Time for a change? Overhauling the calendar

It seems a coincidence that on the day that Samoa changes its relative position to the international dateline and loses December 30th 2011, missing it out altogether, that I read the article in the ScienceDaily ' Time for a change? Overhauling the calendar'. According to two calendar reform advocates, time can stand still, or at least look the same from year to year.

Using computer programs and mathematical formulas, Richard Conn Henry, an astrophysicist in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and Steve H. Hanke, an applied economist in the Whiting School of Engineering, have created a new calendar in which each new 12-month period is identical to the one which came before, and remains that way from one year to the next in perpetuity.

There certainly seem to be substantial benefits if their calendar was accepted. Will it ever happen?

Read the full article here:...Time for a change? Overhauling the calendar

"Wherever You Are" by the Military Wives Choir

Prejudice comes from a basic human need and way of thinking, new research suggests.

Where does prejudice come from? Not from ideology, say the authors of a new article. Instead, prejudice stems from a deeper psychological need, associated with a particular way of thinking. People who aren't comfortable with ambiguity and want to make quick and firm decisions are also prone to making generalizations about others.

Read More:....Prejudice comes from a basic human need and way of thinking, new research suggests

Mediterranean diet gives longer life, Swedish study suggests

A Mediterranean diet with large amounts of vegetables and fish gives a longer life, according to Swedish research. A number of studies since the 1950s have shown that a Mediterranean diet, based on a high consumption of fish and vegetables and a low consumption of animal-based products such as meat and milk, leads to better health.

Read More......: Mediterranean diet gives longer life, Swedish study suggests

The Bomber by Liza Marklund

I had not heard of Liza Marklund or her novel 'The Bomber' and so had no particular reason to choose this book to read at this time, except that it was on special offer in ASDA, 2 books for £7.

The advertising précis on the back cover was another enticement telling me that;

“Crime reporter Annika Bengtzon is woken by a phonecall in the early hours of a wintry December morning. An explosion has ripped apart the Olympic Stadium, and a victim has been blown to pieces. As Annika delves into the details of the bombing and the background of the victim, there is a second explosion. When her police source reveals they are hot on the heels of the bomber, Annika is guaranteed an exclusive with her name on it. But it soon becomes clear the she has uncovered too much, as she finds herself the target of a deranged serial killer.”

Further comments such as “One of the most popular crime writers of our time” - Patricia Cornwell, “No one tells a story like Liza Marklund” - Karin Slaughter, “Nail-biting action and excitement” - Daily Express, and more on this theme added to the hype with the final catcher on the front cover; “All she wants for Christmas …..is to survive”.

The marketing departments of the publisher and the retailer had done their job.

Having just finished reading the novel unfortunately I am disappointed in it. It did not match up to my expectations.

It is an easy read and the descriptions are full and enlightening, where they needed to be. I liked the way that the dialogue was used to enhance the scene setting and move the story on where it needed to be. The plot as outlined could have resulted in an interesting and fast moving suspense story but unfortunately I found that the author took us on too many unnecessary detours. Too much time was spent describing the workings and internal politics within the newspaper which Annika the central character worked for. It was not directly relevant to the main story and I found it distracting. To a lesser extent I found that the time spent on detailing the family life of the heroine was more than was required to understand her and the pressures on her work life. This was no more than any other working mother and wife so was not a unique situation that required the many words written.

I think that the story could have been written a little tighter to the main story and in therefore in fewer words without any loss of emphasis of the central plot. The conclusion of the scenario is too weak, almost as if the author reached the point of thinking she had written enough and needed to finish it as quickly as possible in order not to go over a limitation of the total number of words to be published.

It was not a book that I found I had to keep reading and therefore difficult to put down. It was a pleasant read if not enthralling. I would neither recommend or dismiss it, if asked I will merely say I've read it. At some point in the future I may well give another Liza Marklund novel a try.

Controlling Condensation and Mould Growth.

The National Landlords Association has published a very interesting vidoe on YouTube giving information and advice for landlords, tenants and households on how to control condensation and eliminate unpleasant mould in residential properties.

It is well worth the time to view it. It could save a property owner and tenant money. It could help to reduce any health risk to an occupant.

Torrevieja U3A Grants 'Right to Reply' !

On the 2^nd October 2011 I published an article entitled 'Will the Torrevieja U3A Newsletter change to a Democratic Format?' in which I questioned the fact that the association did not offer the facility of the 'Right to Reply' to articles published in the quarterly newsletter.

I included extracts of my correspondence with the Chairman of the Torrevieja U3A in the article and made the suggestion that “the committee being responsible for the editorial policy of the newsletter give consideration to a democratic format which allows for third person comments”.

I also made the point that having received a reply of “the matter will be discussed at the next Committee meeting. I will inform you of the Committee's decision in due course”, I would wait with hope; but not too much! Would the Committee be prepared to provide a facility for the readership to comment on the words of the inner clique of the newsletter columnists? I said then that I believed it would be an obvious yes for complimentary comments, but for questions and criticisms, that's another matter. I asked the questions “It can't be one without the other; or can it?” and “Or will the decision be to continue to offer neither?”

Since that time the management committee of the U3A have discussed this matter during two meetings and on the 28^th November 2011 I received the following email from the Chairman of the Association.

In my last letter to you I indicated that the matter of a ‘Right to Reply’ was being considered by the U3A Association’s committee; and that you would be informed of our decision.

On Saturday 12/11/11 (our last committee meeting) a draft policy of a Complaints Procedure and a Right to Reply procedure were examined. I am pleased to be able to report that, after considerable discussion, both policies were accepted by the committee and will now form part of our Association’s structures and procedures as from 1^st January 2012.

A copy of these procedures is now available to members and from today, can be accessed via the link at the foot of the About Page on the U3Awebsite. The original Aims of the Association and the Terms and Conditions of Membership are also posted there. Hard copies of these policies and procedures will also be available from the Chair at the monthly meetings. The Association continues to grow and as we do so new procedures will inevitably be required.

As a further result of your comments we have also formed a sub committee to examine the future of the Newsletter, and how it can be changed to improve communication within the Association. The results of the sub committee’s deliberations will be promulgated to the members in due course.

Once again I thank you for your original request that has resulted in improving the Association’s procedures and structures. It is only with the help and support of members like yourself that we can improve for the benefit of all.

It is very pleasing to receive such a positive decision from the Committee in the knowledge that I have perhaps assisted in the improvement of the Association to the benefit of the members including myself.

I compliment the members of the Torrevieja U3A Committee for their positive forward looking decision.

Our Complicated Consumer Minds!

