The best laid plans….

19th December
As we finish in Ireland – for the time being – we were counting on the MG getting us back to London – via Airdrie - and had organised our schedule accordingly. As luck would have it, the good old MG died on Friday evening as we were on our way to the Doctor’s surgery for our final inoculation.
It appears that this may be a life-threatening – if not terminal - problem and certainly not one that can be resolved in the week before Christmas. After 12 hours of discussion, telephone calls – still no internet access – and helpful friends, we decided that the only viable solution was to try to buy a replacement vehicle which would allow us to keep to our original plan.
Unfortunately – unlike our Canadian Banker friend – we couldn’t stretch to a new BMW right now but have had to settle for a second hand Ford Focus. I traded a couple of hours pouring concrete with a neighbour this morning in return for his help and guidance on choosing the replacement car from a good friend of his.
One advantage is the additional space which will make the packing and journey home slightly more comfortable. All I have to do now is persuade my local bank manager to cash a sterling cheque for a substantial amount on Monday morning – watch this space!
While we carry on – more or less – as planned, the MG will spend the next 4 months under cover on a neighbour’s farm until I can return to sort it out.