Lizzie27, son always comes down to us via the A37 / A303. They live not far from the RUH, and join the A37 via Corston, Marksbury and Chelwood. We usually go up to him via M5 and then cross country past Bristol Airport. Hopefully the M5 chaos may have improved by next week? I was expecting to read that there had been a terrible accident today, but they are blaming a combination of normal Friday afternoon congestion, plus loads of holidaymakers returning from Devon and Cornwall. Seems hard to believe, as all three northbound lanes were at a standstill from Taunton almost to Exeter. Truly awful. Southbound was fine, if we’d gone straight to the M5, we would have been home in 45 minutes. The route that we originally tried took us directly south from Taunton on the B1370 past the racecourse, and should have met the A30 just north of Upottery. However, the whole road was closed for works just south of Corfu. We didn’t know the area, and the Satnav wouldn’t recognise that we’d come to a complete roadblock, kept telling us to do a u turn and presumably drive over the cones, barricades and lorries! I’d suggest you check your route on www.trafficengland.com before setting out, it only covers motorways and A roads, but is pretty good for updating on roadworks and traffic jams.
Dove, it can vary day to day, hour to hour, no real pattern, but joining the M5 from the A30 is only usually busy at normal rush hour times. It seems that it’s mainly accidents that cause the problems, and that can happen at any time, but more often during holiday periods and involving caravans. If you have a Satnav, that may warn you, or if you have maps on your phone, again that may help too. It’s probably just luck, you may sail on through. By the way, we stopped in at the Services at Junction 30 M5 last week planning to pick up a coffee, but left immediately. Packed out and not very pleasant. If you need a break, and don’t need to fill up on overpriced petrol, you’ll be passing one of our favourite Garden Centre coffee shops just past Honiton. Nice clean loos, and good coffee. I’ve marked it on a map. Not associated with them at all, but we do find ourselves popping in for breakfast or elevenses rather more often than is seemly! Came back last time with a little fig tree! Saves having to negotiate the Junction 30 slip roads and roundabout which are notoriously busy and not that easy to navigate. To return to the A30 from Honiton Garden Centre, you just retrace your route back past Lidl. We live very near the A30 / Exeter Airport area, so might be able to answer any questions you have, will have a try anyway!
I seem to have forgotten to post today, must be the 2 glasses of wine last night, sleeping badly and waking up very late. I normally only drink wine when with OH but yesterday was my birthday.
Spent the afternoon gardening, planted Brussels Sprouts and Curly Kale, hope the slugs don't get them. Planted baby strawberries from the runners. Planted 2 clematis, mowed all the grass.
I'm leaving early tomorrow to stay with daughter 1 for the weekend. They are taking me out to a lovely looking restaurant for Sunday lunch. Daughter wants me to wear a dress.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Enjoy your weekend and special birthday lunch @Busy-Lizzie.
Thanks for that Garden Centre tip off @Ergates. We also live close to the RUH but usually go across country from Bath via Wells and Glastonbury and across the levels to Taunton (there's another nice Garden Centre at West Monkton on the outskirts that we usually stop at) before joining the M5 south. I gather my daughter went that way but there were roadworks actually in Taunton and the diversion went round and round until eventually she ended up where she started from! Not a happy bunny.
We'll research the latest M5/A303 traffic news on Monday before we set off but as you say, it can vary enormously from hour to hour. Wish us luck and Dove too!
Thanks, but no thanks for that link @Hostafan1, it looked horrendous.
Talking of diversions, one of the main bridges in Bath, Cleveland Bridge which carries the heavy goods traffic from the A36 to the A46 (M4) is closed for months for repairs. Coming north from the Warminster area, the diversion directs HGV's up the A350 to Chippenham/M4, down to Bristol M32, then ring road south onto A4 at Keynsham and back to Bath. It's a huge diversion. Those in the know however can nip down the A36 as usual to Bath, go round the back of the Holbourne Museum and get into the city that way.
Evening all, actually, just morning...but hello anyway. Glad to hear you're all doing ok, well done @Hostafan1.
@Ergates you are my favourite kind of customers. 😁
@Busy-Lizzie, I love to wear dresses but rarely have a chance.
Great customer service @Dovefromabove regards car. Nice to find these days. I regularly take mine to a tyre place to check the tyres and they have told me so many times no need to change, all good, no charge. They could do easily 'rip me off', I wouldn't know if a tyre needed changing or not but they seem to be honest, hardworking guys doing a great job. Nice to see it.
Torrential rain overnight, beating my poor flowers down. Very pleased with my blue salvia from seed, lovely colour and masses of flowers. Unaffected by weather. 😁
Anyway, bedtime, good night all, catch up tomorrow.
Nasty midgy bites to deal with before bed though, why do I have to be so tasty? 🙄😅
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
Good morning all 😊 ☕️ it’s a very still morning … think we may have a new milkman … our milk was left on next door’s doorstep this morning … if I hadn’t heard him park outside at 3:30 I would’ve assumed he’d not been yet, but I heard him so OH looked around and saw our milk and eggs next door… NDN doesn’t have a delivery so we knew it was ours. Next delivery is Tuesday morning … wonder where it’ll be … ?
Delivery folk sometimes make mistakes in this road … they’re used to odd numbers on one side and even on the other … but there’s no houses facing us so this side of the road is numbered 1,2,3 etc. Next door is No 1 but sometimes folk assume it’s No 2 😆
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Good morning Forkers. We have had rain overnight. Just 1.2mm tho and no more expected for a while. Will have to keep on watering then.
