The Washerwoman

Tuesday 6 January 2009

Having a bad day? Try mine!

Back in August when I started this blog I promised "rural ramblings" - well, you almost got a rural rant at 4.30 this morning! The weathermen predicted "severe weather" and temperatures as low as minus 10. However they forgot to mention the Chance of the old handbrake freezing up.
Yes, imagine the scene in the pitch black at 4 am as we are trying to attempt to drive halfway across Southern England to the Ardingly showground in East Sussex.... there was me crouched on the floor with a hairdryer in hand trying to defrost the back wheels of the trusty Peugeot 807.
After 40 minutes with heater and hairdryer, we were on our way..... only to reach the motorway which was closed! Next thing we know we are driving in totally the wrong direction asking ourselves if somebody somewhere was trying to tell us something....
We then made the awful decision to turn back and head for home. As anyone knows who has ever been in the Antiques trade, it is a real tough one as the stall is pre-paid and after weeks of inertia due to the Christmas "holidays" (as it now seems to be known as in this country).... we really needed to be out there selling today.
So, have just finished unpacking the car and stomping around the house and think a calming trip to the local pub might be in order?

PS I meant to add that the photo was taken at 10 am this morning when we had to go through the whole sketch again as the handbrake froze again..... and we needed to go out to collect the cats from their luxury "hotel" (aka the cattery) where they were booked in for 2 nights as we usually do 2 days at the Ardingly fair!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Crikey that sounds a dreadful start to the day!!! Poor you!! I hope it gets better, doesnt seem like it can get worse! A nice trip to the pub will help I think...especially if you only have to walk there!!

Hope you can cheer up and your day get's better..

Lucy xx

Niki Fretwell said...

Hi Liz,
East Sussex always sounds like such a long way from here, so I am always in awe of you even contemplating it!
Sorry to hear that it didn't happen today - I hope you went back to bed and snuggled under the covers, where you should have been (in my view!) in the first place! Ha!

Joking aside, I know you wanted to be out there selling and it's a shame for those who were expecting to see you there - better luck next time!
Niki x

Rose&Bird said...

How awful! Sounds like a right nightmare for you both and it's not even as if it's a welcome day off! Hope the next event goes better x

Country Cottage Chic said...

Oh no! Was it the dreaded M%? I was unfortunate enough to get caught up in that chaos yesterday. Sorry to read that you couldn't make it to the fair. My tale of rural woe will be on my blog soon too!

Unknown said...

Gosh, that sounds like a nightmare - Ardingly was not a lot better. The organisers hadn't troubled to grit the showground, so it was just like "Celebrity Dancing on Ice" - without the celebrities of course

Anonymous said...

oh Liz, you POOR thing! What an awful day (morning!). I do hope you went to the pub and had some fun afterwards. I can just imagine how you felt after that morning. I agree with Niki, Im amazed at the places you manage to get to, you have real dedication ( under normal circumstances!hahaha!!!)

BusyLizzie said...

sense of humour is back!
Thank you for your brill comments!
Tomorrow is another day.. (by the way Mr W has "accidently" left the hand brake on again, so we aint goin nowhere in the morning!).. as its minus something again here tonight!!!

Linda said...

Oh poor you ! the thought of five oclock next Sat. in the cold is enough and that is just Exeter see you there xxxxxLinda

BusyLizzie said...

thanks Linda, hope the temperature is a little better by then...
just had this note from my brother in law.....

PS just leave the hair drier running tonight says the Weatherman !
made me smile!
Lizzie x

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The fabric of my life said...

Poor you and Mr WW! It isn't quite as cold here, I think it's because we are by the sea, but we have had frost which is so unusual for us. I have only had to scrape my windscreen once in 5 years!

I do hope Exeter will be warmer as I am planning on being there.

Can you have a lie in to reward yourselves tomorrow?

Mary Dodd Fine Arts said...

Oh dear oh dear - so sorry to hear your story of woe! Not a good time for old cars, is it!

Mike's girlfriend's car has decided to be temperamental and freeze up and refuse to start. It took 15 minutes to crank her up this morning at Kath's house and all the time I'm pacing up and down at home waiting for the "call" to come to the rescue and bring Mike to work.

Barney has his legs crossed he's so desperate to go! I'm in the kitchen, getting hot flushes and sweating with all the layers on ready for my sub zero yomp in the fields and I'm coughing for England! Welcome, New Year!! Winter?? Bah humbug! (Unless skiing, of course, he he)
Love Mary xxx

Redwoodhouse said...

Ohh dear, so sorry to read about the car etc. what a shame to miss your fair. Cars are great when they are purring but get a grumpy one and it is sooo annoying.
We have two cats but are lucky enough to have a neighbour up the road that comes in to see to them when we are away.
Hope all goes well for your next trip.
Jan

Vintage to Victorian said...

Hi Liz

Setting off pre crack-of-dawn is bad enough in itself, without all the added extras. I do question why we do it at times, but that's just when I do my 20-minute trip to Shepton.

How you and Mr W have the stamina to do all those early mornings beats me, but I'm so glad you do otherwise I would never have met you!!

Chin up. Hope Saturday is brilliant. The word in the trade is that there are a lot of people out there very much looking forward to this new event, so let's hope it goes some way to making up for the Ardingly fiasco.

Sue xx