As retail consumers it seems we are a very complicated lot according to three articles which recently appear in ScienceDaily.com .

In the first; Why does stating your intention lead you to purchase your favorite brand?, it says that if we say we are going to buy something, we are more likely to do it. But why is that? According to a new study, stating an intention leads consumers to action -- and makes us more likely to purchase our preferred brands.

The theme of preferred brands is picked up on in the second article; Do consumers prefer brands that appear on their Facebook pages? which states that we are likely to identify with a brand that advertises alongside our personal information on a Facebook page (especially if you have high self-esteem), according to a new study. The same ad will have less impact if you view it on a stranger's page.

However there is a problem which is highlighted in the third article; Holiday shopping: Why does rubbing elbows turn consumers off?. Although holiday sales and events try to drive as many of us customers to retail stores as possible, a new study shows that the crowding may drive them away as well. The issue arises when crowding results in people actually touching one another. It seems that if another shopper brushes against us whilst we are looking at possible purchases we are liable to leave the shop with an adverse view of both the premises and the product.

Are we really like this?

The Spanish are poorer!

According to an article by El Pais the Spanish paper "It appears that the per capita income of Spaniards has gone on declining in 2010 in relation to its previous levels; but also, and even more worryingly, with respect to the European average. In 2010, according to the Eurostat data released on Tuesday, it stood eight points below the average of the 17 countries of the euro zone and exactly equal to the average of the 27 EU states".

Read the full article: The Spanish are poorer · ELPAÍS.com in English

Why do people defend unjust, inept, and corrupt systems?

Why do we stick up for a system or institution we live in -- a government, company, or marriage -- even when anyone else can see it is failing miserably? Why do we resist change even when the system is corrupt or unjust? A new article illuminates the conditions under which we're motivated to defend the status quo -- a process called "system justification.

Read the article here: "Why do people defend unjust, inept, and corrupt systems?

We have moved in!

We arrived in theUnited Kingdom on Saturday 12^th November 2011 and just three weeks later, on schedule, on Saturday 3^rd December 2011 we moved into our UK based home in Heighington. It had been three weeks of mental and physical fatigue.

All the time we were wondering; would the contractors complete their tasks on time; would the suppliers of our new furniture and kitchen equipment deliver on the days agreed; would we complete our purchases of linen, bedding and the oh so many other sundry items in time for our move in?

We vacated our temporary accommodation at 07:30 hrs. on 'Occupation Day' as the last major delivery, the fridge/freezer, was due for the second attempt at our new UK base any time after 08:00 hrs. but before 18:00 hrs. It is so good when one receives a definite time in a reasonable time slot! Especially when the reason for this was to correct an error by the supplier. It arrived mid-morning.

Kitchen Before

During the first and second weeks the decorator and the kitchen joiner completed their work. Early on Monday the 28^th November the plumber and electrician made the final connections in the kitchen. The rest of the day the house was empty to allow the carpet fitters a clear run to lay the new flooring.

Monday for us was the second day of the IKEA expedition. On arrival in Nottingham our first task, well second actually after having a coffee, was to order the picking and home delivery services shopping list of the larger and heavier items. With this job out of the way our two subsequent trips in the IKEA maze, interspersed by having our two course lunch in the restaurant, were completed when the kitchen equipment and other sundries had overfilled two trolleys and tiredness was setting in. Time had arrived to head back towards Lincoln and wait in anticipation for the home delivery scheduled for Wednesday.

Tuesday was the day for putting up the curtains on the new fittings, and moving the many odds and ends purchased up till then from the rental property to our house. During the day IKEA surprised us by telephoning to confirm our delivery would be with us within an hour. We pointed out that that was a day early but we were very happy to change our plans to receive our furniture.

Our schedule changed for Wednesday as the early arrival on Tuesday enabled me to start the flat pack assembly experience a day earlier. Oh what joy! In the afternoon, between 13:15 hrs. and 17:00 hrs. we were expecting the delivery of our Dream machine. As if trying not to be out done by the IKEA delivery service by mid-morning our bed had been delivered early.

Thursday saw two more deliveries, our three major white goods from Comet and four small furniture items from Argos. These should have been our final arrivals but as I have already mentioned we had to wait until Saturday for a pristine fridge/freezer as the Thursday arrival was damaged and had to be returned. This caused some concern as it initially seemed that we would have to move in without a fridge/freezer, therefore the chilled and frozen food we had in the rental cottage would be ruined. However the result of a telephone call to Comet customer services to persuade them, well actually to plead with them, to deliver a replacement before the following Monday was successful with delivery made on Saturday as I've mentioned.

Friday, like the previous two days, involved assembling more flat-pack wonders. Another day of aggravating my flat-packer's knee and back syndrome! By late afternoon we had a bed to sleep in, furniture to sit on, a kitchen to cook and eat in so it was time to go to the rental cottage and pack our suitcases for the Saturday early morning move in.

If it hadn't been for the effort and flexibility of work times of Roger Fletcher and his team of decorators, Jonathan Frecklington of Baytree Joinery, Steven Mark of S M Electrical Services, Len Lembo of LincolnshireFlooring Ltd and the prompt deliveries by the retailers , Dreams, IKEA, Comet and Argos we wouldn't have achieved our three week property refurbishment time-scale.

We are certainly not one hundred percent Shipshape and Bristol fashion yet, this will probably take another week or two, but we have moved in.

Stable Cottage – Not a Thoroughbred.

During the three weeks needed to refurbish our UK base we stayed in the holiday rental Stable Cottage of Watermill Farm, Kirkby Green, Lincoln, LN4 3PE.

When we entered the cottage, based on the website advertising, we were expecting to find a well groomed thoroughbred. Initial impressions were that perhaps we had, but as in the case of buying such an animal it is the close inspection that defines the truth. Regrettably what we found was an unkempt hack.

Directly opposite the main entrance, in fact the only entrance, is the kitchen, a very important room. On our first brief look around it appeared satisfactory except that there is only a fridge, no freezer, not even a fridge freezer. It was pointed out to us that there is a cabinet freezer in an out house. There is a washing machine but no tumble drying facilities in the property. It was pointed out that there is a tumble dryer available in the garage of the main house. Both locations are in different directions.

On arrival we didn't look any further into the kitchen facilities as we had to get to 'Sainsburys in Lincoln for provisions' However on our return it became apparent that there was insufficient cupboard space to store non-refrigerated food items. As a result these items had to be left on the worktops. It was at this time that we became aware that the kitchen had not been cleaned properly by either the owners or the previous occupiers. There were food crumbs lying in the corners and edges of both cupboards and worktops, and as experience has shown in other holiday rental properties, crumbs were left in the electric toaster. The stainless steel sink wasn't. The cure for this was a newly purchased green sink scourer, cream cleanser, bleach, and freely available elbow grease.

