Journey from Hell Part 1...

Backblipped

Only an hour late in leaving the house to head to Hull for the ferry to Zeebrugge before our onward drive to the Vendee.

Got to the ferry only 15 minutes after final check in time but luckily we weren't the only stragglers. Through security and onto ferry.

As usual the ferry stewards were wonderful and made sure we were parked next to a lift and got the ramp out to get Alan off the garage deck and into the lift. And so we hit problem no 1.

Wheelchair base was too wide for the ramp so wheels were hanging over one side. No problem, just remove the ramp, we can bump the wheelchair over the step. And so we hit problem no 2. The big metal door only opened the width of the ramp. There was no way his wheelchair would fit through. Are there any other doors? Yes. But they're all the same width. Okaaaaaaay.

Slight panic rising.

Ted (our new best P&O friend) said there was one door to try round the other side. He disappeared with Alan and David leaving me with an overnight case and a bed guard and since I need two elbow crutches in order to walk, I had no means of carrying the cases. Cue arrival of P&O best friend no 2, whose name in the stress, I've sadly forgotten. He carried the luggage and very chivalrously let helped me over the step from the garage deck and up to our cabin.

I sank thankfully into a chair in the lovely air-conditioned cabin to await the arrival of David and Alan who would have got Alan's wheelchair through the slightly wider door easily. Wouldn't they?

In a word....no. Oh Sh*it!

So, the ferry is about to leave the port and David and Alan are still stuck on the garage deck, which is about to be locked down. Meanwhile I'm sitting in the cabin thinking what if they've had to get off and no one's come to tell me. I'm going to land in Zeebrugge with an over-night case and a bed guard!

Deeep breaths Di.....don't panic. Off course they're on board.

Ten long minutes later there's a knock at the cabin door. I opened it and there they were. Relief all round.

Turns out David had to lift Alan out of his wheelchair and sit with him on a chair whilst Ted manhandled the chair sideways, upside down through the slightly wider door, with David terrified the chair would end up damaged cause God knows what we would have done then!

Still all's well that ends well eh?

Not quite. The bloody wheelchair wouldn't fit through the door of the cabin...the lovely air-conditioned, 5 star cabin that we'd treated ourselves to with its tea and coffee facilities, chocolates and White Company toiletries. Arghhhhhh! Never had this problem before. But of course Alan got a different wheelchair from last year.

So, Alan came out of the chair again and David manhandled it through the cabin door. Now this wheelchair weighs a ton, and I was terrified David would do his back in with all the lifting of it and Alan. Then we would really be up shit creek!

Finally got it in. But we were now effectively stuck in the cabin not able to go to the restaurant for dinner! Or escape in an emergency! David went to speak to someone to see what could be done.

Enter P&O best friend No 3. Can't remember his name either but he was a star and we are completely indebted to him. He found us two x two berth cabins with wider doors but was all concerned as they were a lower grade than the one we booked. We didn't care but he insisted we keep the original cabin so we could use the fridge (to keep Alan's milk cold) and offered to get someone to bring the kettle and tea/coffee stuff to one of the new cabins. We declined that. They had done more than enough.

He then went on to arrange for Alan to leave the ferry with another steward the next morning as a foot passenger (too far for me to walk with my dodgy knee at the moment or I would have taken him and since I'm not able to drive at the mo, David had to get the car!)

This is how it will work on the return journey too. And he's secured us new cabins for the return, at no extra cost.

And so we got to the restaurant and had dinner, then to the ferry shop. Spent a fortune (I think David was wishing we were still stuck in the cabin! ;) then back to our cabins to get some much needed shut eye.

Tomorrow will be a better day. Surely.

PS Took today's blip as we drove over the A66. Large if you want to see the fences :)