An interesting weekend, this. Our original plan was for me, Simon and dad to converge on Bewdley yesterday afternoon/evening, where mum would have produced a bountiful birthday feast. There would be food, wine and presents, and a good time would be had by all. Today we were going to see Harry Potter at the cinema, and then for dinner by the river in Worcester.
Here is a summary of what has actually happened so far.
Me: Left work at 5, arrived at Coventry station at 5.15. Bought ticket. Discovered that trains were not going to feature heavily in my life. Was put in a taxi by a nice man from Virgin Trains and dispatched to New Street with four other people. Arrived at New Street at 6.30. Walked to Moor Street. Given directions to nearest stop for number 9 bus. Got on bus to Stourbridge at 6.45. Arrived at Stourbridge at 7.45. Taxi to Bewdley. Mum paid taxi £25. And I was the lucky one.
Simon: Left Reading on the only train going north after an electrical storm had cut the power to the train lines. Arrived in Oxford. Boarded a replacement bus service to Moreton in Marsh (about an hour from our house) where mum was going to meet him. Moreton cut off from all forms of civilisation. Spent the night in the town hall drinking Fosters with other stranded young men. Phoned the house at 6am today to say he thought the roads were clearing now. Boarded a bus to Worcester Shrub Hill station. Still on the bus.
Mum: Turned back from her mission to get Simon after meeting closed roads and floods at every turn. Managed to drive the new car back to Bewdley through several foot-deep puddles. Cooked birthday dinner for two and we consumed a bottle of pink champagne. Set off to get Simon at 6.30 this morning; now at a friend's house in Worcester having met more closed roads when trying to go further than this, waiting to see if Simon ever gets to Shrub Hill.
Dad: Left Swansea and managed to get to Hereford before wisely concluding that he could go no further. Stayed in a hotel overnight. Conducted research by phoning me and asking me to look up roads on the net. Currently heading for Abergavenny in an attempt to get to the recently re-opened M5. No currently available way of crossing directly from Herefordshire to Worcestershire.
Cinema and restaurant: Under several feet of water.
British weather: Total and utter pants.
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2 comments:
Aww hun - massive hugs! Kindof comedy in a really not comedy way. I think it's the way you write them. Hope you all manage to meet up for at least some time today or tomorrow x x
This is all just crazy, can't believe it's in the middle of July. I'm trapped in Herefordshire at the moment - I was meant to be travelling across to my grandparents in Bucks yesterday before Judi was meeting me today and we were going to drive up to my old flatmate's goodbye party nr Ely (he's leaving for Japan for a year). Couldn't travel on the Friday due to flooding so thought we'd see what the situation was today, and it's still no go so will miss the party. If we could get to the other side of Gloucestershire then we would be OK for the rest of the journey, but there's flooding in so many places across Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire that it's looking very tricky to get through.
I was hoping to spend my birthday on Monday at my grandparents and then go to see the Lion King in London on Tuesday, so hopefully we'll be able to get through by then else I think I'll be gutted.
I can't really complain though when you consider what some people are going through and the no. of houses ruined - it's a sorry state of affairs.
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