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[Entwood]

After taking 7 hours to get TO "The Lakes" due to the M6 around Birmingham being stupid, and it being closed further up due to an oil spill, we decided to leave a tad earlier than normal as we were due in Swindon around six .. planned to leave about 11.00 am ....

Nice fried breakfast, chat with fellow OOFers, pack up the 'van, we left at 11.10

and it was all going so well

until J17 where the M6 was closed 1 mile ahead of us for the air ambulance to attend a serious looking bike smash ....  but with the pikey van we had a toilet and a kettle ... .. not a problem , 45 minutes later we start to move

and it was all going so well

until we left the M5 at J11A - A417 - enter a queue of traffic due to roadworks, nicely positioned in the middle lane to go up Birdlip Hill after the inside lane filters off..... traffic starts to move, I pull away .. didn't feel at all good. Hazards on, jump out ... right rear completely flat. Put on High Vis jackets - guy on the inside lane is very good and lets me through to the edge - no hardshoulder just a deep V shaped gully, get as far into as we can, triangle out. decide it is too dangerous to try and change the wheel where I am.. ring green flag.

and it was all going so well

While talking to green flag and explaining the problem I notice the left rear looks virtually flat as well ... looks like I have a double puncture. Green Flag are OK .. recovery arranged 30-40 minutes. Passing Police car driver stops for a chat .. is well happy with what we've done, passes commiserations over the double flat .. gets a radio call about a smash at J7 and disappears at a great rate of knots. Green flag guy arrives after 35 minutes, puts car on the flatbed and hitches up the 'van.  I notice that the rear left now looks "OK", and his truck tyres look dodgy .. we decide it must be the effect of the drainage ditch but having loaded up he'll recover me home anyway.

and it was all going so well

He then went to connect the electrics ... I have a 13 pin plug on the 'van .. he only had a seven pin socket and no adaptor. No problem says he .. we'll just put the trailer board on the back of the van ... so we do

and it was all going so well

until he realised the trailer board cable wasn't long enough and he had no extension leads. So we drive with no lights or indicators to the centre of Gloucester to pick up an extension lead.

and it was all going so well

until he decided the best route home now was M5 / M4. massive queues at the interchange, but we eventually got through and drove home, where he unhitched the 'van, moved forward and dropped the car. We did the paper work, he left. I changed the wheel on the car, hitched up the 'van and pulled it forward ready to put it away

and it was all going so well

until the motor mover wouldn't work .. the actuators moved, the lights worked, but the motors didn't turn ... I fiddled, poked, checked fuses, checked connections, swore, cursed, Chris went and got a takeaway as she got back I gave it one last try .. and it worked ! Put the van away and ate.

and it was all going so well

until we decided to just take out the "perishables" tonight and leave the rest until tomorrow.... and I dropped the carton of eggs on the floor, 8 eggs ... 7 broke .. all over the carpet. Cleaned the carpet between us, swore, swore again, locked the van, locked the car.

and it IS all going so well as I'm now on my second cold beer, Chris on second Vodka & Coke.

11.10 to 20:20 to get home, we ate at 21:15, gave up at 23.00

and the weekend went so well ..

Thanks to all for the company, we both thoroughly enjoyed it 

[Nickbat]

You think that's bad? I slightly overcooked my steak & kidney pie tonight. 



Seriously, though, that sounds like one hell of a day. 
Glad you're back safe and sound, though. 

[feeutfo]

Ah fathers day, don't you just love it. :-/

[VXL V6]

Mr Entwood (Or are you PP now?!!) Did the tyre have a screw in it?

We stopped at the Little Chef on the A591 and when J parked the tractor next to mine I noticed the N/S/R looked half flat. Pumped it up and decided that the tyre wall may be damaged so swapped the spare, then discovered a screw fully in the inside edge of the tyre... glad we swapped it now!

Anyway, if yours has a screw in it I think we should all check our tyres. It could of course be a coincidence but still think i'll be double checking both cars fully in the morning.

[same #same#]

ive had a good day nothing happen'd at all nice tea, sun out , daywith the feet up mrs making the drinks, had a nice walk, bit of tv, family round been a loverly day.

[Vamps]

After taking 7 hours to get TO "The Lakes" due to the M6 around Birmingham being stupid, and it being closed further up due to an oil spill, we decided to leave a tad earlier than normal as we were due in Swindon around six .. planned to leave about 11.00 am ....

Nice fried breakfast, chat with fellow OOFers, pack up the 'van, we left at 11.10

and it was all going so well

until J17 where the M6 was closed 1 mile ahead of us for the air ambulance to attend a serious looking bike smash ....  but with the pikey van we had a toilet and a kettle ... .. not a problem , 45 minutes later we start to move

and it was all going so well

until we left the M5 at J11A - A417 - enter a queue of traffic due to roadworks, nicely positioned in the middle lane to go up Birdlip Hill after the inside lane filters off..... traffic starts to move, I pull away .. didn't feel at all good. Hazards on, jump out ... right rear completely flat. Put on High Vis jackets - guy on the inside lane is very good and lets me through to the edge - no hardshoulder just a deep V shaped gully, get as far into as we can, triangle out. decide it is too dangerous to try and change the wheel where I am.. ring green flag.

and it was all going so well

While talking to green flag and explaining the problem I notice the left rear looks virtually flat as well ... looks like I have a double puncture. Green Flag are OK .. recovery arranged 30-40 minutes. Passing Police car driver stops for a chat .. is well happy with what we've done, passes commiserations over the double flat .. gets a radio call about a smash at J7 and disappears at a great rate of knots. Green flag guy arrives after 35 minutes, puts car on the flatbed and hitches up the 'van.  I notice that the rear left now looks "OK", and his truck tyres look dodgy .. we decide it must be the effect of the drainage ditch but having loaded up he'll recover me home anyway.

and it was all going so well

He then went to connect the electrics ... I have a 13 pin plug on the 'van .. he only had a seven pin socket and no adaptor. No problem says he .. we'll just put the trailer board on the back of the van ... so we do

and it was all going so well

until he realised the trailer board cable wasn't long enough and he had no extension leads. So we drive with no lights or indicators to the centre of Gloucester to pick up an extension lead.

and it was all going so well

until he decided the best route home now was M5 / M4. massive queues at the interchange, but we eventually got through and drove home, where he unhitched the 'van, moved forward and dropped the car. We did the paper work, he left. I changed the wheel on the car, hitched up the 'van and pulled it forward ready to put it away

and it was all going so well

until the motor mover wouldn't work .. the actuators moved, the lights worked, but the motors didn't turn ... I fiddled, poked, checked fuses, checked connections, swore, cursed, Chris went and got a takeaway as she got back I gave it one last try .. and it worked ! Put the van away and ate.

and it was all going so well

until we decided to just take out the "perishables" tonight and leave the rest until tomorrow.... and I dropped the carton of eggs on the floor, 8 eggs ... 7 broke .. all over the carpet. Cleaned the carpet between us, swore, swore again, locked the van, locked the car.

and it IS all going so well as I'm now on my second cold beer, Chris on second Vodka & Coke.

11.10 to 20:20 to get home, we ate at 21:15, gave up at 23.00

and the weekend went so well ..

Thanks to all for the company, we both thoroughly enjoyed it 

Not sure what to say to that at least you got home safely having had a great weekend.....

[joff]

I would have liked the chance to have been at the lakes this weekend. I could have taken the van up behide the plod and had a weekend of fun, but NO I had to do a 12 hour shift on Friday and two 12 hour night shifts this weekend and I will get home at about 07:00 Monday morning and have about 4 hours sleep before getting the plod in for a re-gas at Halls. Fathers day what fathers day got one card off one of the girls when I got up from night shift and the other one texted me to say happy fathers day daddy. I hope you had a good time up at the lakes. Can I come next time please please please. I will be looking forward to all the phot's please to see what I missed.

