The Journey

Janet’s phone alarm woke us at 4.50am. Mine, set for the first time on my new phone, remained silent.  I menu:organiser:alarmed to discover that, after you have set the time and the snooze and repeat options, you have to choose the ring tone. This option, conveniently scrolled off the screen, is silent by default.  There can only be one moron in the whole wide world who thinks that setting an alarm not to wake you is a pretty neat idea.  I guess he works for Nokia.

With my first grumpy moment of the day behind me the taxi arrived promptly at 5.30.  It was not raining at the Tickled Trout where we caught the coach to take us to Dover.  The journey was as good as anyone who drives around Manchester, Birmingham and London on a week day has a right to expect.  We stopped for lunch at Oxford Services which has a lovely undercover seating area surrounded by water and fountains.  Have you noticed that smokers are beginning to get all the best views?

Having started off badly, the technology of mobile phones scored bonus points when a lady towards the front of the coach answered hers in a Dom Jolly I’M ON THE PHONE sort of voice.  It was her daughter who wanted to move the car and couldn’t find the keys.  “THEY'RE IN THE SAFE” she yelled followed by “YES YOU DO KNOW WHERE THE SAFE KEYS ARE....REMEMBER I TOLD YOU....NO I CAN’T SAY EVERYONE’S LISTENING” 

Now call me Mr Complacent but I really don’t think a bunch of pensioners off on a cruise represented much of a threat to her household security.  Eventually, having decided to take a risk, she actually whispered “They’re under the mat by the television.”  By this time the coach was deathly quiet and everyone on board was listening.  However, just in case GCHQ are reading this blog, I’ve changed the location of the real hiding place.

At Dover it was off the coach, through Fred’s Cruise terminal and on board in ten minutes.  Trip down and boarding very reasonable, being back on the Braemar after a holiday on the Grand Princess – Priceless.

Dave