Busy week

This week we visited another couple of schools. Glenthorne we weren't so keen on really, despite it's convenient location, but Cheam High was very good, but it's much harder to get to. So now the choice comes between Greenshaw and Cheam High. Greenshaw has the advantage of being very close (literally a walk in the park to get there), and both schools have very similar results, but Cheam High just felt a bit nicer. Plus Greenshaw probably has some intake from the council estate which can't be good. We need to scope out bus routes for Cheam High to see if it's feasible or not. But then we might not get offered a place there anyway. Argh it's difficult!

On Sunday we went to see Ele's aunt Sandra and her cousins, one of which recently had a baby (the reason for the visit). We had a great journey up, and a delicious lunch and lots of chat and coo-ing over the baba, but then a nightmare coming home again.

Chris & Arthur left about ten or fifteen minutes before us. We (me, Ele, Jess, Joe, Saff & Anise) then all piled into our car (which whizzed us all along in comfort, and the DVD kept Joe amused!) to set off.

Saff had a headache so we stopped off at the first services to grab some paracetamol, some coffee and some petrol. We then carried on down the M1, but there were signs up saying there was delays before the roadworks. Given that the roadworks are enforced at 40mph and go on for miles (and have those annoying SPECS cameras that calculate your average speed) they are a real slow-down, and to have a jam before that as well, I decided to cut across to join the M40.

Whilst going across we heard no the radio there were also delays on the M40 and that the A3 was shut at the bit we needed to go on as well. Saff was feeling a bit nauseous at this point so we stopped briefly at a service station near the Cherwell services by the M40. We then carried on down the M40, hitting a bit of traffic en-route but nothing too bad until we got near High Wycombe. Here there was tons of traffic, so I jumped off the motorway again and headed across to the M4, which was thankfully clear.

Obviously we couldn't do our usual route of going up the A3 at J10 to get home, so I was going to go down the A217 at J8, but there was tons of traffic so I left at J9, thinking I'd go past my work and home that way, but that road was closed as well so we went via Epsom. Saffron remarked it was like that bit of the Truman Show where Jim Carrey tries to leave the island but every road he goes down is suddenly blocked off. She was right!

Anyway we eventually get back towards home and as we turn onto the Mad Mile part of the A217, we realise we have just pulled out behind Chris & Arthur! What a coincidence! A few seconds either way and we wouldn't have even seen them. They went down the M1 and got stuck in the roadworks contraflow because of an accident. And there was me wishing we'd stayed on the M1!

So, we got home later than anticipated but it was a good day nonetheless.

-Neil