Days 54- Welcome Home! July 17th

Forgive me followers if this is a bit condensed but I have not long finished Paris and as we are in Nottingham and have been for four days, most of those reading it are probably more interested in the exotic places we have visited, rather than the East Midlands, but the next blog might well come as a bit of a surprise to some...

Going back to Sunday, we were ready for the off early enough with our rather heavy pack backs, pacing up and down the Vista lounge, keen to get on the coach to London Heathrow area and then onwards.  We were delayed about 10 or 15 minutes and unlike Helen and Katie, we knew we had the two cases packed and ready on the wharf, plus a brief case and the packs.  Immigration/customs was a doddle as we simple showed our passports and walked through, but to be honest, I think we could have just walked through anyway.  With the on board ship security being so good, then the chance of an illegal getting in via the ship is minimal and the luggage wasn’t scanned in our presence.  We found the Silver Fleet coach rep easily enough yet we had to hang about for 45 minutes for the last of the 26 or so passengers... Some people just do not seem to be well organised and they weren’t elderly either.  Grrr!

We headed up the M20 (M signifying Motorway) and there was obviously a plea from one passenger for a comfort stop after about an hour, so we pulled into a service area – but no word from the driver at all, so we just used the facilities and hopped back on again.  This time, the elderly wife of one old codger must have got lost, so we lost another ten minutes before she finally found her way back to the coach and a frustrated ear bashing from the old boy, who was obviously really looking forward to getting home!

Fortunately for us, we were dropped off first, opposite Hatton Cross tube station, adjacent to the airport and our car hire company (SixT). We were in the car, (VW Polo) loaded and away before the coach had moved, presumably awaiting a transfer of passengers to another waiting coach.

Heading along the M25, the notorious London ring road, wasn’t too bad, but a couple of breakdowns on the M1 north, plus the usual reduced lane or two from road works, slowed us more than usual and we arrived at brother Dave and Sue’s at 3:45pm – a distance of about 135 miles by car from Heathrow.  It normally takes about 2 hours these days.

Apparently, Alamo eventually decided to open from 9am to 12 on the Sunday in Dover, but when we first checked, all were closed in Dover, hence the coach.  Pity. We’d also paid for the car in advance.  We could have saved between two and three hours if we’d hired a car from Dover – and it would have saved over £100 too...

After a quick unpack, we nipped round to see young Noah. When you have never met your first grandchild before and he is almost 1 year old, it is far more daunting than holding a new-born, as you don’t really know what the reaction will be.

The picture tells the story...