We’re going where the sun shines brightly

We’ve landed on the South Coast for a few days.  The drive down from Sheffield was a choice of Friday commuter traffic or Saturday holiday makers.  We opted for Friday, and tried to make it a civilised journey.

Abundant Grace (third from left)

The day before, I’d had driver training in Daventry.  Whilst it didn’t add too many miles to my day, it was a couple of hours of intense concentration.  I’d really enjoyed the session three years ago.  Andy, the Apex tutor, had complimented my driving, which is a first.  “You’re a thinking driver, but with bad habits,” he summarised; “most obviously, speeding.”  This time we chatted about my Medical Review Licence.  And after my test drive he reported, “You’re a thinking driver, but you’ve got to watch the speeding and over-firm braking.”  I wondered how that was an improvement.  I told Andy that when I’d driven a Toyota Prius with heads-up speedo display, I was amazed how quickly I strayed over limits.  Andy wasn’t letting me excuse myself.  “Listen to the engine.  The ‘thirties’ are your problem.”

So, a six-plus hours’ journey to Brighton was going to need a bit of pacing.  It started fine, because  once home, Jack helped me to put the roof box on the Zafira.  Friday morning found me oversleeping, which was probably necessary and (I told myself) therapeutic.  Then Ed arrived, having come to do some walking in the Peak District.  We chatted about Medical Review Licences, Group businesses, gym routines and what God may be up to.  Congenial, but another hour gone.

M25 'car park'

Once loaded up and nicely down the M1, we headed for Rugby so we could pick up the M40.  This also took us by the community property that Mary and I may land up in in Southam.  Steven was suitably impressed.  Hitting the M25 at Heathrow, with the outside temperature now at 30C, everything snarled up.  We were grateful for the air-con.  We crawled into Cobham services for a milkshake.  Malcolm finished off the final fifty miles.

We unloaded, and joined Len and Ali for some welcome chicken and rice.  They introduced us to their other resident, a tortoise, who happened to be clocking up its first birthday.  I'm not sure what celebrations are appropriate.  Mary and I worked out that we’d last been here in October eight months ago.  At that point, Len and Ali were all set to downsize to a standard three-bedroomed semi near Stanmer Park.  In the meantime, both the sale of their present sea-front community house and the purchase of the smaller Coldean one had fallen through.  Uncertainty is the only thing that’s definite.