1821 An horrendous journey on Sunday after a minor miracle

As I concluded yesterday it is inappropriate to detail how my car came to hit from behind by a bus having attended the funeral of friend of a relative on the Isle of Wight. At the time I was shocked and could only think of getting the damaged vehicle and myself to the hotel where I was staying and where I knew there would be close relatives. Not having been in such a situation before it was only in retrospect that I felt I should have done this and that instead of what I did and what I did not.

This is the classic reaction of the victim, to take upon themselves responsibility or something which is the fault of others. I was thinking about this tonight as the regional news gave information fo the latest development in the process of the class action by former residents of a catholic run establishment in the Middlesbrough diosescee which has rules that the church is liable for damages and legal costs estimated to amount to £8. It is not money which teh claimants are after but a sense of justice and that what happened to them is recognised by the community in general, and that the church says sorry. The chief culprit has been sentenced to 40 years, but for the victims, while some have recovered, for many the hurt will last.

Returning to the hotel I was able to park in the forecourt, and went to my room for a changing of clothing and to gather my thoughts. My first reaction was to assume that the AA would be responsible for getting the vehicle to a garage and myself a hire car as had happened on two previous occasions when my previous the vehicle had broken down, but I decided that my first step was to contact the insurers, a company where I was new account, the change being recommended by my insurance brokers.

I only had the insurance certificate on me without a claim line telephone number which the hotel looked up on the Internet dialled on a mobile phone. I was advised that I was next in the queue and had to wait ten to fifteen minuets before someone asked if I minded waiting further as although I was first in the queue it would be a little longer. I continued to hold and eventually the same individual came back and I was able to tell him the issues about getting myself and the car home and the AA. He was sceptical about the AA assisting and was correct as when I contacted the AA they explained that they only dealt with breakdowns and it was the responsibility of the insurers regarding both the vehicle and myself. I therefore returned to the Insurance call line and this time did not have to wait long before I was put through to a call handler who went through a check list, and took the circumstances of the accident and then discussed the options immediately available. I cannot now remember if I then spoke to teh individual who I had been in contact while waiting for a claims handler to be available or if I was telephoned back. The outcome was a plan about which I was uneasy from the outset in that I was asked to drive the vehicle the following day as arranged onto the ferry and telephone the insurers who within an hour would arrange for my vehicle and me to be recovered back to my home. The car would be collected on Monday and taken to an approved repairers and I was given their particulars and I would be issued with a courtesy car. My concern was having to telephone for the transport to be arranged not helped when it was suggested that I should have a cup of coffee and perhaps food as the journey would take a long time.

I therefore spent the rest of the evening with a relative and their friends going to bed around 10pm and going over what had happened for sometime. Two things occurred to me, the first was whether the police should have been called and the second whether the vehicle was sufficiently roadworthy to be driven across the island. The insurers had been anxious that I should get the vehicle off the Island, in order to avoid the cost of having to do so themselves. The concern the previous evening was driving the vehicle in darkness without one rear light but overnight I also realised that that there was no indicator turning light or stop light and the last think I wanted to happen was to be stopped by the island police or be involved in a second accident. It was about 6am when I went quietly downstairs to the guest lounge and dining area and telephone the insurers again with my concerns. The first response was to encourage me to keep to the original plan, even when I asked about getting the roadworthiness assessed on the island and again the first response was that should seek advice from the hotel about a local garage.

I also mentioned further concerns that had occurred overnight. The first was that the police had not been notified and should I do so and I was advised that as no one was injured this was not necessary. I was also concerned about the circumstances of the accident and asked for additional information to be noted and it was during this process that the handler advised that there were two places on island available for the assessment of roadworthiness to be made with the nearest a couple of miles away at Shanklin. I was advised to take the vehicle there and that it would be OK to drive in the circumstances. I was able to contact the garage around 8.30 and explained the situation once more and it was agreed that I would my breakfast first before taking the vehicle. Just as I was ready to leave I was contacted my the nominated repair agents in Gateshead who confirmed that they would collect the vehicle on Monday and provide a courtesy car. I as then contact by a firm instructed by the insurers to deal with allocation of a car in no fault claims. I provided information about the accident and what had been arranged before and in the morning. In both instances it was agreed that further action would await the assessment of the Body Care Centre on the island.