When we started to cook it soon became obvious that the equipment was limited and basic, below the standard we expected. The cleanliness of the oven of the cooker and the extractor fan above was unsatisfactory. The housing of the latter being covered in a film of grease with the disposable filter obviously way past its useful life, clearly indicated by the prominence of the visible bright red strip markings.

The time came to put the frozen food in the freezer in the outbuilding that houses three grass cutting machines, situated approximately 30 metres behind the cottage. The location is totally unacceptable. It is dirty, there is no where to deal with food other than in the cottage, necessitating multiple journeys to and fro, and insufficient lighting. In the autumn and winter months of the year when the dark nights arrive very early this is far from satisfactory.

A further problem that we experienced every morning in the kitchen was the sweet sickly smell of oil (diesel) from the, hot water and central heating, boiler situated in there. The first task when preparing breakfast was to turn on the greasy extractor fan to remove the burnt oil fumes. The kitchen is far too small to have the boiler in. An alternative location for it should have been sought so the property didn't contain the smell of burning oil.

At the time for bed one could not help but be impressed by the main bedroom with its high beamed ceiling and large window. First impressions are misleading. One can only look at the ceiling but the most important item in the room is the bed. This was far from satisfactory. The mattresses that made up the super king size double bed (two single beds combined) are shot, being way past their best, with large central sunken areas of ineffective springs. Several of the pillows were badly stained and none had pillow protectors or covers between inferior pillow and pillow slip.

Duvets are provided, rather than blankets, and for the first few nights we found we were cold in bed and as there were no spare blankets we used the duvet from the second bedroom as extra bedding. On checking we found that the owners had only provided a low tog value, summer, duvet and this being November was totally inadequate. On pointing their error to the owners a winter replacement was provided. There should not have been a need to ask. At the end of a week when it was time to change the bedding for clean duvet cover, sheet and pillow slips there were not enough of these provided and the wrong size sheet was given. The clean bedding was made up of a mishmash of items, not what one would expect. The poor quality bedding complimented the poor quality bed!

Wash day soon arrived and it was time to use the washing machine to clean our clothes. It is an easy model to understand the programmes to use, and the first hurdle was covered leaving just the detergent powder and fabric softener dispenser tray to negotiate. What greeted us can only be described as appalling. The tray and surrounding area was dirty with mould and slim, obviously totally omitted from any cleaning schedule.

The damp, misty, dull, and short winter days require the use of a tumble dryer to complete the drying and airing of the clothes and as mentioned before this is located in the garage of the main house, some 30 yards from the cottage. A shopping bag is needed to carry the washing as no laundry basket is provided. One has to hope the dryer is not in use when needed, otherwise there is the 'toing and froing' similar to the journeys to the freezer.

Not only did we use the washing machine for the clothes but also to try and clean the safety non-slip mat for the shower which was trying not to be outdone by the washing machine drawer. Despite attempts of both hand and machine washing we were unable to remove all the dirt and mould from the underside of the mat. It should have replaced by the owners before our rental.

Returning to the main bedroom with its high beamed ceiling this picturesque feature presents two problems to users.

Because of the height and volume of the ceiling area any heat supplied by the underfloor heating in the room is convected up into the void leaving the lower area cold, even with the thermostat set in the high twenties. Because of the design of the roof it acts as an acoustic sound resonator of the traffic using the road which is less than 25 metres away. Despite it being a countryside road there is a considerably larger volume of traffic than expected especially between 05:30 to 08:30 hrs. This resulted in a disturbed morning sleep. Despite not wanting to get up into a cold bedroom there was not point in lying in bed. High volumes of traffic noise were experience again from 16:00 to 18:00 hrs.

Our stay at Stable Cottage was less than satisfactory and not value for money despite paying a discounted rental. We believe that the property was not prepared properly and a review of the quality of facilities, furniture, and equipment needs to be undertaken if it wants to be considered as a thoroughbred, as the advertising suggests it is.

Click on any photograph to see an enlargement.

Mechanism of wine swirling explained

Wine drinkers know that swirling a good vintage around in a glass aerates the wine and releases its bouquet. Just how the process -- known as "orbital shaking" -- works, however, has been something of a mystery.

Read more: Mechanism of wine swirling explained

Green Monday.

Too often in history there have been incidents which refer to a Monday as being 'Black Monday'.

For us Monday 21^st has been a 'Green Monday', a day for good results, purchases and movement forward towards completing the refurbishment of the house.

Since our expedition to IKEA on Thursday we spent our time on Friday and the two Week-End days divided between research, elimination, confirmation, and household chores.

Friday was a time to reduce the selection of possible white appliances for the kitchen, make the final choice of the kitchen design, and begin the search for curtains and blinds.

Saturday morning was a trip to Sainsbury's in Lincoln for the weekly shop of groceries including the all important two jam doughnuts. This took most of the morning because of the distance to drive and the enormous size of the shop and the range of goods. Arriving back at the cottage we unloaded and put away the shopping, had an early and quick lunch, and then headed back to Lincoln. The afternoon was spent on the selection and purchase of curtains. We couldn't take too long as we had to get back to watch 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'Merlin'. Doesn't everyone watch them?

Sunday was housework in the morning and searching on the 'World Wide Web' and agreeing the final choice of washing machine, tumble dryer, and fridge/freezer in the afternoon, and of course watching the 'Strictly Come Dancing' results show. What a shame Russell Grant was eliminated!

Monday started off well. The kitchen fitter started the refit as scheduled, the skip hire firm delivered the skip on time. Having called at the house to confirm these the rest of the day was spent in Lincoln shopping. By the end of the morning we had purchased and arranged delivery of the kitchen's larger white goods and the all important television, and managed to negotiated some additional discount. The afternoon was spent buying bedding and towels. As the last visit of the day we managed to squeeze in a visit to get the tiles for the kitchen walls.

At the end of the day we were tired and weary, with a considerably reduced bank balance and an enormously increased credit card balance. We certainly did our bit to stimulate the UK's retail economy, an early 'Green Monday'. It was a day when the green light was shown to the progress towards the metamorphosis of the house to a home. We feel we've broken the back of the shopping list of the larger items. That leaves our return trip to IKEA as the next major shop and that will be another story I'm sure.

Expedition IKEA – A potential mixture of dreams and nightmares!

We have decided that IKEA is to be one of the sources of furniture for the house. The nearest store to Lincoln is in the City of Nottingham. Thursday 17^th was the day we had planned to undertake an expedition through the Nottinghamshire countryside, and suburbs of the city to the mysterious land of IKEA. A day for reconnoitring the possibilities.

Our route took us close to Newark and through the town of Southwell The cooks amongst my readers probably know that the Bramley cooking apple variety originates from there.

The distance from Lincoln to Nottingham required an early start to ensure a full tiring day navigating the many pathways in IKEA.

However no sooner had we started than we received a telephone call from Dreams central customer services to tell us that our new bed could not be delivered until the 16^th December, two weeks after our deadline date. Our hopes for sweet dreams were turning into nightmares. The news necessitated an immediate change of route to take us to the Lincoln store to seek a solution to save us sleeping on floorboards. Once again we had to wait for the pedestrian automatic doors to allow entry. After much discussion, with the branch manager, and computer keyboard operation and problem solving by him we arrived at an agreeable solution. We will have our dreams on an improved quality bed, at no extra cost to us, with delivery on the 30^th November.

We resumed our expedition, all be it an hour later.

Satnavratilova didn't fail us, taking us safely through the picturesque countryside and the complicated, depressing, suburbs of Nottingham, “arriving at destination on the left”.

After some five hours of exploration we headed back here to our temporary home. We had negotiated the IKEA store maze, without the help of 'Satnav', several times. We were physically and mentally fatigued. Legs and feet hurting and brain whirling. Notebook full of information for discussion later at our leisure. We survived reasonably unscathed, helped of course by the obligatory lunch, in the IKEA restaurant, of Swedish meat balls, chips and peas, followed by a fattening dessert, and accompanied by the multi-refill drink. We will return for round two in a few days time, once we have rebuilt our energy levels, to make our purchases. We will certainly need another lunch on that day.

Sweet Dreams we hope.

After seeing and cheering on Matt Baker on Wednesday it was time to move on into Lincoln.

Our two main tasks for the day were to purchase a UK mobile telephone and a double bed for the house.

For the past few days we have had to rely on using our Spanish phone but this is expensive for both making and receiving calls for us, and for our UK contacts. The array of handsets and tariffs is totally confusing! Much to the shop assistant's disappointment we only wanted a handset that makes and receives calls and texts, and on a PAYG basis. Despite his strenuous efforts that is all we purchased.

Out of the telephone shop and straight into the bed shop. We needed a lay down, the telephone encyclopedia had worn us out.

No sooner had we walked into the store, after being allowed in by what must be the slowest automatic opening door, than the voice behind us said, “How can we help you today”. The implication by this that we are regular purchasers of beds from this establishment.

We informed the very eager salesman of our needs to purchase a standard double divan bed with mattress and headboard, and that delivery has to be made in two weeks time. Not too much to ask for we thought!

“Delivery is normally at least three to four weeks on most mattresses” he informed us.

Not to be deterred we moved further into the shop. His next move was to suggest that what we needed was a king size double, “that is the popular size at the moment”, with a television that pops up out of the foot of the bed. We kept on the move through the displays asking questions about the type of bed we really wanted. Natalie and I were leaping on and off beds, faster than a honeymoon couple, I can remember that far back, testing bounce, comfort, and roll over qualities of the various mattresses. As time went on it seemed that some of those that we preferred were possibly available within our delivery time period as they were usually stock items in the central warehouse. If they were not the salesman's bonus would slip from his grasp.

An hour and a quarter had slept by and at last we had made our selection and were prepared to part with money, subject to a delivery on time. On receiving the assurance we wanted, and of course some discount, we placed the order and hit the plastic again.

We are looking forward to sweet Dreams!

Matt Baker's 'Children in Need' Rickshaw Ride

On Wednesday 16th, as part of his route for his 'Children in Need' rickshaw cycle ride, Matt Baker rode from Lincoln to Peterborough.

He was due to leave Lincoln very early in the morning, at around 06:00 hrs., but due to circumstances beyond his control he left approximately 4 hours late.

His route would take him close by to where we are staying at the moment. We didn't expect to see him as it would have been before our wake up time.

We were pleasantly surprised as we drove towards Lincoln about mid-morning to be able to see Matt cycling through the village of Branston on his journey south. We managed to find a parking place to enable us to cheer him on, along with many roadside supporters, and contribute to the his sponsorship funds.

Many congratulations to Matt Baker for his magnificent effort.

Choice of Carpets

Tuesday (15^th) morning was taken up by housekeeping and shopping chores, well we have to keep clean and eat!

In the afternoon it was time to choose the new floor coverings; carpets for the lounge, bedrooms and stairs, and vinyl cushion floor for the kitchen/diner and bathroom. We met the salesman at the house and made our choice of colour after he had taken the necessary measurements.

The decorating team had started today, as planned, and this helped in the selection of the shade of carpet needed as we were able to compare the wall paint colour to carpet samples.

The day for the carpet fitters was confirmed. We now know the date after which deliveries of furniture and white goods can be planned for.

Preparation for the Decorator.

Sunday 13^th was a rest day after the previous busy days travelling. The only task I needed to do was to purchase some tools, screwdrivers, pliers, and a small electric drill, from B&Q to enable me to work on Monday.

Monday's main task was to prepare the house for the decorator before his start day on Tuesday. We need his team to have a clear run at the job in hand to meet our deadline. This meant me taking down all the curtains and tracks, and lampshades, along with the lifting and removal of all the carpets.

During the morning the electrician called to discuss his involvement in replacing some of the storage heaters and installation of new power sockets for the new kitchen. The afternoon was rounded off by the preliminary visit of the kitchen fitter to agree the new layout and selection of the style, appliances, sink and taps.

The house was ready for painting to start in the morning so we finished reasonably early at approximately 17:00 hrs.

Orihuela Costa to Heighington

The suitcases, five to be precise, and an assortment of other bags and packages were stored in our faithful Hyundai Getz. 'Operation Hibernation' was complete with the result of our Spanish home resting in a semi-comatose state until our return in the New Year. Our departure at 08:08 hrs. on Thursday 10^th November was the beginning of our three day journey to the United Kingdom. As usual on such excursions we normally have two nights stopovers in France.

Our target destination for Thursday night was the Ibis Hotel in Beziers. We have stopped there before as it is one of our three choices of hotels for first night accommodation in France; the other two being Perpignan and Narbonne. The days travelling went as planned, with us stopping, as usual on this route, for coffee at the services on the A7 Valencia ring-road, lunch at the L' Hospitalet services on the AP7, and afternoon tea at La Jonquera, before the final stage to Beziers, arriving at the hotel at 18:25 hrs. We always call into the gasolinera at La Jonquera, on the Spain/France border, to fill up the petrol tank with sin plomo 95 before entering France. The price increase of a litre of fuel from Spain to France is enormous. We paid €1.334 p/litre and then noted that just 20 kilometres into France the price was €1.625 p/litre. The saving we made by filling up in Spain paid for our afternoon tea!