[Jimbob]

Doesnt sound the best of runs home...but you did tempt fate telling Jaime you would be off the M6 before he was on it 

[TheBoy]

I'm guessing now the day is over, you can have a chuckle about it. It certainly was a gripping read - I might have to email it to Mrs TheBoy


Obviously, now that it is all over, and hopefully sorted, I might get away with saying it serves you right, PIKEY


Any idea why the mover failed the first time? An impending failure?  Its a big van to have to move around by hand

[Darth Loo-knee]

I'm guessing now the day is over, you can have a chuckle about it. It certainly was a gripping read - I might have to email it to Mrs TheBoy


Obviously, now that it is all over, and hopefully sorted, I might get away with saying it serves you right, POSH PIKEY


Any idea why the mover failed the first time? An impending failure?  Its a big van to have to move around by hand

Fancy saying that Jaime!!

Glad you eventually got home safe and sound though

[tunnie]

traffic was bad last night, going home, M40 was solid stationary traffic from High Wycombe to Oxford Services 

A43 was feked too due to the stupid design at Jc10, and fact it was MotoGP.

Was it just single puncture in the end?

[Kevin Wood]

traffic was bad last night, going home, M40 was solid stationary traffic from High Wycombe to Oxford Services 

A43 was feked too due to the stupid design at Jc10, and fact it was MotoGP.

Was it just single puncture in the end?

Thought so. Just caught the tail end of it at the Brackley exit. Luckily I came off onto the A34 but radio was talking about trouble all the way to High Wycombe.

M6 was carnage when I came down. Had to go cross country from Knutsford to Massive in the end.

Sorry to hear of the hassle, Entwood. I do hope someone wasn't playing silly bu66ers at the camp site. Worth checking all of our tyres, I think. 3 punctures on 2 cars parked next to each other is a bit of a coincidence IMHO.

Kevin

[tunnie]

traffic was bad last night, going home, M40 was solid stationary traffic from High Wycombe to Oxford Services 

A43 was feked too due to the stupid design at Jc10, and fact it was MotoGP.

Was it just single puncture in the end?

Thought so. Just caught the tail end of it at the Brackley exit. Luckily I came off onto the A34 but radio was talking about trouble all the way to High Wycombe.

M6 was carnage when I came down. Had to go cross country from Knutsford to Massive in the end.

Sorry to hear of the hassle, Entwood. I do hope someone wasn't playing silly bu66ers at the camp site. Worth checking all of our tyres, I think. 3 punctures on 2 cars parked next to each other is a bit of a coincidence IMHO.

Kevin

Yup that was tail of it, not too bad from Oxford to Services, but after that it was donald ducked. People were sat on roofs of cars, everyone out and about. Thing is i never saw the cause, no big smash no emergency cars, just dead VW Golf with slight bumper damage in hard shoulder  :-/

Glad i was not going that way!

[TheBoy]

traffic was bad last night, going home, M40 was solid stationary traffic from High Wycombe to Oxford Services 

A43 was feked too due to the stupid design at Jc10, and fact it was MotoGP.

Was it just single puncture in the end?

Thought so. Just caught the tail end of it at the Brackley exit. Luckily I came off onto the A34 but radio was talking about trouble all the way to High Wycombe.

M6 was carnage when I came down. Had to go cross country from Knutsford to Massive in the end.

Sorry to hear of the hassle, Entwood. I do hope someone wasn't playing silly bu66ers at the camp site. Worth checking all of our tyres, I think. 3 punctures on 2 cars parked next to each other is a bit of a coincidence IMHO.

Kevin

Yup that was tail of it, not too bad from Oxford to Services, but after that it was donald ducked. People were sat on roofs of cars, everyone out and about. Thing is i never saw the cause, no big smash no emergency cars, just dead VW Golf with slight bumper damage in hard shoulder  :-/

Glad i was not going that way!

Alledgedly a smash near chicken shit canyon...

[CaptainZok]

Bit of a grueller there Nige.
If you bought Chris her own miggy she could have been home and had your tea ready for your return.