As a consequence of the telephone calls I did not reach the Body Care garage until 11 and by 12 the duty manager showed me what had been done which was for a fully functioning light indicator unit taped into the space where the previous had been. It was evident there was no problem driving across the island to the ferry so I asked about continuing home and was assured there should be no difficult about this. I was thrilled at this development. I was able to drive without anxiety tot he ferry where although I arrive an hour before departure there was already three lanes of vehicles waiting. I was also able to relax on the ferry before arriving as scheduled around 2.30 at Southampton.

The weather conditions were good for driving but I made a mistake travelling in the wrong direction on reaching the M27 which meant having to continuing to the next exit and returning and feeling hungry. Although I had had an excellent breakfast I decided to call in at the same area motorway service station as I had on the outward journey and although I object to the excessive pricing of the food provision I opted for some fish and chops with peas and which is cooked fresh within ten minutes for a nor unreasonable price of £6 in the circumstances. Had there been two of us the price per head would have been reduced to £5. The service area is a quiet one as service areas go and mid afternoon there was no one ordering or eating a cooked meal. There was a young assistant who asked how I was while I looked to see what meal I wanted and standing to one side was another gentleman. Having passed the order to the cook he asked about a drink and I said I would eat the meal first and then decide so I went to a table asking about payment understanding that the account would be settled when I decided about a drink. The meal was brought and was excellent and I I decided I would like a cup of tea. There was no one present at the food counter and after a few minutes I was able to attract the attention of the cook through a glass door and the other man, who looked a service manager as he was in civilian clothes and not service area uniform provided the tea for which I was charged and I had to remind that I had not paid for the fish and chips. I know most people would have not bothered and the thought crossed my mind that it was being chalked up to the management after I briefly explained about being lucky to be there my vehicle having been hit from behind by a bus and the vehicle being made roadworthy to make the journey home

I would like to be able that the journey to the Travel Lodge at Donnington service area was otherwise uneventful. I was aware, or so I thought that having gone through Oxford and joined the M40 it was only a short distance before turning off the motorway and joining the link road which passes near the Silverstone Grand Prix track to the M1. However I was thrown when on seeing the exist it was not also marked M1 and given that I was in a steady flow of traffic I decided to continue to the next turn away and cross back if this was not the right junction. The motorway continued for close on half an hour and 30 miles before the next junction at Banbury. I did nto think it would be easy to get to the M1 from here and considered continuing to the midland where I knew the M40 joined the motorway link around Birmingham, but where it should be possible to cut across to the Mr earlier in the area of Warwick and Coventry. I decided to exist and find a service area or stopping place and all I found was large dark roundabout and continuing towards Banbury, not one but two roundabouts with no stopping or service areas. I decided to return to the M40 and continue northwards and stopping at a service area to check directions. Unfortunately instead of taking the road down to the M40 North I took the dual carriageway road to Brackley and realising the mistake took the first slip road as a means of crossing over and back. Big mistake. This proved to be a one way and leading to what appeared to be a going nowhere country lane but when I attempted to reverse there were clearly marked no entry signs the way I had come. There were only a couple of buildings in dark except for one light. This was a residential school, presumably closed because of half term. I went along the drive and because there was a giant of a solid door I looked in at the window to show myself to what transpired to be the only individual still at the establishment.

Hey came to the door and I explained the problem and was invited into look at the map. I was advised to continue down the lane for what transpired to be a mile or two and then came out at T junction with the right turn taking me down to a roundabout and then down the other side of the dual carriageway back to the roundabout and M40, where I continued until reaching a service area where I stopped for a coffee and a look at the map. The journey to the M69 and M1 just before the Leicester Forest Service area continued to be difficult because of major roadwork developments and inadequate sign posting and it was with relief that I arrived at the Donnington service area. I thought I had noted the name of the establishment that had given the assistance and various searches over the past few days have been without success. I have written ti the Oxfordshire County Council to enquire if they can help as I would like to write and express my thanks,

The Donnington Travel Lodge is the most interesting I have experienced in my experience and I must have stayed at least thirty around the country on or nearer the M1 and AI roadways, in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire and the Midlands, the greater London area, the Home Counties and the South Coast, and South Wales. The Travel Lodge is a first floor building above the rectangular food and shopping service court but on two sides with a first level walkway i side the court so that there are rooms looking into the seating area and one side of the stores. I was near the lift with a view across to Marks and Spencer’s food and W H Smith’s newsagents. The room was as spacious as that three nights before and I arrived in time to watch the X factor, to undertake a little writing and to have an early night. Despite the location is was much quieter than with the motorway in earshot

The following morning I was awake early and found that as forecast the weather had become horrendous with fierce driving rain from high winds. I was soaked getting the luggage and myself into the car. It was said that the weather would pass over by the afternoon but teh idea of staying until midday when the departure was required and then sitting in the seating area until the weather cleared did not appeal but on reflection it would have been a better decision.

It is several years since there was any pleasure in driving on the motorway where any speed of under 70 miles an hour in any lane means that one has other vehicles clamouring for you to get out of their way or move faster. The journey from Donning home is almost 180 miles of motorway or dual carriageway and throughout there were notices warning of surface water, driving spray and high winds and recommending a top speed of 50 miles an hour. I was not alone in observing these requests but we were a significant minority as everyone else disregarded the warnings and hurtled along at 70 miles and more. There was one serious accident ahead which resulted in standings till on the motorway for 15 minutes or more before there was a one lane filter permitted by the police and some distance further there was another accident on the other side with a 10 miles or tailback in continuing nasty and dangerous conditions.

Around 11 I stopped at the newish Wetherby service area and paid an outrageous £4.50 for a Danish pastry and coffee but I despite the price I enjoyed it greatly. I had bought two pints of milk at the service area and on the way into Shields called in at Tesco for fruit and salad, I then bout two medium sized chickens and a carton of spiced spare ribs for £10, the latter I enjoyed as my Sunday meal mid afternoon. It was good to be home whatever was to happen next.

This I will leave to report on tomorrow.

1820 A funeral and personal disaster

On Thursday 29th October I was awake at 7am and was at the Morrison’s Retford, shortly before its opening at 8pm, and making my way to the cafe, I was second in line for a breakfast. However the I was able to select an Early Flier which was brought to the table with a matter of minutes. comprising two sausages, over done bacon and an egg over fried bread, naughty naughty, with half a slice of tomato. It cost £2.27 without coffee compared to the feast with voucher for £1.99 experienced over the past month. I bought what I thought was a BLT sandwich cut into triangles on a platter with crisps and a little salad. Later one of the triangles was cheese and pickle. I had thermos coffee made at the Travel Lodge

Instead of continuing into Nottingham on the 614 link road I branched off towards Leicester which is slower in the first instance being single lanes and with a couple of traffic lights, but then becomes dual carriageway over the last 15 miles to the motorway about 45 mins in time. It is then Fast Track all the way to the Oxford turn off and through to the junction with the M40 which can be busy at the roundabout beforehand. Similarly coming off the M40 after a short distance for the A34 which by passes the city from north to south and confirmed my estimate of a two hour no rush leg of the journey.

I stopped for a second coffee, the sandwich and a comfort break around midday well on the way and in fact it is only an hours drive at 60mph into the outskirts of Southampton. However I was confused by the AA directions and hesitatingly joined the signposted M27 to the East Docks. I decided on another comfort break and relax at the first service area after joining the new Motorway rather than find someone to park within the city. I had hoped to log on to the internet here but encountered problems after doing so twice, first when eliminating the email bumph of the day and then when in the process of buying Euro lottery tickets. I decided to try once more again and then give up having missed the opportunity to use the Southampton Travel Lodge connection by this route and flying past the Premier Lodge at the service area which may have used the same link. There was no problem the third time and purchased two Lottery tickets for the Friday draw.

