Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Home
The public address system wakes us up at six thirty GMT, we are due to dock at eight and have opted for a light breakfast at the Costa Coffee shop. As usual, I shower and dress first and then leave Irene and David in privacy, while I make my way to the cafe. I order a large Americano and a croissant, with cheese and ham, the prices are normal Costa charges, so quite reasonable for the Ferry. We are just about docked in Hull and guess what? It is raining outside! David and Irene join me and we sit and eat breakfast until we are called to the car, around a quarter to eight and on the hour, the first vehicles begin to disembark, a middle aged biker falls off his bike, but is fortunately unhurt and resumes on his way and then everything stops. Ten minutes later we are told a fire alarm has gone off in the terminal building and to make use of the ships facilities whilst it is investigated, ten minutes later I leave the car to use the loo, the near pint of black coffee having taken effect. Upstairs it is chaos, the foot passengers still queuing to disembark and blocking the gangways, but I push my way through to the toilets. When I return David goes, but forewarned goes to a higher deck and has no problem. When he returns, an announcement tells us that someone has opened a fire door, hence the problem. disembarkation recommences ten minutes later. A customs and immigration officer gives us the third degree about our holiday to Austria, obviously all the border posts are on full alert after the brutal beheading of Gunner Rigby by Islamist militants in London last week, and then we are on our way by a quarter past nine. Half an hour later I am home in Tickton, my cases unpacked and waving goodbye to Irene and David.. In the hall is a pile of useless spam mail, but otherwise the house is as clean and in good order as when I left it. I phone Pip to tell her I am on my way to collect Dolly and Teddy, and then pick Norman up from Sarah's house, I phoned her from Holland on Sunday to warn her about the extra day. All three dogs are glad to be back on the Westwood and the early rain has cleared and the day brightened up somewhat, so when I get back to Cherry Burton I mow both lawns, the grass being a full six inches high after two weeks growth. I repeat the process when I get back to Tickton, having first unpacked and put on a load of washing. There is just time to peg this out before it is time for me to collect Louis from his football course with Hull City, which is being held at the Grammar school. I arrive ten minutes early and sit and watch Louis make a couple of fine saves, he has wangled his way into goal again. When the whistle blows he runs straight to me and asks if I saw his saves, I tell him I did and then we gather his things together and drive to Sarah's house to collect clean clothes, before continuing to the supermarket to buy food for dinner. I promised Louis 50p for each time he and Alice took Norman out and he tells me that I owe him £7, and wants to spend some of it on football player swap cards, so I let him have two pounds to buy four 50p packs, before retiring to the cafe for a tea and a drinking chocolate. When we arrive home, I run Louis a bath and then clean and changed, he plays "Temple Run", on my iPad, whilst I prepare dinner. He has ordered lamb pittas, with mint yogurt, salad and chips for tea and when it is ready, promptly clears his plate. A days football training certainly works up an appetite. After dinner we walk Norman round the village and then I deliver Louis back to Sarah's house for seven o'clock, chatting briefly to my daughter about my holiday and then leaving her to make dinner for herself and Alice, who is swatting furiously for her GCSE'S exams that start next week. I return home for seven thirty, wash up, make a pot of tea and then have an early night. It is my first day without alcohol for two weeks, I think my liver deserves a holiday for at least as long, probably longer. In a little over six weeks I will be flying back to Holland to visit Graham and Liliane and to return to Lippstadt.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment