Brum

[Paddypix]

After the others left for their coach and trains I had a nice couple of hours in the museum. They had some good paintings there, a couple of Lowrys and Augustus Johns, but three dimensional art appeals to me more and the pottery was beautiful. I was just looking round for something to eat but first i phoned Mr PP to check the status of my flight. He called back a couple of minutes later to say it was cancelled! So there I was alone in a strange city. No point in panicking, but panic is George's default setting, so I phoned my dil because I was afraid of my battery draining which would have left me cut off from home and I knew I'd be on the phone to Easyjet for ages. She finally got through and they said they would put me on the 8.30am in the morning but I would have to ring them myself! Well my battery wouldn't have held out so she phoned again pretending to be me and they booked me on the 8.30am and said I should go to the airport asap and the Sales Desk would give me my boarding pass and try to arrange accommodation for me. Meanwhile I went back to the hotel to collect my luggage and see if they had a room for tonight in case I was stuck. George could have got me on a Flybe to Belfast City tonight but it was £211 so that would have been a last resort.

The airport is easy to get to and not far so I was there in less than 30 minutes. Needless to say the desk was closed so I had to ring them. They said to go to the nearest hotel and get a receipt and they would reimburse me. I thought "oh yeah, and pigs might fly. I'll never see that money again" but there was nothing else for it so I walked over to the Novotel and explained the situation. Fancy my surprise when I found that they had all my details and Easy jet had booked me in B&B! Fair play to Easyjet, I had misjudged them.

So here I am in my PJs in a big comfy bed ready to fire up the Netflix and settle down for a night of telly. If I get hungry later I'll pop over to the airport for something. I love staying in hotels and it's a great excuse to crash out and just do nothing.

[jenniren]

Well done Easyjet, what could have been a disaster has been sorted very well

[Osc]

Very impressed with that service, enjoy your hotel night!

[meriad]

Oh no - sorry your flight was cancelled but good on EasyJet sorting it all out; I really wouldn't have expected that from them

My journey home by comparison was a breeze - the train was already at the station when Kaz and I got there; left on time, arrived into Euston on time. Straight onto the Northern Line to Waterloo and I even managed to catch a train 1/2 hour earlier than the one I was hoping to get. So all in all from start station to end station was 2.5 hours. The last short drive from West Byfleet station to Send was the worst bit of the journey because of road works

Hope you have an OK evening tonight PP

[Diflower]

Oh blimey PP, but good on Easyjet - and it sounds as though you're quite happy with your extra treat
Hope your journey tomorrow goes smoothly x

[molly]

PP, if my phone batter is low, I pop in to Carphone Warehouse and ask them to charge it up for me. Have only done it a couple of times but they have always agreed to do it, particularly as I had my phone through them. They didn't check though

[Kaz]

Oh blimey, not the greatest of situations but like you I love a nice quiet comfy night in a hotel, and fair play to EasyJet

Have a good flight in the morning, and see you next year!!!! xxxx

[Ally]

Oh well done Easyjet.

I take my charger out with me PP - it's so small and takes up no room - which means I can charge it up anywhere.
Even trains have charge points now which is brill.

Enjoy the hotel tonight (I also love a hotel!)

Safe flight tomorrow - and see you next year.

[Paddypix]

That's good info about Carphone Warehouse Molly. I'll remember that next time I'm in a jam. I had my charger with me but nowhere to plug it in.

[TheOstrich]

Sorry to read about your return journey, PP - glad Easyjet are getting you sorted out ....

Your return flight goes straight over our house, so I'll try to remember to wave if I'm up that early!!

The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is indeed an interesting place and well worth a visit. They used to have a small collection of gold items there from the famous "Staffordshire Hoard" - the Roman antiquities which were discovered by a guy with a metal detector in a farmer's field near Hammerwich, which is local to both Jo and myself. I think the last time Mrs O and I went to the Museum, they had a very interesting exhibition on (and various artifacts from) the Sikh religion.