I was still early on arrival in the city and shortly before the Red Funnel Ferry Dock gate, turned left into a large car parking areas and shopping facility which includes major stores as well as single storey stores such as Boots and Staples where I went to check the cost of white card and white paper.

The cost of white card has trebled since commencing my work although I was able to stock up by visiting Staples stores along the route to London and back to buy 5 ream sets for £25 with a two for one offer and which kept me going for two years. Later I was able to buy the 250 ream packs for around £4 and £5 but now the cheapest is £6 and standards quality around £9. Now for £12.50 to £25 it is possible to get 5 500 page reams of printing paper.

I have several reams of such paper in stock bought several years ago which I will begin to use as well as checking to see if there are white backing cards from existing completed sets which can used for printing. Obviously if my financial situation changes or if it is possible to obtain funding to put the work on display when completed then the card deficiency can be rectified. I have been thinking recently about taking steps to ensure the work is looked after in an appropriate way upon my death whether completed or not, particularly the confidential elements.


It was only after the short walk around the car park to see the stores and facilities available that I saw one of the notices reminding that only the first 30 mins use was free so I set off still over an hour before the scheduled ferry departure. I was able to park close to the ferry just before the riverside carpark and walkway, the ten minutes or so before being the second vehicle then waiting for the arrival of the next ferry. By mistake I handed over the return ticket instead of the outward bound.

I was in fact the fourth vehicle allowed to board with a place at the front of the upper car deck and was able to select a front facing window seat for the 5 pm departure. It was an enjoyable crossing which last just under an hour. There were a couple of cruise ships elsewhere and two large container ships. There were lots of excited children and young people looking forward to a half term weekend on the island. There were also people talking boats and races including participation in the Fastnet,

It was very dark on leaving East Cowes and the route to Newport an onto Sandown is full of unlit twisting and hilly country stretches with some opportunity to use full beam. It was sixty years since two childhood family holidays on the island that in 2008 I took the bus from Ryde to Sandown and as I now know we travelled along the A 3055, a stretch called the Broadway and turning right into a one way residential road with cars parked on both sides before the Albert Crescent and a stop as this joins Victoria Road and the B3329 Road to Ryde and which is also joined by the Broadway further away from the High Street and Esplanade.

On Thursday evening I was unaware of the names and numbers of these roads but seeing a sign on my right town centre and esplanade I had continued on the road to Ryde, also signposted being in a flow of traffic, turned right and returned to the main road and had taken the town centre esplanade road, for some reason believing that the road to the hotel was off the high street. What I did not know is that had I just continued a little further along the Road to Ryde I could have taken a right turn in the road where the hotel for the next two nights is located. That error could have cost me my life or serious injury on the following evening. As it is I remain shaken and upset by what happened and worry about the financial implications despite being the victim and volunteering witnesses.

Having reached the High Street I decided to stop and seek directions and found someone who was able to accurately direct me to continue on to Beachfield Road from the High and then turn sharp right up the hill back onto the Broadway and then continue on to the right turn road for the Hotel, with the warning that the turn was easily missed. What would have been helpful is to say that the road was after the turn marked town centre and esplanade.

As you should guess having reached the turn to the town centre and esplanade I took it again, thinking I had missed my turning and thought I had better ask again and saw an individual walking along Station Avenue towards the junction with Fitzroy Street so I stopped in the road as there was no other traffic but I was told to move around the corner because as I was to learn buses treat Station Avenue as a bus lane. After getting the directions I noted a bus travelling along the road, a residential one at 30mph.

