We're off!

We're travelling by National Express to Heathrow today, staying in a Travel Lodge, and flying out to the USA tomorrow morning. Geoff (Reg's brother) and Rose are coming at lunchtime to take us to the bus station.

We packed nearly everything yesterday, and we were amazed to find that our cases were slightly underweight. I immediately put another long dress in my suitcase! We have new luggage this time – my 4 -wheeled case (purple of course) is ultralight, and this does seem to have made a big difference, although you would think it would simply encourage you to pack a bit more in! Reg's is a 2-wheeler, a soft bag, which is just what he wanted.

Marianne calls me late morning, to say goodbye and wish us well. She's on her mobile and calls our home phone. I say

“I can't hear you very well. The signal's really bad. I'll just go take you into the lounge to see if that makes a difference..”

“ But Lesley, you're on your home phone. I'm the one on the mobile...” (Lol).

We have combination padlocks for our cases which are especially approved for the USA … I guess it means that the USA border agency have some means of opening the cases if they need to. I offer to set the combination and somehow manage to lock Reg's padlock and it won't open when I key in the number I've chosen... (luckily it's not on the case yet). Frustrated and irritated groans from Reg, and when I say that we're bound to be able to buy another padlock at the airport, he retorts that that will cost a fortune (he bought ours really cheaply on ebay). Reg leaves the room with said padlock, muttering under his breath. A few minutes later he returns saying he's sorted it, what a geek that man is. He should have robbed safes for a living.

Big hugs with Rose and Geoff as they drop us off at the bus station, where we have half an hour to kill and so sit on a bench, with a cuppa from the cafe, eating the packed lunch we brought with us. The cafe have green tea for Reg– but no lemon :-( We get talking to a young man who's off to Kenya on business, on a project selling solar energy. With all that sunshine, it sounds like a winner to me.

We arrive at Heathrow, Terminal 5. While waiting for the shuttle bus to take us to our Travel Lodge, I think about a couple in their 50's who are standing near us, waiting for a bus. They are a bit bohemian looking; she has long grey hair swept up with a hairslide, and he has long grey hair caught up in a ponytail. He is carrying 3 umbrellas – one black, one red, and one floral. Why 3 umbrellas I wonder?

I don't have too long to ponder this question, as the bus arrives and Reg asks the driver if he can use his countrywide, pensioner's bus pass, and travel free. (Reg has read on the internet that this is the case). However, the bus driver very pleasantly, but very firmly replies

“No.”.

Reg argues his case for a couple of minutes, while a long queue builds up behind us, and I intervene and say,

“Not to worry – how much?”

As we secure our luggage, Reg tells me he will write to National Express about this.

I'm so glad of my easy-gliding new suitcase, but don't anticipate it being so free-wheeling that it makes a dash for it as the bus turns a corner, and attacks a fellow passenger.

We return the suitcase to the luggage area but it repeats its escape attempt at the next corner,causing a domino effect on all the other suitcases. An American lady quips cheerfully,

“It's that suitcase which is causing all the trouble!”

“What do you expect?” replies Reg, with a grin. “It belongs to my wife!”