Briefly: Friday getting to Cheltenham was HORRENDOUS, Saturday was WONDERFUL, today, getting home was AWFUL !! Travel & me just do NOT go together !! :o) According to the map & directions, it should have taken us 3 hours & 37 minutes to get to the Travel Inn at Cheltenham from Ramsgate. We thought it'd take us about 5 hours because of the stops we'd have to make for Shaun. Well, we left home at 8:50am & pulled up outside the Travel Inn 8 & a half hours later at 5:20pm!!! There we were, merrily pootling along, when there appeared a sign on the M25 saying junction 9 was closed. We were all herded off at junction 8 & the volume of traffic meant it took us 3 hours to do 15 miles !!! We managed to fight our way through Ewell & Epsom & found our way onto the M25 at junction 10. Luckily, it was open from there to junction 16, which was where we had to join the M40. Everything was OK then, for a while, but when we reached Wheatley (where last year's reunion was), there were roadworks at a major roundabout. We waited in a LONG queue at traffic lights for 35 minutes - why is it that we ALWAYS get the lights where they only allow 2 vehicles to go through before the lights turn red again ??? According to our directions, we then had to turn right at the roundabout - signposted Cheltenham. Guess what ?? No roundabout, no signpost. So, we carried on & found ourselves in the middle of Oxford. So, we turned round & found that the major works on the roundabout that we'd got stuck at the lights on was THE roundabout. Only problem was - it didn't LOOK like a roundabout !! It looked like a big muddy hill in the middle of the road !! (Karen & Mark got caught out here, too, so I didn't feel QUITE so stoooooooooopid !!!) We had to stop in a lay by for Shaun to get out & stretch - there had been nowhere for him to get out for over 6 hours & he was in a lot of pain. His legs wouldn't lock, so I had to almost lift him out as best I could & virtually carry him round the car. After 15 minutes, we decided we'd better get on or we'd not get to Cheltenham at all !! When we eventually got there, about an hour & half later (more traffic delays), Wolfie was our saviour & helped carry our bags to the room. Shaun had a couple of hours to try to come back to life & at 7:30pm, those of us there - Liz & Peter, Wolfie & Yards, Miriam & Irene, Shaun & I, went for dinner. Marlene & Linda bussed in from Tewkesbury to join us. We expected Sue & Andy, but they didn't arrive till later. MUCH later !! Part 2 to follow. Pat.xxx :o)) A Maid of Kent

What a horrific journey Pat & Shaun!! No wonder you didn't stay today. We must arrange somewhere a bit nearer to you next year. Hope you'll both feel better tomorrow. Hugs, Gwen & Nick > Briefly: Friday getting to Cheltenham was HORRENDOUS, Saturday was > WONDERFUL, today, getting home was AWFUL !! Travel & me just do NOT go > together !! :o) > > According to the map & directions, it should have taken us 3 hours & 37 > minutes to get to the Travel Inn at Cheltenham from Ramsgate. We thought > it'd take us about 5 hours because of the stops we'd have to make for > Shaun. Well, we left home at 8:50am & pulled up outside the Travel Inn 8 & > a half hours later at 5:20pm!!! > > There we were, merrily pootling along, when there appeared a sign on the > M25 saying junction 9 was closed. We were all herded off at junction 8 & > the volume of traffic meant it took us 3 hours to do 15 miles !!! > > We managed to fight our way through Ewell & Epsom & found our way onto the > M25 at junction 10. Luckily, it was open from there to junction 16, which > was where we had to join the M40. Everything was OK then, for a while, but > when we reached Wheatley (where last year's reunion was), there were > roadworks at a major roundabout. We waited in a LONG queue at traffic > lights for 35 minutes - why is it that we ALWAYS get the lights where they > only allow 2 vehicles to go through before the lights turn red again ??? > > According to our directions, we then had to turn right at the roundabout - > signposted Cheltenham. Guess what ?? No roundabout, no signpost. So, we > carried on & found ourselves in the middle of Oxford. So, we turned round > & found that the major works on the roundabout that we'd got stuck at the > lights on was THE roundabout. Only problem was - it didn't LOOK like a > roundabout !! It looked like a big muddy hill in the middle of the road !! > (Karen & Mark got caught out here, too, so I didn't feel QUITE so > stoooooooooopid !!!) > > We had to stop in a lay by for Shaun to get out & stretch - there had been > nowhere for him to get out for over 6 hours & he was in a lot of pain. His > legs wouldn't lock, so I had to almost lift him out as best I could & > virtually carry him round the car. After 15 minutes, we decided we'd > better get on or we'd not get to Cheltenham at all !! > > When we eventually got there, about an hour & half later (more traffic > delays), Wolfie was our saviour & helped carry our bags to the room. Shaun > had a couple of hours to try to come back to life & at 7:30pm, those of us > there - Liz & Peter, Wolfie & Yards, Miriam & Irene, Shaun & I, went for > dinner. Marlene & Linda bussed in from Tewkesbury to join us. > > We expected Sue & Andy, but they didn't arrive till later. MUCH later !! > > Part 2 to follow. > > Pat.xxx :o)) > A Maid of Kent > > > ==== GEN-TRIVIA-ENG Mailing List ==== > RANDOM TAGLINE - GEN-TRIVIA-ENG - MAILING LIST > Please use common sense when sending or replying to messages on the list. > What may not offend you may offend others. >