I was pleased to arrive at the hotel where I received a warm welcome as the owners come from the North East, one born in Jarrow and the other from South Shields. There were other guests who had arrived for the funeral and they and waiting for me for a while and then gone out for an evening meal. I retired to my room, unpacked and had a light supper of soup and dry crackers, a tin of baked beans and a carton of delicious grapes.

In 2003 my relative and the deceased had visited Gibraltar with me and another relative and her husband, taking the ashes of my care mother for burial in the tomb of her parents. In January of this year the husband of my relative had died and not the second male of the party had also died. We had all planned to meet up in my visit to the Island in July and I met the widow for lunch in Sandown having travelled from Newport where I was staying at the Island Travel Lodge and travelled by car along the Broadway, along Station Avenue, into the High Street and then down to the esplanade where I had parked. After the meal we had walked to Shanklin and Ventnor along teh sea front and got a bus back to Sandown.

I had also visited the deceased during the afternoons of my stay on the island and had occasion to visit his lovely home and gardens where he was able to return during his prolonged illness and where there had been indications of a recovery.

John was six years older than me and spent the greater part of his life in midlands working in the ceramics industry before deciding he wanted to be become and teacher and commenced a career as a primary school teacher, then a headmaster and then with responsibilities for a number of schools within the Education department of a local authority. He had come to the island to live a couple fo decades before where he was able to enjoy his love of walking. Throughout the greater part fo his life he was not only a walker but enjoyed being a volunteer walk leader in the UK and taking parties to show off the island home he had adopted.

In the summer I had visited Bembridge unrecognisable from the open countryside of the caravan holiday just after the end of World War two, with the village spreading over previous farmland to the rocky headland where there is still no seaside facilities. There is a Lifeboat station and shop where the pier was beings strengthened and parts replaced. There was also a small cafe on the beachside. There is also the Warner Residential holiday Hotel for adults only with an inclusive range of sporting and entertainment facilities on the large site and where at present a couple or two friends can share a double room with bed and breakfast and a full evening meal for £50 a head and enjoy the wide range of facilities although this does exclude the special entertainment weekends and other special activity holiday.

I had sat on a seat near my car and answering the mobile phone with directions to John’s home walking through the grounds of the Warner hotel I had left the car keys on a bench where they had been found by someone who had sat on the seat and then taken them into the Lifeboat shop when I had not returned and his and my cars were the only ones then in the car park. On leaving John’s home I had been unable to find my car keys but on reaching the vehicle there was a map pinner to the side of the car with the telephone number of addressed of a worker at he Lifeboat store who had returned home at the end of the afternoon session. Amazingly the individual lived around the corner from John and they had both attended the same line dancing group about a decade before.

I had an excellent full English breakfast superior in every respect and decided that I would visit the Springwood Woodland Cemetery New church on the way to Ryde where I was meeting a relative and friend before the funeral mass. I had not heard about Woodland burial sites until the death of John. I have since found there are some 30 sites in England and others in Wales and Scotland, with the nearest to the North East at Carlisle, Although the site was marked at Newchurch on the main road it is easily passed by except for a natural car park before woodland. The site comprises consecrated and un consecrated burial areas. A large part of the site now comprises mature trees with natural walkways and wood seating areas. To one side there are new areas being used where the trees are saplings. In many instances there is only a small plaque by the tree to indicate the individual human being and some a perennial flowering plants and some plantings covering the area of a normal grave. The sun was shining and it was a warmish day which added to the peaceful setting. It is usually the practice to use a environmentally friendly coffin, of the wicker kind which is biodegradable and some crematoria give discounts if such a coffin is used because less energy is required.

I had been unsure about he location and continued for a quarter of mile before turning around as I had seen the Funeral Directors and market garden on the other side of the road. I decided to see if there were any suitable pot plants and took time to select a pinky white and pinky red with variegated leaves which seemed appropriate and suitable.

