The Perfect Storm

Sometimes there are days when it feels like the whole world is conspiring to stop something you have planned from happening. Yesterday was one of those days. At every point on my journey home from France (after completing a photography job for an offshore customer) there was a niggling feeling that things were imminently going to go 'tits up'. Lots of small things that looked like they had potential to scupper my plans to collect the Motorhome at 5.30pm as arranged. Changes in train platforms which I had to try and decipher in French and a ridiculously long wait at the CDG baggage desk followed by a mix up with my ticket and then, of course, the flight flashed up 'DELAYED' on the board - it turned out just to be for 15 minutes luckily. So basically all day I just had the feeling it just wasn't going to be my day. Too much friction for a happy ending.

As my flight lifted off the tarmac I began to allow a little positivity in, if we made up a bit of time on the journey back I might be still on track, however flying into Aberdeen hope turned to blind panic, positivity reached an all time low and it was certainly an experience I won't forget in a while. Gale force winds and awful wind shear saw us rolling around like a hyperactive two year old in control of a flight simulator. I'm not the best flyer as it is, but too many episodes of Aircrash Investigation and I know how dangerous wind shear can be. (Interesting fact - between 1964 and 1985, wind shear directly caused or contributed to 26 major civil transport aircraft accidents in the U.S. that led to 620 deaths and 200 injuries - thanks Wiki), so I was beginning to worry less about picking up the Motorhome and more about what bits someone else might be picking up of me. One aborted landing later and the chap sat next to me goes 'I bet we get diverted to Inverness'. Argghh!

We didn't thankfully and with a large bump we hit the tarmac and obviously I am still around to tell the tale. Pilot got a huge round of applause and I totally forgave any earlier offences by Air France - being home in one piece was good enough for me! Conditions on the ground and traffic were just as awful, but I managed to get to Rennie Motorhomes only 40 mins later than arranged. Mike the owner was nice enough to call to see how I was getting on and waited around for me to arrive. I got a quick guided tour and Motorhome 101 lesson.

First impressions - Big. I thought the wide angle photos would be misleading and it would be a lot smaller but I was really surprised. I'm sure it's not big in the camper van world but for a newbie it was more than adequate for what we were after. I was also impressed with how clean and new it was, when something has been hired out it tend to get that 'tired' look but not this van, super clean.

Now I'm sure you are aware of the phrase 'thrown in at the deep end' and I that is exactly how I felt. Driving something for the first time which not only is at least three times bigger than you are used to, into the throes of Aberdeen rush hour traffic was bad enough, on top of this I was very aware that the owner of this 30k+ machine was watching me take charge of it. In fact the whole journey home was pretty scary, not due to the van which is amazingly easy to drive (once you get used to the handbrake being on the right side), but because of the surface water and 75mph winds blowing the high sided vehicle all over the place.

So to summarise, I am now safe in the knowledge that a permanent record of my existence is forever ingrained in an Escape 664 steering wheel and the back of Air France seat 5F.

On arrival back at the house Jim was far more interested in the darts than my tales of peril but I eventually managed to coerce him outside for a look. 'It's OK isn't it?' he managed. High praise from Jim indeed!!

Time for bed and the start of the adventure in the morning!

Fay x

P.S. Sorry no photos today, it was pitch black and raining!

www.renniemotorhomes.co.uk