A journey north!!

Well, this post has nothing to do with setting up the website, but just had to let you know about my day. I am currently sat in a very lovely B&B in Criccieth, North Wales, having left home at 10am this morning.

I had done really well, was almost there - just outside of Porthmadog so I discovered later - when disaster struck.

But, let me take you a bit further back up the road, when I first noticed my car acting "funny" - every time I steered left there was a rubbing sound - and I didn't really need to turn the wheel very far left either! Well, with thoughts of all sorts of problems from wheel bearings to suspension (not that I know anything about cars!!) I decided to pull over at the next safe place. I was praying that I would find nothing, and that the car would be OK to get me here and maybe home again of Friday. Having said that, I was already envisaging being towed all the way back to Dorset - how on earth would I be able to hold a conversation with a complete stranger for that long?

Well, that safe place seemed to take ages to appear. So, was sat in a queue just outside of Porthmadog at temporary traffic lights, when a man coming the other way stops to tell me I have a flat tyre!!! Feeling somewhat relieved that the puzzle had been solved, I spied, on the opposite side of the road, the entrance to a derelict building, so pulled over there - the car actually struggling to get moving again.

So, knowing what to do, but not whether I could actually manage to do it, I proceeded to unload the contents of my boot (of course I'd packed EVERYTHING into the boot) onto the side of the road. One lovely lady, sat in the queue in her car, called out to me, asking if I wanted help. How sweet. I politely refused as I was sure I'd manage, and we both commented on the fact that no men had bothered offering to help me!! So, with my wordly possessions strewn around, I managed to get the jack out, but then proceeded to struggle with the tyre itself. I was just about to admit defeat and call the RAC (all the while wondering where the hell I would tell them I was), when one of the workman from the roadworks came over to see if I needed help!! Doh!! Of course I did!! He said his boss had seen me struggling and had sent him over to give me a hand. He kindly put the spare on with no fuss or bother and directed me to the nearest garage - it was at this point that I found I was just outside of Porthmadog (pronounced Portmadoc) and that there was a garage there that would be able to sort my tyre out. And it was on the way to Criccieth (pronounced Crickith) so wouldn't have to go out of my way!!

The two lovely Welshmen in there now have my tyre (which they tell me I made a great job of destroying), and will have it ready to refit to my car at 9.15am tomorrow morning!! Bless them!! Expect it will cost me a fortune but never mind!! They were very worried about my spare, and I can understand why. It's one of those small ones designed to take up less room in the boot, and only useful in emergencies. They were telling me to go slowly, particularly on the bends. When you look at the car, I can only describe it as looking like it has a peg leg!!

So, am now in my hotel room, where I'm staying tonight before heading off to the centre where the course is taking place. Have phoned to warn them I will be late. Have just had a very nutritious dinner in my room of pot noodle and jaffa cakes - I'm not one for going out to restaurants on my own anyway. Good job, as I don't want to drive any more than I need to. Hopefully the next three days at the centre, will see me well fed to make up for it.

Hopefully, my car will be sorted tomorrow, and with any luck there isn't any other damage!! The course had better be worth it after all that!! Cxxx