Barkeep's Blog - Vollsanger

April 23rd 2012 - Home Again Home Again Jiggedy Jig...

7.30am and Susie was out with the dog's giving the a walk after the night in the van. Managed to get a hotel room looking out at the van so we were able to check that they were not making any noise in the night.
8am and the alarm goes off and the aches and pains if the last few days have all descended upon my body. Limping like an old man I get out and manage to drink a cup of tea.

8.30am and we are on the road home. Decision not to get breakfast until Sainsbury's at Reading - almost half was home.  Onto the road and the skies open. we finally get the weather that had been threatened for the last weekend. All in all - it can rain !! The Marquee was packed away dry. Always a win!
Somehow managed to lose East Grinstead on the road home (Daphne was turned off of course!!). So managed to see the excellent decor and surroundings of Tunbridge wells - a place with which I was previously unaccustomed.

I am not one to suffer from Road Rage. However, when you are traveling at a steady 55mph, and being a considerate White Van Driver, I was today slightly incensed by the number of car drivers who feel that texting on their mobile phone while driving in rain and spray conditions is acceptable behavior. The fact that the first three that I saw I examined due to their complete lack of roadcraft - changing lanes, taking unsuitable matching speed on joining the motorway, half overtaking and then slowing down - makes it even worse in my view. I would just like one or two of them to know that I was sitting in a 3.5 ton mass of momentum - and was sitting a lot higher than their vehicle in the event of collision, and have a full conviction that they would have been the major casualty in any impact.

On the subject of impact - I was also slightly amused by the way that the signage on the M25 ( in particular - it may be others as well) means that emergency telephones now have to have additional signs. I noted that someone has had the bright idea that someone standing at the emergency phone may be at risk of being knocked over, and therefore the crash barriers have been changed - allowing a 10 yard overlap on the barrier - a safe haven for the stranded!!  No problem with that - seems a good idea. Particularly since the instructions from emergency services are NOT to stay in your vehicle if broken down. What I found a bit over the top is that next to the phone - there is a little sign saying that "Access to Telephone in 20 yards" . Umm - that means that if you are standing just in front of the telephone - someone thinks you need a sign to tell you that you have to walk a bit (10 yards  maybe) to find where the barrier is overlapped. to get back to where you are in the safety of the telephone call...    These signs are at every phone - meaning every mile - around the M25. Well someone has made some money !!

Late breakfast at Sainsbury's - £4.29 plus a cup of tea/coffee.  Nowhere to walk the dogs but they seem to be happy. Well Rusty is happy - Deft seems to be wanting to tuck her head in any hole towards the back of the van and hide. Put the curtain down so she can't see out the front - but she was still not very happy.

Stop off at at Games shop at Penarth to deliver a case of Banquet Mead. As they only open between 11am and 7 pm - t is the third time that we have tried to drop the case off - always arriving at the wrong time . Owner had forgotten the order but was happy to accept.  (Note to self - send receipt via email). Must be one of the most traveled cases of Mead - having gone to Ashton in Kent and Back - Glastonbury and Back and now Eastbourne and back.

Since we were in Penarth - seemed silly not to take the opportunity to pop into IKEA for candles. One of our main requirements is an unlimited supply of tea lights - for the tables and lanterns etc. Inflation is hitting the business. 100 Glimma Tea Lights were £1.67 in January. Now 2.99 . An increase of £1.32 per 100.  Also a restriction to 6 packets per customer. Well there were two of us there  so we managed to get 12 packets, some chandelier candles and  two new solar globes. £68.50p  Will be looking for alternatives for our staple light source straight away.



Wales proves brighter than England for weather - but still showers and spary for the final part of the journey. Arrive home at 4.30pm and unload the major items - leaving the rest on the van for tomorrow.
Dogs are happy to be home. Weren't fed last night while staying in the van - so happy to have an early dinner. Susie off to the good ship Tesco to get some provisions.

Time to fire up the computer and check Facebook ....... (hmm and put the heating on !!)