Throughout the stay I stopped to ask directions and received accurate and helpful guidance and I thought the driving of cars and buses matched the nature of the country roads and by ways, I had stopped first, I think it is Kite hill where there is a bridge over an inlet, and then passed Fishbourne which I had used earlier in the year and then into Ryde where there was a significant traffic hold up because of road works

I found the one way system confusing and found myself going out of town again so I arrived at Ryde by midday but failed to find the difficult to reach car park at the back of the St Mary’s Church and stopped and was given excellent directions by a young man and found a place at within the church precincts overlooked by a boarded and window broken convent building behind the church. This car park is only open for masses and is otherwise locked. Across the narrow one way lane there is a second car park used for the community centre and for those who are in the know and use the town centre for other reasons. I went along the yard and noticed a coffee shop part of the church wall and checking that there was a toilet, I made myself comfortable before enjoying a coffee and a biscuit. I then went in search of a Smiths to but a Daily Mail which offered a DVD the Cassandra only to find that for once Smiths was not distributing. I had missed the Smith on the walk down from the church and encountered the same young man who had given directions for the church and who pointed out that I had gone past the building. I suggested that he would make an excellent tourist guide should such a job ever be needed.

I was joined by a relative and her friend and we went for a hot drink. I could not help remarking that this was an extraordinary situation. Over 55 years before as secondary level school children we had “knocked about” together for a short while and then I had no contact with the friend until a family funeral in January and we were meeting again because of a second funeral within year and because the former school friend had made the island home.

There had been a funeral mass in the morning and on returning the car after the coffee and visit to Smiths I had met the priest and his assistant as they left the church, went to their cars and drove off. Seeing me standing there, teh priest asked if I was alright and I explained that I was early for the afternoon mass and was waiting for a relative and friend.

The mass was scheduled for 2pm but did not begin until 2.30 because as the priest explained he had been out to lunch with the Dean and has been caught up unexpectedly in traffic delays. Later when a neighbour spoke movingly about John’s, life he could not resist mentioning that he had often joked with him that he would be late for his own funeral.
I was able to follow the funeral car from thee church to the Woodland burial grounds and the route was across country, through narrow country lanes with passing places and one which I am sure John would have taken on his walks around the island. The sun had gone in and it became cold in the mid afternoon before the increasingly early nightfall. I set off to go back to the hotel on my own as I wanted to relax and perhaps write before the provision of food and drink and social chat. I had switched the mobile phone on to check for messages forgetting to turn it off again and entering Lake just outside of Sandown it had sounded for a text, so I turned off the road into the nearby public car park and read the message. I then returned to the main road and continued in a steady flow of traffic into Sandown along Broadway looking for the turning to the right for the hotel and coming to the road signposted town centre and esplanade I thought I would go down and from there reach the hotel as directed the previous evening.

It is inappropriate to detail what then happened for the time being. What I can say is that my vehicle was hit from behind on the passenger seat corner and the light, indicator and stop lights demolished rending the vehicle unroadworthy. I was not hurt physically but stunned. How I managed to get home and survived a nightmarish journey Sunday will be the subject of the next writing.

1819 Second journey to Isle fo Wight this year begins

I have been on an emotional roller coaster over the past week to ten days and this has affected sleep patterns and ability to concentrate.

I wrote this a week ago and little did I know just what kind of a roller coaster the end of the week would bring. I do not have the words to describe intense emotional experience and I remain resolute in not referring to other individuals if they are living without their permission or the subject has already been made public access. This time I will be making reference at some point although I will do so in such a manner as not to make a difficult situation worse.

Monday, 26th October was a day when I found it difficult to get going and instead of working played the new games on the computer especially as I had two break through’s with moving several stages in Luxor Mahjong and ending this morning at state 9 and three million points and with the original Luxor game also breaking the stage 5.4 a barrier for the first time and moving to the sixth level and also three million points. I need to go out to the bank this afternoon and will watch an opera on the Metropolitan Opera player later but I expect to continue with another monster game on Luxor Rising where the objective now is to reach 10 million points and complete all the stages, although I anticipate this will not be achieved immediately.

