Ker-dunk!

Out on a jaunt on Dartmoor yesterday, I took the back route from Manaton to Widecombe. It's quite a narrow road and not very well maintained with many pot holes along the sides. I'd got a way along when I heard that noise, accompanied by a huge shock wave. I got out to look and saw a huge hole in the sidewall of the nearside tyre. As it happened I was close to a slight widening of the road so I pulled into it (after all it wasn't going to affect the tyre now). I decided I'd change it myself rather than call the breakdown service, even though the circumstances were less than ideal.

I was pleased to find I could loosen the wheel and then I jacked it up. Oh, I need a spare, don't I? Went to the back to let down the spare. The loosening is a bit complicated involving two long fastening bolts to drop the carrier, both were a bit stiff, if not exactly seized. I lowered the jack for safety's sake and got to work on it and got it let down. Trouble was with the unevenness of the road and a slight slope, I couldn't get it out from underneath. I got the jack from the front and jacked up the back until I could pull the wheel free. Now it was just the job of jacking the front again and changing the wheel. I was a bit dusty and dirty from my work at the side of the dusty dirty road (thankfully the mud had dried after a few dry days). Pack up the bits and the job's a good 'un.

I carried on my way feeling pleased with myself but ... a few minutes later I knew something was wrong. I stopped and went round to look and saw that the tyre I'd replaced was very soft. It wasn't when I put it on. I pulled into another wide section with a small stream and a lovely little waterfall with a view to Houndtor beyond. I got out and got my electric pump out from the back but by this time the tyre was completely flat and didn't respond to pumping. I need breakdown assistance now but guess what? No phone signal, of course.

There was a farm just back around the corner. So I took the necessary details and headed off there. I knocked on the beautiful old wooden door that had the shabby chic you normally only see in France and a little girl answered it. Behind her I could see an older lady and got a lovely smell of cakes baking. This just too cutesy and I'm immediately thinking of a Grimm's fairy tale, but no, they kindly let me use the phone and soon I'd got the rescue service and managed to give them details of where I was. Made a call to Marian to let her know what's going on and so she could contact someone to bring PA for the evening's rehearsal.

The recovery vehicle got there after only aboutin less than half an hour and we got hitched up and away, carrying on up this very narrow road with some tight turns. Eventually, we arrived in Newton Abbot to drop the van at my tyre supplier. I'd called Marian on the way and she met me there and took me home.

I had just enough time to get cleaned up, have a bite to eat, print off some new song sheets and get out to my rehearsal. Phew! I thought I was entitled to my pint afterwards.