The aim of our travel on day two is to get to within approximately three hours driving of 'Le tunnel sous la Manche' at Coquelles, Calais. This trip we decided, in consultation with Satnavratilova, to go the eastern route via Montpellier, Nimes, Lyon, Dijon, and Troyes, with our overnight stop at Reims in the Ibis Tinqueux. Having stopped for our three break periods during the day we arrived at 17:45 hrs.

Saturday the 12^th November, the third day, saw our arrival in the UK. An early start at 07:30 hrs. was needed to arrive at the Channel Tunnel in time to catch our pre-booked train. We couldn't afford to miss that one as we had a busy schedule to deal with in the afternoon. Our satisfaction at reaching the terminal in good time was soon reduced when we read the notice, as we waited to register our arrival and pass through the French and British passport control, “Due to a stopped train in the tunnel there is a delay on some departure times”. With all the administration procedures completed, including the printing of our train allocation alphabetical ticket displaying the letter 'H', we proceeded to the terminal building to await to be called to board the 'H' train at some unknown time. But as luck would have it; no sooner had we purchased our latte coffees than the announcement we hoped for was displayed on the notice screens. Our train was to depart on the scheduled time with those travellers delayed from the 'F' and 'G' trains joining us. The thought came to mind, what if three into one won't go! A second thought came into mind. If a power failure was the cause of the delays, what if it happened again when we were in the tunnel.

The what ifs didn't happen and we arrived at the Folkestone terminal on time at 10:55 hrs.

Our next objective was to be at Heighington, near Lincoln, at 15:30 hrs. to check out our outgoing tenant from our future UK base home. The two major hurdles that had to be negotiated as we drove north were the Dartford Crossing and the M25.

The approaches to the Dartford toll booths were surprisingly clear. We chose a non-change lane and as we approached the urinal coin collector Natalie made sure she had the £1.50 toll ready and practised her throwing action. Window down, we crept towards the receptor at a steady very slow speed, she took aim and threw the two coins in with some force, both of us looking for the red stop light to change to green before we reached it, to confirm receipt of the correct fee. Why wasn't it changing? Had Natalie thrown the two coins with such force that they were still going round the urinal like two motorcyclists riding the wall of death, or like two balls bouncing round a roulette wheel, seemingly determined not to fall to the bottom of the shoot to be counted. At last we had green.

Our short journey on the M25 from the tunnel to the M11 was bliss. In fact I had difficulty in not getting too excited and keeping below the 50 mph limit through the variable speed control section.

We arrived at Heighington on time and within twenty minutes the check-out was completed satisfactorily and the tenant had departed. As we are refurbishing the house before we furnish it we then moved on to our holiday rental cottage for three weeks as we were due there for 16:30 hrs. A quick unload of the car and then off to Sainsburys in Lincoln for provisions, returning to the cottage at 19:10 hrs. Having been on the move for nearly thirteen hours we had completed all our aims for the day. If you are thinking my calculation of the total time is wrong don't forget we put our watches back one hour when we entered the UK.

When we finally got to bed and turned the lights out I thought "What a day this has been"!

Satnavratilova Nuvi de Garmin is ready.

Only 4 days to go before we (Natalie and I) start our journey to the UK, to refurbish our new home there, but we haven't started the difficult, and very important for a lady, selection of what clothes to take with us. Of course there are the other necessary items a lady needs to consider; cosmetics, jewellery, perfumes, handbags, and multitudes of shoes that might be worn, or not; in the next few days. As departure day draws nearer the spare bedroom will look more and more like a boutique as the necessary items are displayed.

I mentioned before our regular travel companion on our expeditions, and the only other lady in my life, of course I'm referring to Satnavratilova Nuvi de Garmin. Our travelling days would not be the same if we didn't have her regular interjections of her opinion into our conversations. Sometimes it can be many minutes, even up to an hour, before she utters her thoughts, whilst at other times, especially when I am trying to concentrate on my driving through complicated street systems she never seems to stop to take breath between uttering her many pearls of wisdom. We wouldn't want to be without her though and even turn off the radio or cd player in deference to her greater knowledge than ours.

Now she is much more organised than we are as she has already completed her arrangements for the trip. She is ready, we are not!

Not for her any fashion decisions as she is always in her goth like attire.

She has her priorities right and has been on the computer and used the internet to download the most up-to-date maps, and has even thought to update her mini notepad computer with the latest operating software. She takes pride in being a modern sophisticated lady who uses the latest technology to full advantage in helping her friends.

So as not to get in the way in the final days of Natalie's and my preparations Satnav (our pet name for her) is keeping out of the way, secure in her small, perfectly fashioned, room, safe in the knowledge that we will make sure we do not forget such an important person.

Millions of birds migrating to Spain face painful deaths in glue-filled traps

Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

Giles Tremlett reports in The Guardian that up to 4 million migrating birds will be killed by illegal Spanish hunters this year, with many dying a slow, sticky death in traps that literally glue the animals to the ground, according to campaigners.

Read his disturbing article here: Millions of birds migrating to Spain face painful deaths in glue-filled traps | World news | The Guardian

Another example of a Spanish tradition of torturing living creatures. But it is alright because it is part of the country's culture and heritage claim the torturers.

Experts recommend the inclusion of rainwater-collection systems in cities

Researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in Spain carried out a study into the collection of rainwater from roofs of buildings and the effectiveness of different roof surfaces.

Ramon Farreny, co-author of different projects developed by the UAB, said "It is important to consider the collection of rainwater when planning and designing cities, as this is an alternative water source with many different uses, it can even be used to save drinking water."

In urban areas the use of the roofs of buildings for collection of rainwater has to be the first option. However the pitch of the roof and the surface covering it will determine the efficiency of collection of water and the quality of the water collected. The conclusions of the study are that plain sloping roofs covered with metal or plastic will collect 50% more water than those that are flat and covered in a gravelled surface. It was also found that the quality of the water collected would be better.

Ramon Farreny also went on to explain that: "The inclusion of criteria related to the slope and roughness of roofs in urban planning may be useful in promoting the harvesting of rainwater as an alternative water source. This could also contribute to preventing flooding and water shortages." It is good to see such research being carried out and especially in Spain where water availability is an ongoing problem, environmentally, economically and politically.

