Not for your "Sunday drivers"

Saturday night , in front of the TV watching the X Factor semi finals, but feeling guilty, showing lack of discipline with no entries since Thursday morning - BUT it is hard to be on the go all day, not get the kind of sleep I need and try to keep up.

So, Thursday - set off into the foggy West where things did not improve until I was into the Carlisle area. Took my own car this time to get the cobwebs out the engine and give it a "bit of a blow" , however, my white van men certainly did not let me down - two passed me in Mercedes Sprinters and a big Ford transit, doing well in excess of 90 mph - bloody dangerous as they were bouncing all over the road.
Decided to head straight for Birmingham, not that I had much choice, but the further south I went the worse the traffic and the driving got. By the time I got to J.11 things were slowing down drastically - just about crawling, wall to wall cars, and lorries, lorries everywhere - so much for the government trying to get heavy road freight onto the railways -no way !! what a nightmare, it is no wonder that the inside lanes of the motorways are rutted and sinking under the strain.

So - five hours after leaving Glasgow I eventually got into central Birmingham. The security boys in the office were telling me that following two different fatal accidents on the roads in the centre of the City on Wednesday, the City had been totally gridlocked for hours.

I also passed the Aston Villa football ground, but realised that Aston is an area of Birmingham, with Aston University nearby.

Northwards, a bit more quickly, and then off to Runcorn to see the ladies there - Jill, no Lorraine as I was in a hurry, but young Christine ( Dick Turpin's sister) made me my usual cuppa.

Northwards in lovely bright sunshine all the way through the Lake District, into the Scottish Borders and then, as there was no need to go to Glasgow it was through Moffat, up by the Devil's Beeftub, Broughton, Rommano Bridge, Leadburn and home to Penicuik. 12 hours and 658 miles.
So, there I was, home, empty house and had some peace to get on with outstanding paperwork, and report the minor bump to the car earlier in the week.

A long and constructive day - bed at 9.30p.m.