OK ... here we go ... Dove and OH's Great Adventure .................
Firstly the journey
down was great, the hotel was a very good Premier Inn and perfectly
comfortable although @WonkyWomble and Lovely Hub's room, being west facing was rather
warm but a fan was provided ... they did what they could.
The first problem was that just as Wonky and Lovely Hub arrived at the venue something went wrong with their car gearbox
however the lovely AA man arrived and made a temporary repair which
would be fine to get them home again, and he was ably entertained, given
cooling drinks and canapes by the bridesmaids ... he said he enjoyed
the wedding
The
wedding itself was lovely ... the bride was stunning, the groom was an
absolute delight and the bridesmaids were just perfect. The venue was a
very old timbered barn in a lovely farm courtyard with pigs in the
orchard to commune with, a couple of donkeys who became ecstatic
whenever the best man and the bridesmaids scratched their withers (the
donkeys', not the bridesmaids') and gardens full of summer flowers and
housemartins and a charming cat. The caterers were great ... a team of
young people who were so professional yet relaxed and friendly (they
got it absolutely right
) ... following the ceremony there were Asian style canapes (crispy
pork belly, crab cakes etc) and lots and lots of fizz of the alcoholic
and non-alcoholic kind, served in the courtyard and a shady sort of
tented pagoda with leather armchairs, sofas and little tables on the lawns.
While that was going on the barn was
quickly and quietly transformed ... tables laid out etc in one end and a
bar and dancing area in the other ... a lovely meal of baked camembert
followed by perfectly cooked duck breast and jus with wilted spinach,
tenderstem broccoli spears and dauphinoise potatoes and we finished
with a trio of delicious little desserts ... a chocolate mousse, sticky
toffee pudding and a tiny banoffee tartlet ... and some very good wine
was provided.
After speeches and a lot of fun more guests arrived for the dancing ...
We
made our thanks and left after a few boogies ... driving back with the
top down as the sun was setting over the glorious countryside and then
collapsing on our comfy bed back in the hotel.
All good so far
... Wonky's car was fine and got them back to the hotel and we all packed
and set off for home in the morning. They left earlier than us because
they were giving another guest a lift back to Suffolk and had to pick
him up from his hotel. They arrived home at one o'clock.
We set
off mid morning and stopped for coffee and a bacon bap at around 11 then
pootled on towards the Dartford Tunnel ... traffic slowed to a crawl
just before the tunnel and suddenly, just as we got to opposite the
Dangerous Loads Area where petrol tankers etc are checked before being
allowed into the tunnel, my car stopped in the right hand lane of the
two and wouldn't start again ... I thought I'd stalled it but it just
wouldn't start ...I put the hazards on and fortunately the Traffic
Officers stationed there spotted us as traffic was passing us on either
side
... they closed the road with their vehicles for a few minutes and
pushed us into the holding area where the lorries are checked, and we
called Green Flag. Phew!
Apparently they were very busy and as
were were now in a 'safe place' we would have to wait about an hour ...
that was ok with us although I wished there was a loo available ... lots
of phone calls and texts followed because although the Traffic Officers
had given us the post code to give to Green Flag, they couldn't find us
...I explained that my phone battery was running down and gave them
OH's phone number but they kept sending him links to Satelite Location
apps which were useless because his is not a smart phone.
Eventually
we actually watched them drive past us and down the tunnel and then
some while later saw it coming back over the bridge towards us and of
course it then had to go to the next roundabout to come back to us.
Meanwhile we were providing much amusement for the lorry drivers who
were not used to seeing a Renault Megane parked up with all the tankers
etc in the holding area. Eventually after about an hour and a half
the Green Flag mechanic found us and dismissed my theory that it was 'something electrical because it doesn't respond to the remote control key thingummy'.
He diagnosed a jammed starter motor ... gave it a few whacks with a
lump hammer, pushed it down a slope and bump started it ... he told me
not to stall it again, checked we had enough fuel to get home without
stopping and told me call my local garage out the next day as it would
need a new starter motor.
So off we went ... safely though the
Dartford Tunnel and we began to breathe again .... when suddenly all the
warning lights and beeps went off at once, the brakes felt really weird
and the car went into 'limp mode' before we glided to a stop on the
hard shoulder. I'd tried to get it past the stretch which has sheer
concrete sides but no chance ... there we were stuck and no way of
getting out of the car and into a safer place.
Ā ... and no where near a loo, not even a hedge!!!Ā All the electronics were
dead ... we couldn't even open the boot to get the warning triangle out
... the hazard lights gave up very quickly so OH got the Hi Vis vests
we keep in the glove compartment and stuck them to the rear windscreen
as the best thing we could do, while I phoned Green Flag ... again ...
on a phone which was by now running low on battery and with no way to
charge it.
To cut a (very) long story short eventually the lovely Danny (a dead
spit for Ben Stokes) arrived and loaded us up (a process which put him
at considerable risk - he said normally they'd have used two vehicles,
one to park behind our car as a warning to traffic, but there was no one
else available in the area and he'd tried to get to us quickly) .... he
drove us up to the services on the M11 (which was the direction we were
going in) and waited for mechanic colleague Ed to arrive. At least we
had coffee and there were loos however we still couldn't charge my phone as the wall charger was in the boot of the car which we couldn't open.
Within
a few few minutes of arriving the lovely Ed had discovered a broken
wire to the alternator, resulting in a totally flat battery, and he
fitted a new one and a new bolt to fix it as they other was corroded.
They stayed with us until the engine had run long enough to charge the
battery up to their satisfaction and were so kind and reassuring. I'm
going to contact Green Flag to sing their praises We arrived home at about 8pm ... we should've been home by 3 but all's well that ends well
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Wow, Dove - what a saga!Ā So pleased the wedding was lovely, but... not fun breaking down like that.Ā (I had a Metro once which had an intermittent electrical fault - it would just cut out with no warning - once in the fast lane of the central motorway through Newcastle...Ā Ā ).Ā Glad you've now got time to breathe...
Our Russians enjoyed themselves.Ā We took them to the local playground (no English needed), a cafe for sausages (universal food), the steam railway (very popular - no working steam engines in their part of Russia) and a pub for tea.Ā By the end of the visit the 5-year-old and I were best mates.Ā Ā
Squirrels are less good at pilfering raspberries than strawberries... we're eating as many as we can, and I'm making the surplus into as many different preserves, desserts, cakes etc as I can think of...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Glad it was a lovely wedding, Dove, but gosh what a nightmare journey home. Lack of loos when travelling is something I always dread. I couldn't have held on that long. I think it's very kind of you to sing Green Flag's praises after theĀ first mechanic didn't do the job and you were left in the lurch again in a worse place.
Been gardening. A nice lady gardener came to see what I need help with, she works for a friend. But she can't come before the 29th July and I'm feeling I need help NOW. What with being in Norfolk, babysitting and OH having a bad leg it's all starting to get on top of me. How would Wonky feel about a working holiday?? This week
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
having been caught in the position before I bought a She Pee. as had read in a mag that they really could save embarrassment. Ā Needless to say we havenāt had to use it even when the grandchildren visit,
Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.ā A A Milne
OH suggested I could use one of the water bottles we had with us š¤Ā
If matters had become desperate Iād have got out of the passenger side and squatted between the car and the wall with the car door and OH to shield me ... Iām a country girl ... when I was a child I probably weeād in ditches more often than I used the bathroom š¤£Ā
š” Next time we go to Cromer Iām going to buy a childās plastic beach bucket and keep it on the back seat where it can be reached easily šĀ
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
What a performance Dove, I would rather wee in a ditch or by the car than use a public loo!Ā Lizzie, Iāve often thought about working holidays but it wouldnāt be much holiday for someone attacking this garden at the moment, Ā OH seems to be doing more than me at the moment, I donāt know where to start.Ā
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.Ā
Astounded at the help thatās been offered since I came home. Just had councillor friend m the National Sepsis Trust. Ā At least think he said that. Ā Very informative and honest with what to expect. Ā I thought this would take a few weeks, ok maybe a month or twoĀ but it can be a year!!! Ā What will happen to the garden? My legs just wont work for more than a few moments Hosta hope traffic wasnāt a problem. Dove hope you recovered from yesterday drama
Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.ā A A Milne
Man from an insulation company has just been. President Macron has offered loft insulation for 1ā¬ to help save fuel and be more green. Obelixx has already mentioned it. Must be unusable sort of loft without good insulation. Part of this house we had done so that bit doesn't apply. Man thinks the older part of house is eligible and they'll be able to do it in a few months.
It has caused loads of nuisance calls from people who say they'll insulate your loft but I contacted a well known firm.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
@Lily Pilly š Ā ... bless you ... I know itās hard and frustrating but you must rest ... yourĀ body's had a difficult time and it needs rest to recover ((hugs)) if the garden looks a bit neglected for this year so be it. Ā The most important thing will be to deadhead any weeds to prevent seeding .. the rest can wait if it has to Ā šĀ
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
Firstly the journey down was great, the hotel was a very good Premier Inn and perfectly comfortable although @WonkyWomble and Lovely Hub's room, being west facing was rather warm but a fan was provided ... they did what they could.
The first problem was that just as Wonky and Lovely Hub arrived at the venue something went wrong with their car gearbox
After speeches and a lot of fun more guests arrived for the dancing ...
We made our thanks and left after a few boogies ... driving back with the top down as the sun was setting over the glorious countryside and then collapsing on our comfy bed back in the hotel.
All good so far ... Wonky's car was fine and got them back to the hotel and we all packed and set off for home in the morning. They left earlier than us because they were giving another guest a lift back to Suffolk and had to pick him up from his hotel. They arrived home at one o'clock.
We set off mid morning and stopped for coffee and a bacon bap at around 11 then pootled on towards the Dartford Tunnel ... traffic slowed to a crawl just before the tunnel and suddenly, just as we got to opposite the Dangerous Loads Area where petrol tankers etc are checked before being allowed into the tunnel, my car stopped in the right hand lane of the two and wouldn't start again ... I thought I'd stalled it but it just wouldn't start ...I put the hazards on and fortunately the Traffic Officers stationed there spotted us as traffic was passing us on either side
Apparently they were very busy and as were were now in a 'safe place' we would have to wait about an hour ... that was ok with us although I wished there was a loo available ... lots of phone calls and texts followed because although the Traffic Officers had given us the post code to give to Green Flag, they couldn't find us ...I explained that my phone battery was running down and gave them OH's phone number but they kept sending him links to Satelite Location apps which were useless because his is not a smart phone.
Eventually we actually watched them drive past us and down the tunnel and then some while later saw it coming back over the bridge towards us and of course it then had to go to the next roundabout to come back to us. Meanwhile we were providing much amusement for the lorry drivers who were not used to seeing a Renault Megane parked up with all the tankers etc in the holding area. Eventually after about an hour and a half the Green Flag mechanic found us and dismissed my theory that it was 'something electrical because it doesn't respond to the remote control key thingummy'. He diagnosed a jammed starter motor ... gave it a few whacks with a lump hammer, pushed it down a slope and bump started it ... he told me not to stall it again, checked we had enough fuel to get home without stopping and told me call my local garage out the next day as it would need a new starter motor.
Within a few few minutes of arriving the lovely Ed had discovered a broken wire to the alternator, resulting in a totally flat battery, and he fitted a new one and a new bolt to fix it as they other was corroded. They stayed with us until the engine had run long enough to charge the battery up to their satisfaction and were so kind and reassuring. I'm going to contact Green Flag to sing their praises
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Wow, Dove - what a saga!Ā So pleased the wedding was lovely, but... not fun breaking down like that.Ā (I had a Metro once which had an intermittent electrical fault - it would just cut out with no warning - once in the fast lane of the central motorway through Newcastle...Ā Ā
Our Russians enjoyed themselves.Ā We took them to the local playground (no English needed), a cafe for sausages (universal food), the steam railway (very popular - no working steam engines in their part of Russia) and a pub for tea.Ā By the end of the visit the 5-year-old and I were best mates.Ā Ā
Squirrels are less good at pilfering raspberries than strawberries... we're eating as many as we can, and I'm making the surplus into as many different preserves, desserts, cakes etc as I can think of...
Been gardening. A nice lady gardener came to see what I need help with, she works for a friend. But she can't come before the 29th July and I'm feeling I need help NOW. What with being in Norfolk, babysitting and OH having a bad leg it's all starting to get on top of me. How would Wonky feel about a working holiday?? This week
they really could save embarrassment. Ā Needless to say we havenāt had to use it even when the grandchildren visit,
A A Milne
If matters had become desperate Iād have got out of the passenger side and squatted between the car and the wall with the car door and OH to shield me ... Iām a country girl ... when I was a child I probably weeād in ditches more often than I used the bathroom š¤£Ā
š” Next time we go to Cromer Iām going to buy a childās plastic beach bucket and keep it on the back seat where it can be reached easily šĀ
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Lizzie, Iāve often thought about working holidays but it wouldnāt be much holiday for someone attacking this garden at the moment, Ā OH seems to be doing more than me at the moment, I donāt know where to start.Ā
what a lot it has been going on this weekend before counting tennis or cricket.
i am so sorry for formers who have lost all sorts of animal friends
A A Milne
but it can be a year!!! Ā What will happen to the garden? My legs just wont work for more than a few moments
Hosta hope traffic wasnāt a problem. Dove hope you recovered from yesterday drama
A A Milne
Man from an insulation company has just been. President Macron has offered loft insulation for 1ā¬ to help save fuel and be more green. Obelixx has already mentioned it. Must be unusable sort of loft without good insulation. Part of this house we had done so that bit doesn't apply. Man thinks the older part of house is eligible and they'll be able to do it in a few months.
It has caused loads of nuisance calls from people who say they'll insulate your loft but I contacted a well known firm.
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.