Read more on the research in ScienceDaily. Experts recommend the inclusion of rainwater-collection systems in cities

Preparations for our home in the UK.

I said in my article 'Change of LifeJourney – Epilogue' that our plans for our future direction of life were being collated, costed, and converted into a more conclusive basis.

Our summer visit to the United Kingdom confirmed that it would suit us best to have a home there, as well as in Spain, to give the flexibility in lifestyle we need for the future.

In order to have this base we decided to use one of our rental properties, where we had lived prior to moving out to Spain, as the easiest and least costly option. Unfortunately this meant that we had to give notice to our tenant in the property; but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.

The time is almost upon us to begin the new phase of our life.

The date when the tenant leaves the house has finally been agreed.

Our journey to the UK has been organised. The Channel Tunnel crossing, the route to Calais, and the two hotel stopovers in France have all been arranged.

The refurbishment of our second home has been programmed. The decorators, the kitchen fitters, and the carpet fitters are under starting orders; they're listening for the jangling of the house keys as the starter gun. They know when the race must end!

We have a few days left to make ready our Spanish home for a period of winter hibernation until our anticipated return in the New Year. The closure of 2011 will see our preparation for a new and better 2012 and our ongoing years.

Sparrow's Wash & Brush-up

This little fellow decided to use our window sill for a spot of preening.

Another attempt to move the refuse bins is thwarted!

This morning at approximately 08:30 hrs. the Council refuse lorry arrived on one of its irregular visits to empty the steel garden rubbish container of its goodies.

The bin is situated on a public road close and to the side to our house, as is the household rubbish bin. Unfortunately the bins have to be somewhere near to houses and the current location is the best of a bad situation. They are not situated directly in front of any properties so there is the least amount of intrusion into householders lives under the current system of refuse collection.

Having said this there is an ongoing problem with the owners of the property who's garden boundary wall is next to the location of the bins. They do not believe the bins should be any where near their property. When one looks at how far their house and the entrance to their property is away from the containers to me their attitude is ridiculous!

I have written previously, includingvideos, about the strange behaviour of the lady of the household and her desire to move all rubbish away from near to her boundary wall to in front of our, and neighbours properties. Unfortunately there is a history between us of disagreement over politics.

 

This morning we experience another example of the lady's, what I believe is, irrational and vindictive behaviour. Whilst the steel bin was being emptied, the lady of the house, Ulla Perret, was seen talking, over her garden wall, to the council workers as they operated the lorry's skip lifting machinery. It transpires that she was giving them instructions to not return the container to its usual position, near her boundary wall, but to move it to in front of our, and adjacent properties, alongside the small white water meter box on the other side of the road. The logic of placing the bin there is without doubt questionable!

The workers, one has to wonder at their intelligence in this instance, acted on her irrational instructions, orders, commands, and repositioned the skip where she desired. Fortunately I spotted their actions just as they were preparing to drive away and questioned their actions. They confirmed that Ulla Perret had been the instigator of the move.

Having pointed out to them, firmly and politely I hope, my dissatisfaction with the new location and the illogical reason for it they returned the steel garden rubbish container to its more suitable home.

Once again the desire of the Sra Perret to move the bins from near her boundary wall, some seventy five metres from her home, to ten metres in front of our homes has been thwarted. I have no doubt this will not be her final attempt.

One in six mobile phones in the UK is contaminated with fecal bacteria, researchers found

One in six mobile phones in Britain is contaminated with fecal matter, according to new research. Experts say the most likely reason for the potentially harmful bacteria festering on so many gadgets is people failing to wash their hands properly with soap after going to the toilet.

The study also revealed a tendency among Britons to lie about their hygiene habits. Although 95% of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, 92% of phones and 82% of hands had bacteria on them. Worryingly, 16% of hands and 16% of phones were found to harbour E. coli - bacteria of a faecal origin. Harmful E. coli (Escherichia coli) is associated with stomach upsets and has been implicated in serious cases of food poisoning such as the fatal O157 outbreak in Germany in June.

How clean is your mobile phone?

Read more in Science Daily One in six mobile phones in the UK is contaminated with fecal bacteria, researchers found

The Two Desperate Women Failed.

“It seems to me that two desperate women, one for more power and one for more money, have made a pact, an alliance” were the opening words of the final sentence of my article entitled Opposition Parties Shocked by Mayor Lorente's New Press Officer Appointment in Orihuela Costa! which I published on this weblog on the 7^th December 2010, about the appointment of Louise Clarke as the personal press officer of Monica Lorente.

Ten months have passed and it is interesting to see how the two desperate women have faired with their liaison.

They both failed in their ambitions!

In the local elections in May of this year Monica Lorente failed to be re-elected as Mayor of Orihuela. She was desperate for four more years of power but she and her Partido Popular colleagues failed to get the number of votes necessary to get sufficient Councillors elected to hold a majority in the Council Chamber.

In December 2010 when I discussed with Louise Clarke her new appointment she said “My job is to get Monica Lorente more votes on the coast,..... I will be the voice of the PP within the Town Hall in Orihuela Costa”. It would seem by the election results in May 2011, She failed in her role, as Monica Lorente and the PP lost their power. When Louise left her previous employment with the local 'Round Town Newspaper' it was to benefit from a substantial increase in salary, for more money. As a result of the departure of Monica Lorente from the position of Mayor, Louise lost her very well paid employment as press officer. Her second failure.

Where are they now?

Well Monica Lorente is still a Councillor in Orihuela but leading the Opposition, not the Government.

Louise Clarke has now returned to her old job, presumably with a much lower salary than with the PP, being a reporter with the Round Town News newspaper. In a recent article in the paper she wrote “I am a great believer in fate and after having spent the first six months of this year at the Orihuela Costa Town Hall as Press Officer (and unofficial British Residents Officer) it was fate that I would be invited, during my first official week back at RTN, to meet Denise Wesserling, the new Coastal Residents Officer in Orihuela Costa. I am happy that I had the opportunity to experience working at the Town Hall, but I am glad that my ‘sabbatical’ (as I am calling it) is over and that I am back to doing what I do best, where I belong: at RTN”. In December 2010 she didn't feel that she belonged at RTN! She felt that she belonged with Monica Lorente and the PP, and where the substantially increased salary was!

Will the Torrevieja U3A Newsletter change to a Democratic Format?

The Torrevieja U3A (University of the Third Age), of which I am member, like many of the other groups and similar organisations publishes a 'Newsletter' to pass on information about past and future events and group meetings. Like many of the publishers the U3A provides both a hard copy and an electronic copy on its Website.

Unlike many of the other contemporaries it does not offer the opportunity for readers to comment about articles.

In the recent summer edition there is an article in which a statement is made that I wished clarification of. I wrote directly to the author to seek the answer to my question but so far have not received any reply. I am aware that my email was delivered and read.

So I wrote to the Editor of the newsletter pointing out that I would like to know whether the publication offers the right to reply to comments in an article and if so what the procedure is. I was surprised to receive the reply “This is the first time I have been asked this question. I would think that if it is an article from a member or Group leader that you wish to comment on, then it is better you contact the author”. I have pointed out that I have taken that line of action without success.

It surprised me to be informed that I am the first to ask the question. Does it mean that all other readers accept everything that is included is without question? Do they read it as a notification, proclamation, or even an edict, from on high that must not be challenged or commented on? Or is it that there is an apathy to it and so few read it? Or is it that never before has it contained any contentious writings.

I decided to raise this omission of 'Letters to the Editor' or 'Readers Comments' facility with the Chairman of the Torrevieja U3A in writing as follows.

“The current editorial format of the newsletter does not offer any reader, be that from hard copy or the pages on the world wide web, the facilities to comment, or the right of reply, about an article through the publication. The current situation means that any contributor, in the majority of cases a committee member or group leader, of an article can make a statement of believed fact, or an expression of opinion, to the reading public unchallenged.

Without the facilities of replying through the publication, in its varying available sources, an alternative contributor has no way of expressing an opinion about the contents of an article to the initial readership. Any such alternative contribution may be either complimentary or contradictory. The status quo situation does not allow an option.

I would suggest that the committee being responsible for the editorial policy of the newsletter give consideration to a democratic format which allows for third person comments”.

Having received a reply of “the matter will be discussed at the next Committee meeting. I will inform you of the Committee's decision in due course”, I will wait with hope; but not too much! Will the Committee be prepared to provide a facility for the readership to comment on the words of the inner clique of the newsletter columnists? For compliments, I believe an obvious yes. For questions and criticisms, that's another matter. It can't be one without the other; or can it? Or will the decision be to continue to offer neither?

Saw palmetto no benefit as prostate remedy

Approximately a half of men over the age of 50 suffer to some degree with 'Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia' (BPH).

The taking of a herbal supplement made from the fruit of the Saw Palmetto tree has for many years been considered beneficial in the relief of the the symptons and effects of BPH, often being recommended by doctors as a alternative to conventional drug treatment.

There has been considerable debate as to the effectiveness of taking a regular dose of Saw Palmetto. The results of a new study may well begin to bring to an end the debate, or intensify it.

The results of a study led by Michael Barry, MD, at Massachusetts General Hospital, indicate that Saw Palmetto had no greater effect than taking a placebo on the symptoms of BPH. Co-author of the report of the study, Gerald Andriole, MD, the Robert K. Royce Distinguished Professor and chief of urologic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said. "Men should not spend their money on this herbal supplement as a way to reduce symptoms of enlarged prostate because it clearly does not work any better than a sugar pill."

Read more detail of the study in ScienceDaily Saw palmetto no benefit as prostate remedy.

New Democratic Revolution Rising Against Euro-(Supra)Nationalism - Nigel Farage

An interesting and direct speech by Nigel Farage, well worth the few minutes needed to watch it.

Two new cost-effective ways to predict prostate cancer

Two related studies reveal new risk indicators for prostate cancer. The first study shows that men diagnosed with benign prostate enlargement have an increased risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer. The second study shows that monitoring prostate-specific antigen levels can be used to predict the long-term risk of healthy men developing and dying from prostate cancer. Both could lead to more efficient and cost-effective screening for prostate cancer, with reductions in over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment.

Read more detail in ScienceDaily:- Two new cost-effective ways to predict prostate cancer

Living in damp river valleys leads to lung problems!

The results of a new study, the first of its kind, by researchers in the UK has shown that living in a river valley at low altitude can increase the risk of developing lung problems. It was carried out by a team from the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to assess the impact of weather, pollution and geography on the symptoms of people with chronic obstructivepulmonary disease (COPD).

The study has collated the first evidence to find a link between increased respiratory symptoms and lower altitude areas of river valleys. These are typically damp areas in which cool layers of air get trapped below layers of warmer air. Known as a temperature inversion, this leads to mists and fogs which keep suspended droplets of water in the air, causing humid conditions.

Prof Richard Lewis, one of the lead authors from the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Our study is the first to assess the impact that living in a river valley has on the symptoms of COPD patients. As a result of this unique combination of weather and climate, toxic particles and pollutants -- which would otherwise be small enough to be inhaled but subsequently exhaled -- become attached to droplets and are then retained within the lung causing exacerbation of symptoms."

For more detail the full article in ScienceDaily can be read here: Living in damp river valleys leads to lung problems, study suggests

Yellow patches around eyelids predict risk of heart problems, study finds

Research published online in the British Medical Journal as a result of a study, led by Professor Anne Tybjærg-Hansen at the University of Copenhagen, finds that raised yellow patches of skin (xanthelasmata) around the upper or lower eyelids are markers of an individual's increased risk of having a heart attack or suffering from heart disease.

Read more in the ScienceDaily: Yellow patches around eyelids predict risk of heart problems, study finds

Change of Life Journey 16 - Epilogue

I started my short series of  'Change of Life Journey' articles in the knowledge that our 6 to 7 week journey to the United Kingdom would almost certainly change the remainder of our lives; it would probably change how we live and possibly where we live in the future.

Having been back at our current home base in Orihuela Costa for a few days we have had time to reflect and evaluate. Our decision has been made. Our new plans for the future direction are being collated, co-ordinated, costed, and converted towards a more conclusive basis for a compatible future for us.

Our decision, like a pebble dropped in a pond, will cause ripples of reactions around us, decreasing in strength as time and distance goes by; the majority strong and good and a few not so good.

The recent short journey has now been drawn to a close as has this series of articles.

Our new extending future journey begins.

CoLJ 15 - A Day's Driving Not to be Forgotten!

We, Natalie and I, left The Conifers, our final holiday cottage on this trip, on Saturday 3^rd September for the drive through Southern England, France and Spain, in our trusty 2007 Hyundai Getz, and arrived home, in Orihuela Costa, on Monday 5^th September. The second and third days driving went without any problems and on schedule, cruising the motorways south through Europe. The same cannot be said for day one, which was predominantly in England, with a little section in Northern France to get from the Channel Tunnel to the south western suburbs of Paris.

