Storm Chaos and Auto Joy

Back blip. I was due to travel to Cambridge last night but found myself stranded in North Tyneside by the storms, truly stranded. I was on a home visit when the first storm hit and the young person's mother very kindly made me a cup of tea whilst the lightning cracked off the pavement outside. As I left she asked 'do you not drive?'. 'No. I'll be alright. I've got my umbrella', I replied. I ended up sheltering from the second storm under a bus stop. Having got on the bus to go home though, I needed a wee, thanks to the cup of tea I'd drank on my home visit. You could see already that the Coast Road was going to be chaos so I got off at Silverlink and to shelter in McDonald's and wait for the weather to pass.

When I came out though, there was no way home. Walking routes to metro stations involved wading in water up to my waist. I eventually found a route to Percy Main metro which only required ankle deep wading, but when I got there the driver informed me of power cuts, landslides, flooded tunnels, and falling down bridges. The metro was clearly not an option. I walked back to the bus stop, no joy there. I made my way to Tescos where I could at least buy some new socks and shoes, but further frustrations followed, which included my mobile phone going dead and taxi companies refusing to answer their phones or turn up for my booking. Must frustrating of all was the fact that I did not have my camera. The photos I could have got! I eventually got home at 11.30 thanks to a great Bangladeshi taxi driver who got me through the traffic and home safely. To him, this was a mild shower.

I was knackered today but decided to drive to Cambridge anyway. The journey took 5.5 hours, 1.45 hours longer than usual. A vehicle fire on the A1 meant I was diverted to the M1, a road I don't know at all. I couldn't get back on the A1 though as the M62 was blocked by bails of hay. I eventually got to Cambridge at 5.00 p.m.

The only joy in all the chaos though was this funky little Fiat 500, my favourite hire car ever. Can I afford a new house and a new car?!