After a working lunch, we finish off the prep, and are then straight into a pretend audit with our instructor as the auditee.

That went so well, so pleased.

And then, one final recap, one last loo break. And then down to the serious business of the exam.

Yes, exam.

100 minutes, twenty pages of writing to do. Eyes down, off you go.

I steam through it, eye on the clock all the while, and I manage to get it down in 75 minutes, with all questions answered and with added information added in the hope of hoovering up some extra marks just in case.

I was the first to finish, I clear my desk, bow to Sarah (the tutor) and leave. I walk through the hotel, say goodbye to the receptionist and walk to the car in the gloaming.

I program the sat nav and it tells me Birchwood Park was twenty two miles away, so should be simple. Only the two busiest motorways in the north of England lay between me and by bed for the night.

The sat nav leads me cross country, through the occasional quiet village and busier town, so as I neared Warrington, I thought I had been spared a motorway. But no. Onto the M6. I had to wait in line to get over two mini-roundabouts, then inch up the on-ramp to blend in with the traffic already on the motorway. Then up to 40 for the two miles to the next junction, then off and through an endless series of new build housing estates and ring roads, until I get within 400 yards of the hotel, and then I was stuck.

It took ten minutes to inch forwad to the roundabout, then off and into the car park.

Phew.

I check in and have a room just along from the bar.

Handy.

I also book a table for dinner, in an hour, giving me time to settle in and check the interwebs.

I have forgotten to take anything to read with me, now that the course had finished I was going to be bored, but I see a long-lost colleague sitting on his todd, so I go over. Richard! I exclaim, and he is pleased to see me, so we sit and talk for a couple of hours, swap news since we had last met in another life when we both had desks in the Thanet office.

A really pleasant surprise and a fabulous evening.

I go back to my room to listen to the football, but end up falling asleep in bed and miss the end of both games. As you do.

Home tomorrow.