Thursday 21st December 2023

Getting Sylv ready to leave is rather like herding cats.

It shouldn't be like that, but it is. And yet she has raised a family and owns her own home, and all that, so maybe she's not as daft as we think?

The plan was to leave at nine, so to have as much daylight for the trip back down south. This was not helped by me not getting up until eight, but after a brew and some toast, and some help, we were all fed and watered by nine, we loaded the car, reloaded the car, and were on the move at ten past.

We filled up on the drag to the motorway, where I took this snap of some typical housing, though most of the modern stock is quite swish.

Having filled the car, back on the road, over two roundabouts and onto the motorway, the rain fell which made driving hard, though was brighter. Onto the M62 and up the long hill to the summit again at Saddleworth, where once in Yorkshire, the clouds lifted and the rain stopped.

There really is a huge black cloud over Manchester, I half joked.

We made good time to the A1, turned south and made really good time. We had the radio on the listen for traffic news, I was also checking on my phone, and all seemed good.

The weather got better and better, and we motored south, though traffic was heavier, we were doing fine and it was only two hours before we were at Newark, and the flat lands of Cambridgeshire stretched before us.

We made it to Peterborough by five past midday. More pies and coffee from the thermos, before we were back on the road south by half twelve, this time with me in the driving seat.

We really did make good time, and soon we turned off towards Cambridge, easing down the newly improved road, turning down the motorway, at which point we were told there was a twenty minute delay on the approach to the Dartford Crossing.

Not too bad.

We cross into Kent by two, and the traffic news brought some breaking news, that the folks who run the Channel Tunnel, the actual tunnel, had gone on strike suddenly, and all trains through it were cancelled.

This would mean chaos in Dover and on the M20 near the terminal, so we turned on one of the roads up the north downs to go on the M2 instead.

A wise choice as by then the M20 was closed and all roads around the closure were jammed.

We did fine, and just before four I drove us into St Margaret's so I could be dropped off, and Jen drive them back to Whitfield.

I was shattered.

Nothing a brew wouldn't fix.

Still tired after.

And we were due to go out with friends for a quiz that night, could I be bothered?

Maybe.

I cooked hash for dinner, and so the vegetables went down very well, and I was feeling good enough to go out.

The roadworks into Walmer had even finished, so no waiting at traffic lights. We parked outside The Lighthouse, and inside Sean and Ang were waiting getting the drinks in!

Which is nice.

In the end, I had a great time, we all did, I think, and we came 5th, in a very close finish, two more points could have seen us finish 3rd, and in one of the monied spots.

But not tonight.

Home for eleven, and time for bed.