It was therefore mid afternoon when I prepared to go out to the bank to pay £25 Premium Bond winnings and then take the Metro train to Newcastle to visit the Tyneside Film Theatre where I was confident I would find my umbrella and then book a ticket for the relay of Turandot on November 7th. However before departing I discovered that the Odeon Cinemas were showing a relay of The Barber of Seville “Figaro” from Madrid and having closed the computer I decided to take the car to the Metro Centre and investigate if there was a showing at the cinema and obtain information about future presentations and then take a train or bus to Newcastle to visit the Tyneside Film Theatre.

The Gateshead Metro centre is the biggest out of town shopping complex in the UK It comprises a four Mall indoor centre with three connecting shopping channels on two floors plus other shopping facilities such as Ikea, Furniture show rooms and specialist stores and outside restaurants not accommodated with the Malls. There have been two changes over recent years with the development of the Red Mall with a Debenhams store at its end and the closure of the yellow Mall indoor Funfare which is where I had expected the Odeon Cinema to be. On the upper floor connecting channel there are new restaurants including a huge Cafe Rouge and an eat as much you want Buffet from £7. There are Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Indian and Chinese as well as USA style Steak Houses in this area as part of the 50 inns, fast food, coffee and sandwich outlets and full restaurant service establishments. Alas there was large hoarding where the entrance will be to announce that the cinema will open in December. I then made my way to the Travel centre and caught the first bus to Newcastle city centre.

This arrives at the new basement level bus station adjacent tot he existing pavement level station which serves the city and Northumberland with the lower level catering for Gateshead South of Tyne and Durham. From here there are now direct access into the John Lewis and Boots stores previously only basement levels services, to the relocated Argos and a few other stores including a food sandwiches and drinks to take away store. As the bus approached the station it passed the new development wing to the store which includes the biggest Debenhams I have seen, at least from the outside. There was also a notice to say that the Green Market had reopened at its new site with more stalls available later but there was no time to explore.

I made my way through the centre to the Haymarket Metro exit and then to the Tyneside Film Theatre where they could not find the umbrella at the box office but it was held in the coffee lounge restaurant and bar. I then bought a ticket for Turandot in November and had to settle for the stalls as the as Classic Circle was sold out. The assistant admitted that one can still hear the metro trains rumbling below ground but at least one can choose a seat by arriving early although there was still a charge of £17 and this was a concession,

Absentmindedly I made my way into the underground station as I had done homeward bound on the Saturday and then remembered I was on the busses. The trip took three hours door to door because of the rush hour traffic. It is only this evening that I discovered that the UCI cinema still signposted has been taken over by the Odeon which explains the list of films for this theatre on their website. I only realised the situation when looking at the Metro centre locate a store map which listed the Odeon where the UCI used to be and after I had contacted the cinema chain by email to express my dissatisfaction at having motored 20 miles each way in vain!

I had returned to the Odeon site to check out the remaining relay showing this year and next until May. It was at this point I discovered a discrepancy between what was shown of he Covent Garden Film Theatre site and that on the Odeon. This caused embarrassment because I had notified others of a particular event. It could be that the particular relay has been sold out at the particular cinema and further enquiries will have to be made to v certain. What was established is that the big relays from La Scala Milan, Madrid and Salzburg are only at the central London Odeon Covent Garden and this included Il Travatore from Madrid and Carmen from Milan. I decided to stay a extra night on my Christmas trip as it was possible to get a reasonable rate where I was already staying. What is amazing is that a premium seat with an over 60 concession came to under £9 including the booking fee.

I was tempted to make a special trip to see the Carmen until finding the cost of the train fare. I could Travel down on the day of the showing which is at 5pm and in theory return afterwards with the 10pm back arriving in the early hours. The coach is available for a quarter of the price but my coaching days are over unless absolutely necessary.

