To use a football cliche, this was a day of 2 halves. The first half was great. The second half, not so good!
It started with the normal breakfast and ablutions. We decided to have a game of football golf in Swanage and a final visit to the beach and then pack up and be on the road by 3.30 at the latest.
The foot golf was great fun. Charlie won the first 9 holes, Harry won the second 9. Finners got a hole in one so everyone was happy. Apart from me of course but I’m the adult so it didn’t matter!! It was really hot but much fun was had by all!
We headed for the car park by the beach / fun fair in Swanage. Amazingly we got parked and walked down a very busy beach front. It was absolutely rammed. We decided against a swim / paddle and headed for Wright on the Beach chip shop. The consensus - well 3 of the 4 - was they were the best curry and chips ever! Praise indeed from a group (especially me!) that have consumed a lot of chips!
At 1.45 we got in the car to get Brunnehilda packed up and on the road for 3.30pm. Then it happened…
I waited for a lady to cross the car park exit and swung out wider than normal. I hit a raised kerb in the road that I just hadn’t seen. A very loud noise and I realised immediately I had a burst tyre. There is no spare in the Volvo so we instantly phoned Assistance. I quickly sourced a replacement tyre from a Kwik Fit in Poole and we began our wait at 13.50.
I won’t bore you (or me) with the sorry story but the eta of the breakdown lorry went from 4 to 4.30 to 5 to 7 to 9 to cancelled!! Mean time I was struggling to get back in touch with the assistance people. It was 31 degrees and I had 3 kids patiently waiting. We wasted a bit of time and then I decided to get a taxi with them back to the site. I came back to the car, discovered it wasn’t going to happen tonight and got a taxi back to the site.
As everyone had a busy day booked the next day, Laura and George decided to make the 3.5 hour journey down to pick up the boys and leave me to sort out the car in the morning.
They left the site at about 10.30 and I went to bed with a taxi booked for 7.45. Fingers crossed!!!!
PS Although the nice lady in the flats opposite says that particular kerb gets a lot of people and that I should write to the council, the fact is the only person to blame for the rotten end to a nice holiday is me!! The boys were perfect during the “crisis” and no one got hurt so …. Onwards and upwards.
Not sure when the next Brunnehilda outing will be - probably Autumn with Di and Tilly as travelling companions this time.
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