When your kids happiness is paramount what do you do, you drive 7+hrs in a small white van to take
him a pool table to his new flat. Every 20 something young man needs his own pool table to go with
his corner bar in his first flat with his best friend.
Hiring a small while van off the most unhelpful man in Dunston, on a wintery snowy Saturday morning, BB asked him directions and got a “don’t ask me” statement in return, I try to show interest in the van details asking “has it got snow tyres?” after all the snow is quite bad his answer “don’t ask me” then with a parting comment of “good luck those vans tend to slip in the snow” we looked bewildered and climbed into our van and headed off to pick up BB sons newly acquired pool table.
Spending 30 minutes desperately trying to fit the table into the back of this little van we wedge the door shut and hope it holds for the 7 hours to Folkestone. On the road we entertain ourselves by talking about ourselves I mean what else do women talk about men? Not enough time to get to the men its only 7hours each way. Luckily BB has brought a speaking book on Social intelligence which after hour of turning it on and off we find that it has the power to lull us to sleep – pretty dangerous even for two blondes. Then again it took me 3 hours to realise I didn’t have a rear view mirror (well what do we use it for really), unfortunately we never quite work out what the alarm meant that went off every time we got into the van or what the green arrow or red dot means on the dashboard but really do we need to know these things as long as we wear appropriate moving outfits.
Arriving safely we find our hotel for the evening is the rather old but interesting Burlington Hotel which I could see Miss Marple staying here. The French man behind the reception seemed very nice but I was a little unsure whether he was actually employed by the hotel at all. He couldn’t recommend a restaurant or bar for our evening and although he knew a ghost existed in the hotel he didn’t know its name – I mean, what kind of manager couldn’t make up at least a little story plus a name!
We don’t get to see much of Folkestone as the snow has followed us down country, although they say looking over the sea on a clear day from here you can see France, today we will be lucky if we can see each other on our little walk to look over the harbour, it so snowy and overcast. I think as CB would say “this place would be nice in the summer Gillian”. You never know I may be back if BB’s son needs to move the pool table again!
wherethehellisgillian 