I wear dresses for going out in summer @Busy-Lizzie. Cotton, so much comfier and cooler than shorts or trousers and tops and I put pockets in the side seams and make matching face masks using offcuts. Back to trousers for autumn and winter tho as I hate tights and stockings.
Put a bigger number on your gate or front door @Dovefromabove.
I have yet to find a garden centre here that does coffee and loos, let alone breakfast, lunch or tea! I do think they're missing a trick.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hopefully the M5 chaos may have improved by next week? I was expecting to read that there had been a terrible accident today, but they are blaming a combination of normal Friday afternoon congestion, plus loads of holidaymakers returning from Devon and Cornwall. Seems hard to believe, as all three northbound lanes were at a standstill from Taunton almost to Exeter. Truly awful. Southbound was fine, if we’d gone straight to the M5, we would have been home in 45 minutes.
The route that we originally tried took us directly south from Taunton on the B1370 past the racecourse, and should have met the A30 just north of Upottery. However, the whole road was closed for works just south of Corfu. We didn’t know the area, and the Satnav wouldn’t recognise that we’d come to a complete roadblock, kept telling us to do a u turn and presumably drive over the cones, barricades and lorries!
I’d suggest you check your route on www.trafficengland.com before setting out, it only covers motorways and A roads, but is pretty good for updating on roadworks and traffic jams.
By the way, we stopped in at the Services at Junction 30 M5 last week planning to pick up a coffee, but left immediately. Packed out and not very pleasant. If you need a break, and don’t need to fill up on overpriced petrol, you’ll be passing one of our favourite Garden Centre coffee shops just past Honiton. Nice clean loos, and good coffee. I’ve marked it on a map. Not associated with them at all, but we do find ourselves popping in for breakfast or elevenses rather more often than is seemly! Came back last time with a little fig tree!
Saves having to negotiate the Junction 30 slip roads and roundabout which are notoriously busy and not that easy to navigate. To return to the A30 from Honiton Garden Centre, you just retrace your route back past Lidl. We live very near the A30 / Exeter Airport area, so might be able to answer any questions you have, will have a try anyway!
Spent the afternoon gardening, planted Brussels Sprouts and Curly Kale, hope the slugs don't get them. Planted baby strawberries from the runners. Planted 2 clematis, mowed all the grass.
I'm leaving early tomorrow to stay with daughter 1 for the weekend. They are taking me out to a lovely looking restaurant for Sunday lunch. Daughter wants me to wear a dress.
Thanks for that Garden Centre tip off @Ergates. We also live close to the RUH but usually go across country from Bath via Wells and Glastonbury and across the levels to Taunton (there's another nice Garden Centre at West Monkton on the outskirts that we usually stop at) before joining the M5 south. I gather my daughter went that way but there were roadworks actually in Taunton and the diversion went round and round until eventually she ended up where she started from! Not a happy bunny.
We'll research the latest M5/A303 traffic news on Monday before we set off but as you say, it can vary enormously from hour to hour. Wish us luck and Dove too!
Thanks, but no thanks for that link @Hostafan1, it looked horrendous.
Talking of diversions, one of the main bridges in Bath, Cleveland Bridge which carries the heavy goods traffic from the A36 to the A46 (M4) is closed for months for repairs.
Coming north from the Warminster area, the diversion directs HGV's up the A350 to Chippenham/M4, down to Bristol M32, then ring road south onto A4 at Keynsham and back to Bath. It's a huge diversion. Those in the know however can nip down the A36 as usual to Bath, go round the back of the Holbourne Museum and get into the city that way.
Glad to hear you're all doing ok, well done @Hostafan1.
@Ergates you are my favourite kind of customers. 😁
@Busy-Lizzie, I love to wear dresses but rarely have a chance.
Great customer service @Dovefromabove regards car. Nice to find these days. I regularly take mine to a tyre place to check the tyres and they have told me so many times no need to change, all good, no charge. They could do easily 'rip me off', I wouldn't know if a tyre needed changing or not but they seem to be honest, hardworking guys doing a great job. Nice to see it.
Torrential rain overnight, beating my poor flowers down. Very pleased with my blue salvia from seed, lovely colour and masses of flowers. Unaffected by weather. 😁
Anyway, bedtime, good night all, catch up tomorrow.
Nasty midgy bites to deal with before bed though, why do I have to be so tasty? 🙄😅
it’s a very still morning … think we may have a new milkman … our milk was left on next door’s doorstep this morning … if I hadn’t heard him park outside at 3:30 I would’ve assumed he’d not been yet, but I heard him so OH looked around and saw our milk and eggs next door… NDN doesn’t have a delivery so we knew it was ours. Next delivery is Tuesday morning … wonder where it’ll be … ?
Delivery folk sometimes make mistakes in this road … they’re used to odd numbers on one side and even on the other … but there’s no houses facing us so this side of the road is numbered 1,2,3 etc. Next door is No 1 but sometimes folk assume it’s No 2 😆
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I wear dresses for going out in summer @Busy-Lizzie. Cotton, so much comfier and cooler than shorts or trousers and tops and I put pockets in the side seams and make matching face masks using offcuts. Back to trousers for autumn and winter tho as I hate tights and stockings.
Put a bigger number on your gate or front door @Dovefromabove.
I have yet to find a garden centre here that does coffee and loos, let alone breakfast, lunch or tea! I do think they're missing a trick.