23rd November 2024 - Flood and Stupidity

Thought for the day :"I'm so misunderstood that I often can't understand myself"

Rain and floods - and broken car

Can't believe that the week has gone so we looked at the terrible weather and decided to give ourselves at least an hour and a half  extra travel time to get Jan and Iris back to Cardiff Airport in time for their five o'clock flight time.

Decision to not go over the top, so heading along for the Newcastle Emlyn road as it was likely to be more clear than the Pencader road.

Heading down the Adpar hill just before Newcastle Emlyn and found that the culvert was blocked and the water had gathered in the dip ..

Too used to having the four by four I suppose, but decided  to give it a try rather than lose half and hour on our journey with weather getting worse. A Mitsubushi drove through easily and so I gave it a go - foolishly!!   Got half way through and the engine died - we were in two feet of water - just above the door sill though we did not get out straight away.

The Mitsubushi kindly backed up to us with a ratchet strap so I got out and struggled to find any place to attach the strap, having to lie down in the water to reach under. The Volvo towing hook was not in the car so in the end we tagged it onto the wing and told him to pull slowly - as the wing started coming off we stopped. In the end we pushed the car out of the water and onto the dry...

Fingers crossed I hoped that it might start when out of the water - no chance.

Calling Susie to get the Vercta out and come to us so we could continue the journey - sadly I had the Vectra keys in my pocket after swapping the cars first thing!

(Note to self : Always check and leave other keys at home)

Of course that meat that the Landie was also blocked in 

Enter Sarah to the rescue - she drove her bog charger up to the waters edge ad the Mitsibushi drove Jan and Iris and their cases and coats back through the water - I was so wet that I just waded through.

Council turned up about then.

A Jan's eye view of the disaster 
(He is a worrier at the best of times)

Decisions - did not have enough time to return to Rhydlewis to collect the Vectra so Sarah, being the star that she is, drove us all to Cardiff - me dripping on the front seat.

Briton Ferry Bridge closed for high winds!!

All traffic off at Briton Ferry and rejoined at Baglan - add 40 minutes to journey !!

So got there with 2 minutes to spare for the recommended time of arrival 4pm and as there are only four planes a day in Cardiff at the moment - they were through security by 4.20pm and caught their Flights to Hannover.

Not been a good record for their return trips.

2023 - Missed Bristol due to traffic and had to go to Heathrow for overnight stay and buy new tickets.
2024 May - Caught Cardiff plane ion good time - delayed flight meant missed connection in Holland and had to have overnight stay 

2024 November - delayed journey but caught flight s and got home safely on time

As Jan says - three time it become a tradition - not a tradition that we want. 

Waited around for the RAC as the Police did not want to leave the car ion the bend where it was .

Went to meet them at 10pm and after an hour was told it could be all night and that they were sending a technician not a recovery - so it could be later again .

Then, when I said that it would need a recovery due to the water damage - the RAC lass said that if I had gone into water then it was not covered and would be charged - for the technician and for the recovery so I decided to leave it there and go home to bed. It had been a long day !

Thanks again to Sarah for actions well above and beyond duty!

Cheers !