Heading South

A busy work day means my colleague and I don't manage to leave to travel south until nearly 7pm. Deciding we'll need to stop for a bite en route and keen to avoid service station foder, we allow my sat nav (now with the lovely speaking tones of John Cleese), to direct us to one of it's listed pubs, just off the motorway.

A quick meal later we set off again, but John is insisting we turn right, despite the fact we clearly came in from the left.

Trusting ourselves over an untried gadget and preferring to stick mainly on motorway than cross country, we turn left (Mr Cleese is most upset at this) and head back a mile or so to the motorway junction.

That'll be the motorway junction that just has a southbound exit, not a southbound entry...

Ah we of little faith.

As we near our final destination in rural Buckinghamshire, the fog descends until it's hard to see more than 20m ahead on the small lanes I'm driving down. Whilst resisting the temptation to drive using the sat nav map as some form of video game guidance, having it in my peripheral vision as I edge gently ahead, at least gives forewarning of junctions and sharp bends.



Just before midnight we pull into the driveway of the conference centre that will be serving as our hotel for the next couple of nights. It's hard not to be impressed by the building that appears out of the fog.



Ok the sleeping accommodation is slightly less splendid, a study bedroom is a study bedroom, is a study bedroom, but clean and comfy and all we need. It even has free broadband on tap so I can make the most of the tip from a friend (who shall remain anonymous) of where I can get a leaked copy of a certain band's forthcoming album (and yes I will buy the CD when released anyway). After a long day in the office and then having done all the driving, I fall into bed, accompanied by beautiful tunes, trying not to think about how few hours there are before my alarm will sound to get me up and out in time to set up for the training course we're here to run.