Erich's Spanner
This story happened on: 30/12/2013
Warning
Below is the account of our recent trip to London. It's quite wordy, containing more than 3000 words. However reading it is not compulsory. If you find longer stories tedious please feel free to click the back button on your browser. there is no need to plough on and leave acidic comments at the bottom of the page............
We'd had this trip planned for a little while, though the finer details have changed quite a bit. The plan was to tow up to London, stop 2 nights and take in a West End musical. The club's Crystal Palace site was full so we'd reserved a pitch at Wyatt's Covert just outside Greater London. I'd kept an eye on the CC website every day, and my perseverance paid off when on the 20th a pitch became free at Crystal a Palace for our stay.
In the run up to Xmas the UK took a battering from the storms. I was sat in Miranda at a Half Way lights on Xmas Eve and she was being rocked by the winds. @DerekTheWeather has promised that it will be like this on Boxing Night and on 27th. Not exactly ideal towing weather.
Friday 27 December
I wake and peak out of the blinds. It had been a rough night and the street is. Strewn with blue recycling bags. We get ourselves together and are on the road by 10 am, weaving in and out of the debris as we make our way through the village towards J48.
We accelerate up the slip road and are slammed sideways by a gust as we cross the estuary, and that little episode set the tone for the 200 mile journey. The elevated section of the M4 through Port Talbot was down to a 30 mph limit as was the Kenfig section, but herself remarked on how well Miranda was coping with the tow in the horrendous driving conditions. I told herself to turn round and take a good look, which she did before asking "Where is the bl..dy caravan?"
I'd chickened out of the tow on Xmas Eve when I'd checked the forecast and seen that Erich was lurking off the west coast of Spud Chucking Land, and was coming our way. So with a Travelodge booked in the City we pressed on. The Severn crossing was lively and the rain by Bath slowed the traffic to a near standstill. Once we hit the Shires the weather opened up and we were accompanied by bright sunshine for most of the remainder of our journey.
The winds were still gusting strongly though, and we had a few heart in the mouth moments. The best of which was when a Megabus went sideways over 2 lanes just 100 yards in front of us.
As we passed Windsor jets filled the sky and a glance to the right confirmed that she was in residence with the flag being flown at full mast. I'm talking about 'Our Kathy' here mind and not HRH!
I always get a buzz driving into the capital as the M4 winds its way through Greater London, elevated through Chiswick carrying traffic three floors up, and then on to the Hammersmith Flyover and passed B&M Bargains in Knightsbridge (sorry .... Harrods).
This is where our journey through the capital got a bit more interesting. TomTom decides it can't find any satellites and I'm on my own to find my way to the NCP car park in London's city district. Our route takes us along side Hyde Park, through the road tunnel to Piccadilly and onto Piccadilly Circus, past Trafalgar Square and The Barbican before the car park looms into view.
Chalkie comes out of his booth and while he's asking us how long we want to park for, his head is in herself's window casing the car for valuables.
He tells us to reverse Miranda into the lift and press the button the the fourth level. I say "say what?" And he repeats the instructions like as if it's a normal thing to do. I reverse into the lift, and up we go, grinning at each other like Cheshire cats!
When parked up, everything is cwtched away out of sight before we take the same lift back down and start off on the 1/2 mile walk to the hotel ....... In the wrong direction! Just 1 1/2 miles later we arrive and check in fast track on the machines in reception before heading to our room which has a view over City Road. Travelodges have come a long way, this one just having had a makeover, and is very comfortable indeed.
No point wasting any time in the room, so after a quick cuppa we're straight out to take in some of the capital. Travel in London gets expensive for us. Herself refuses point blank to travel on the underground and I can't work out the bus routes and timetables, so anything further than a walk involves us entrusting our future financial viability in the hands of a London Taxi driver!
A reasonably short, but quite expensive can ride later sees us hopping out somewhere between The Barbican and Covent Garden. We stroll along taking in the sights, until Covent Garden comes into view, actually we could hear it before we could see it. We spent some time browsing the market and watching street entertainers before moving on to try and find somewhere to eat.
You'd think that wouldn't be too difficult, wouldn't you? But herself had been suffering from a stomach bug, and when herself suffers, I suffer! Time is now getting on and we walked the streets of Covent Garden, on up to Leicester Square, on through China Town, along Shaftsbury Avenue and up into Soho, until Herself eventually found somewhere that was suitable for us to dine.
The place's web site proudly proclaims.......
motorhomeman65
Motorhomer