Our aim was to get to our hotel for the first night at 20:00 hrs. including stopping 30 minutes for morning coffee, 60 minutes for lunch, 35 minutes through the tunnel, and a further 30 for afternoon tea. A stress free day was the plan.

It all started to go wrong after just an hour into our driving when we were delayed for a half an hour near Stamford in Lincolnshire by the multitude of vehicles clogging the A1, trying to enter the Burghley Horse Trials. The drivers didn't seem to understand the instruction “For Burghley keep in left-hand lane”.Once past this problem the traffic began to flow freely; that is until ten minutes later when we reached the beginning of the A1M section near Peterborough.

The motorway section was completely closed in both directions. Having taken 20 minutes to exit the slip road, as directed by the diversion signs, there was a distinct lack of any more assistance from the highways authority as to which way to go to continue south towards the A14 and M11, our route for the morning. It seemed to be a case of 'we've got you off the motorway – now you are on your own'. At first SatNavratilova was of no use either as she kept insisting on directing us towards the closed A1M. Out came the historical road map from the boot of the car, below the suitcases of course, a diversion route was determined, and we proceeded for some considerable amount of time along countryside A and B roads until we rejoined our initial route. Having put up with SatNavratilova telling me she was “recalculating” for some 15 minutes she eventually agreed with my old fashioned planned route and decided to take over the navigation again.

By the time we joined the A14, had had a very quick toilet break at some services, well can't ask a lady to go behind a hedge, we had lost almost two hours of our time. Never-the-less she, who doesn't like to have to recalculate, was telling us that we could still, if we didn't have any rest breaks, just make the channel tunnel before the departure gate closed at 14:12 hrs. and catch our planned for train departure at 14:42 hrs. When we left the M11 and joined the clockwise carriageway of the M25, heading towards the Dartford Crossing she was still confident, with our arrival time of 13:55 hrs. glowing in the bottom right-hand corner of her screen.

Having negotiated the many slip lanes to get into the flow of traffic, I was feeling confident, thinking to myself that the traffic on the dreaded M25 was flowing quite well and did the road really deserve its bad reputation on everyday. This was a Murray Walker 'Murrayism' moment. A few nano-seconds later Sally Traffic's week-end colleague announced on BBC radio 2 that traffic proceeding clockwise on the M25 in the region of the Dartford Crossing was not! There were delays of 45 minutes being experienced. It was an interesting time watching the lane swappers in their unsuccessful attempts to regain seconds of their time.

Eventually we had crossed the Thames over the impressive Queen Elizabeth 11 bridge, Natalie had accurately thrown our £1.50p toll fee into the urinal lookalike chute, to catch the pennies, at the toll booth, and we were heading for Folkestone our gateway to France, and freedom on the motorways. Of course there was just one problem. Our train would be halfway through the Channel Tunnel without us when we were now scheduled to arrive at the terminal!

As we neared the slip road from the M20 into the tunnel terminal I once more glanced a look at the fuel gauge which was registering that the tank was approaching only a quarter capacity left. Remembering the extortionate price of unleaded, sans plomo 95, sin plomo 95 petrol in France, and that there is not a petrol station on the entrance to the tunnel, because Euro tunnel prefer vehicles not to have a full tank of fuel on the trains, I decided to take 10 minutes to divert and call into the local Tesco garage to top up with fuel at the best possible prices. A saving of approximately £4.00p on 30 litres was worth a diversion of less than 3 miles. Time didn't matter as much now as we were already late. Mission accomplished we arrived at the check-in booths 1 hour and fifty minutes later than planned, having had no lunch, and only 7 minutes before our pre-booked train was to arrive in Calais.

Arriving at the deserted booths, and selecting one with the ticket dispenser on the left of the car, so much easier for a left-hand drive, I input our reservation number. I was asked to confirm I was me via the console touch screen, which after checking myself in the internal mirror, I did. I was then informed that we had missed our train! As if we hadn't realized! As I pointed out to the inanimate touch screen, in a polite verbal manner of voice, I knew this fact, true to its advertised policy this wonderful computerised component offered a new selection of alternative train departures to choose from. We chose the train just one hour after our original reservation. At no extra cost. Take note Ryan Air of good customer service.

So, after all the problems of the journey to the Folkestone terminal we would arrive in France just one hour late. The rest of the day's, sunny early evening, travel on the French motorways and the Paris Western and Southern Périphérique to our hotel would be easy! There wouldn't be any need to stop for petrol, and as we ate our late packed lunch whilst travelling through the tunnel, there wouldn't be any need to stop for tea. We could be at the evening hotel by 20.30 hrs. just 30 minutes later than planned; so I thought!

Two hours of easy driving on a motorway and we began to notice the ash grey clouds building ahead of us. A quarter of an hour further they had changed to battleship grey with hints of lightning flashing across the sky. Five minutes later the clouds are a dark slate grey verging on a crow black, coal black, the lightning is forking to the ground, and the heavy rain is drumming deafeningly on the roof of the car. The windscreen wipers are on at the fastest speed and not coping with clearing the water. The drains on the motorway surface are not emptying the water away quick enough. The motorway has become a canal. We passed a road sign reminding us that when it's raining the maximum speed limit drops from 130 kph. to 110 kph. I looked at the speedometer; we were travelling at 65 kph., keeping pace with the red tail lights ahead, and struggling to see where we were going. We wondered at the kamikaze captains of the speedboats in the outside lane. For an eternity, probably almost 30 minutes, we drove into the unrelenting waterfall longing for the exit from the motorway. We wondered if we would be able to read the road-signs, through the deluge, telling of the right slip road, when SatNavratilova reassured us with her instructions of “exit right in 1 kilometre” then “exit right in 500 metres” and finally “exit right”. I wasn't going to doubt or argue with her. In a minor way I was like a pilot landing his aircraft under IFR(Instrument Flight Rules) conditions. Unfortunately though she didn't see the lake on the slip road, neither did the drivers of the two vehicles in front us. As they both hit the water it was like a water main had burst through the tarmac. The 5 metre scarlet fountains either side of them visible in my headlights and the red brake lights of the cars, a warning to me.

It seemed as though the rain weakened shortly after we left the motorway, helping drastically with visibility on the roads through the Paris suburbs making it easier to follow the calm, clear instructions from SatNavratilova, leaving me only to concentrate on the black wet shiny roads, the multitude of bright traffic lights, and the erratic lane changes of the Paris drivers.

At last at 21:30 hrs. her confident voice assured us that we were “arriving at destination on right”. The hotel sign a glowing beacon of safety from the coal black wet night.

We had had a day's driving not to be forgotten and hopefully never repeated!