This trip was meant to be a new level for me, B&B’s the whole way, a wheelie bag instead of my backpack, a hired car oh and travelling with mum. Luxury sophisticated travel!
My dislike of the wheelie bag started while packing, I didn’t know where to put things, my system of packing wasn’t there, ok I know those of you who have travelled with me and seen my mess of a bag wont believe I have one but I do! I had no idea what I had packed but it seemed a hell of a lot
It wasn’t until I started to wheel the bag when we arrived at the airport and dad said ‘oh yes that’s right the wheel doesn’t work properly’ that I started to worry. It didn’t seem too bad, just dragged a little. Enough to welcome the fact Cathy came to pick me up from the station tho. But more about my annoying wheelie bag soon.
The first day I met mum at green park and we wandered through. They are already setting up all the media tents for the royal wedding. Im a great travel guide I managed to loose mum at our first major tourist attraction, outside Buckingham Palace. Yep a major feat in itself!
I did want to get a photo to prove mum was actually in London but I thought a picture of her and lots of tourists wouldn’t be that appealing to you all. They were already gathering for the changing of the guard and it wasn’t on for another hour. We decided that wasn’t for us. Mainly cause I think mum was scared I was going to hit the next tourist who decided to pitch their spot for the changing of the guard right where I was trying to take a photo.
The next day Simon managed to get some time off and we had a family afternoon. This involved Simon and I doing our usual lazy tour and running out of time for everything we wanted to do. We got so caught up in catching up that poor mum with her little legs and wanting to take pictures almost got left behind numerous times! We are so used to London that we kept getting surprised that mum wanted to stop.
We decided to take the plunge and check out the London Dungeons for something very touristy and supposedly fun. But we got accosted by some guy in gruesome makeup I think he was meant to be crying blood. He gave us pamphlets for the London Bridge exhibition. Voted London’s scariest tourist experience. We kept walking only to get accosted by his mate a big fellow with his throat cut. He gave us children’s price tickets and literally pushed us across the road to the exhibition. We pretty much had no choice but to go I think he would have dragged us there kicking and screaming if we didn’t! There was meant to be a history part first which geeks that we are we wanted more than the scary bit. Lets just say it got better but I really wondered what we had wasted our money on at the start. If we hadn’t been rushed to join the last group which left in 2 min we may have understood it as we would have got the welcome video. But typical of us we just got there just in time.
Simon and I were quite mean and both rushed to join the congo line when it came to the scary part, so that left poor mum as last in line. Lets just say we think she may have had nightmares of a guy with a chain saw that night! Sim also now has a hatred of clowns but that’s more because the clown got quiet bossy when we couldn’t find the way. Me well ive never been on a ghost ride and ive watched too many movies I wasn’t looking forward to it. But actually I quiet enjoyed it! I wouldn’t have liked to be the guy in front of me on the congo line though.
So after another rush to make it to the theatre on time, buying tickets as the bell to take your seats was ringing. We parted with the agreement to meet at the entrance to platform 5 Paddington station at 8am the next morning. Seems simple doesn’t it?
Luckily I left in the morning in plenty of time as the 15 min walk to the station took 25 min with the bag. I was ready to send it back to dad right then and there.
I got the Paddington with plenty of time. Picked up the tickets and waited for mum. And waited. Getting a bit worried I finally sent her a message only to find out there is another smaller entrance to Paddington and she had somehow managed to be waiting at the entrance to platform 5 there. Still we got together with plenty time or so we thought. I went to get coffee and they took forever. I was watching the clock, saying its ok it will arrive soon. Nope I had to leave without it. Running to mum, she was struggling to drag my bag and hers towards the barriers. We had two minutes to get onto the train. I put my ticket through, ‘seek assistance’ flashed up, oops that was my seat reservation, mum went through, I put the correct ticket in and I went through and the barriers shut on my bag. The fellow was just standing there, I said excuse me can you help. He wandered over and I mean he definitely took his time ‘oh what has happened here’ he slowly oh so slowly tried to release the barriers. Then he had to override the system and I had to heave my bag through, the barriers were not going to open fully.
Then we were running towards the train, the conductor was blowing her whistle, and my wheelie bag was 5 steps behind me, the handle of my bag had decided to break away. So there I was trying to run for the train carrying my bag, they must have held the train for us there is no way all that could have happened and us made the train. There were others also running but not with such finesse as us.
We had climbed into the last carriage and our seats in carriage B. It was a commuter train so we really didn’t get too far towards our seats. The conductor ensured us we would have enough time to make it along the platform at the next station. Hmmm maybe if your not trying to run with long legs , doubled over to drag a wheelie bag that doesn’t wheel by its carrying handle. Im sure I provided lots of amusement to the people watching from the train, with my bag flipping at every 3rd step because id wheeled it onto my heels. I ended up having to resort to carrying it again. Lets just say when we finally sat down my arms felt like jelly and about 3 times as long as usual with a million blisters on my hands.
Mum has kept on carrying the handle to my bag , insisting we could fix it, we tried, she still insisted on carrying it until I noticed her stashing it behind the pot plant at the YHA where we asked for directions.
We had hired a car at oxford, this turned out to be from the business park, 5 – 10 min walk from the station. Hmm lets just say it took a lot longer than that, even with poor mum insisting my bag was easier for her as she had small legs and therefore didn’t have to double over nor get in the way of the bag. She too hated my wheelie bag. I ended up carrying it a lot of the way.
That damn bag was thrown into the back of the car with a fervent wish for my scummy olde backpack and a random thought that I would ask dad if he wanted it sent back to him. And away we drove to the cotswalds for what turned out to be a very calm, peaceful, sunny day. Well anything would seem calm after that trip.
(this story is dedicated to Becka Moore with her love of running for a train)
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