It was 9pm on Tuesday evening before I was in a position to watch an opera on the Metropolitan Opera House player. Before doing on the TV link I wanted to hear the sound on a set of small portable speakers which only require a sound out connection and a USB lead for the power link and they work very well, and in fact I am listening in my travel lodge room to an audio production of Carmen with Carreras from March 1987, while having an evening meal of chicken soup with pepper crackers, baked beans and a carton of black and green grapes. Last night I settled for the HD version of Madam Butterfly which is the first time I have seen HD on my TV not prepared to pay the extra £10 a month required by Sky. I was impressed and again moved by the and performance.

There was no problem connecting to the Metropolitan Opera site but I had to download several extras from Windows as well as from McAfee. Tonight there were even more problems because the lap top caught up with the desk top in downloading Vista pack 2. There was then a problem connecting to Met site although I had logged online via the Travel Lodge link without problems.

The impact of Madam Butterfly last night was such that I was not ready for bed and played Luxor long past I should getting only a few hours sleep before waking just before the alarm sounded at 7.

I was travelling in two stages to the Isle of Wight for the funeral of a close friend of a relative and the original plan was to arrive in the Midland for lunch, but was changed so I had plenty of time to travel the 150 to 160 miles to reach the Travel Lodge for the earliest booking in time of 3 pm

However as there is continued work on the house further alone the back lane and the workmen leave their vehicle blocking the exit I wanted to get my car fully loaded and out of the garage and on to the street before 8, accomplishing this was ease. I did not leave the house until 9 and made the short journey of less than a mile to the station car park where I had had to pay £1 not having the change for an hour’s stay for 70pence. It was then breakfast at the Wetherspoons for £1.99 the last of the vouchers. The couple ahead of me were doing the same and we settled for the meal without tomatoes. It was not as well cooked and presented as previously. There have been different staff on every visit so far.

Rather than go straight into Sunderland in search of a black tie I decided to try Shield’s high street, King Street, without expecting to find one and was surprised that Burton’s had both a plain black and textured black as well as a slim black among small selection in the store. Well done Burton‘s.

On the year I went through a phase of constant indigestion and then with more careful eating, exercise and weight reduction, this ended but I had eaten the breakfast quickly and decided to get some indigestion tablets heading for Wilkinson’s where I thought I might also find some decaf coffee. The tablets are excellent value at 48 for 96 pence and as effective as anything costs two to three times as much. I spotted some attractive and excellent value Christmas Cards and popped into M and S for BLT for lunch, and a couple of other cards for immediate use and was away on my trip just after 10.30. However I did not journey far before deciding that I needed another coffee and stopped at the KFC off the A19 before the Boro. It was then a relaxed drive behind nearside lane Traffic average 60 MPH all the way passing the Blythe Service area where I am staying on to the Morrison’s supermarket at the ancient market town of Retford. Here I eat my sandwich, bought some cold still water and discovered they had black dinner plates similar to my existing one having broken the other recently. I wrapped this unplanned purchase in a rug and deposited in a secure part of luggage area. I then found the Morrison’s petrol garage on a separate site and for once had no trouble removing the petrol tank cap. After an engaging conversation with the reception staff, unpacking and a cup of coffee, I felt tired.

This is one the better Travel Lodges with above average space and appointments There are three electric points separate from the coffee and tea tray which has its own alcove next to open shelves and the open clothes hanging area. The case and haversack fit on a shelf between this fitment and the desk top. There is a full size sofa bed in addition to the king size double bed. There is also a low level full size bath with two good grab rails. The only drawback was being road side.

I relaxed, wrote a draft of the above, played some games and listened to sound only recording of Carmen from the Metropolitan Opera site with the two speakers brought for the purpose. For the evening meal I enjoyed a tin of baked beans and tin of rice pudding, having eaten the BLT on arrival. I enjoyed a good soak and generally relaxed.

It was my intention to have written about the journey to the Isle of Wight the following day to conclude this piece of writing. But what happened when I went in search for the hotel on the Isle has become one of the key moments in the personal nightmare which was to unfold.