2nd June 2025
As is normal before a foreign trip, my sleep isn’t great - Harry isn’t the only one who reacts to change
Alexa wakes me at 06:15 and I get up, ablute, then dress and go downstairs. I put my towel in the washer/ dryer and switch it on, go and retrieve my lightweight fleece from the garage, then put the bins at the top of the drive and text Chris and Taylor next door to ask if they’d be kind enough to put each out on the relevant day, and re-stow them for me.
Adrian arrives at exactly 07:00 (rather worryingly) and we pack my three pieces of luggage in the boot of his car. We’re soon headed down towards Thetford on a glorious sunny morning - and Adrian’s satnav is telling us we should arrive by just after 10:00. My flight isn’t scheduled to depart until 13:20, but I always like to leave a three-hour margin, for contingencies and the dreaded security checks.
Once we reach Mildenhall, the ETA is still looking good, so we make a pit stop for a bacon roll and a coffee.
Ultimately, we get to the M25, which is always the great unknown - today it’s pretty good...
I actually remember saying to Adrian "I'll get some B Roll pics". What a twat...
We continue to arc around the north of London heading for Terminal Five. Suddenly, at just gone 10:00, we are here…
I thank Adrian, grab a luggage trolley and load my bags onto it. Adrian pulls away to put himself at the mercy of the M25, as he drives the reciprocal route home.
The terminal, for once, is relatively quiet, and I’m soon having my passport checked and watching my luggage disappear (who knows - perhaps forever) into the maw of the baggage handling apparatus.
I make my way to security, which is as quiet as I’ve ever seen it, and obey the (new) rules. Despite signs saying the opposite, I’m told not to pull my laptop and iPad out, not to remove my watch or shoes. I’m through in no time at all.
The duty-free area is the usual mosh pit...
Patrolled by daleks disguised as robot cleaners...
My flight is leaving from Gate B38, which involves going down a couple of floors and catching a transit train which takes us under the taxiways before we emerge at the sub-terminal.
I position myself on a surprisingly comfortable seat, near the loos and the drinking fountains, where I fill my water bottle, and log on to the free WIFI.
I am surprised and pleased to see a text from Nick saying that the garage door is fixed! Apparently, it was the safety brake out of alignment (you’ve likely got the same puzzled look on your face that I had when I read that). I pay the £67 invoice - and thank Nick for his help - great start to the trip
Soon we’re boarding, which goes smoothly except for people *really* taking the piss with cabin baggage. The couple in front of me each had a wheeled case, a large bag each, coats and they were both wearing rucksacks. They spent ages trying to find somewhere to put it all. I kept the suggestions I had to myself…
The aircraft is completely rammed - apparently oversold by 10 seats. I have an aisle seat, and the unfortunate passenger next to me - Daniel - is quite happy, because he’s a BA Cabin Staff on a standby seat.
We’re airborne about ten minutes late, our push back and start time was delayed, but we then get airborne and into the cruise. I eventually get the inflight WIFI to work, have some pretzels and apple juice and order Chicken with Gnocchi for my inflight meal…
Very tasty (still not a patch on yours Jane). I decide to buy four hours of full internet access for £11.99, mostly so I can buy an eSIM for Canada, as my Three account won’t work there (as it will in Gilead, to the south).
After a comedy of errors trying to pay online, I eventually achieve connection. I go to the App Store to download Airolo, which Martin (Arsey) introduced me to a couple of years back. The connection is slow. I mean S L O W…
I open the Airolo page and it’s saying it will take eleven HOURS and 54 minutes to download…
I ask the very helpful cabin staff about it, and she tells me I can apply for a refund. I click on the refund button and it takes 20 minutes to timeout
Entertainment is ok, but just ok. I treat myself to watching Alien - if not my favourite movie, then in the top three. What a great film - unbelievable how long ago it was made - there isn’t a wasted minute in it.
I watch three episodes of Lionesses, which is bollocks, but entertains nonetheless. I’m about half an hour into the first episode of Yellowstone, when I got presented with a glass of fizz from the Captain, Ian, with his apologies for not being able to upgrade me. What a nice gesture, set in motion by my BA benefactor…
At around 19:00 (BST), they look like they’re threatening us with some more cabin service…
...which manifests itself in the form of a cosmetically unappealing, but very tasty cheese and onion tuurnover...
I finish the (90minute) pilot episode of Yellowstone. I think I may be watching more of this when I get home
At length, we start the descent into Toronto. I sort out all the paperwork I've printed for the hire car and join the throng of people leaving the aircraft. The cabin staff have been run ragged with a jam-packed jet, so I make sure and thank them as I leave.
We walk to Ontario (or that's what it feels like) before going through a simple immigration procedure - a bit like entering the USA (well, in the old days). Eventually I rescue my bag from the carousel, and push my trolley to the car park (via a couple of lifts and a subway). I present my docs and Theo, the excellent operative says, "We've got a choice of colours - which would you like?"
Silly question...
Go big or go home...
I try for something like 20 minutes to get the fucking thing to link to my phone by Bluetooth, before giving up and rifled through my bags and found a cable to plug it into the dash with.
Like a fucking savage...
I very unwisely decide to put the hood down and drive straight to my hotel (about an hour and a bit away). I say unwisely, because it is gone midnight, body-clock time. I didn't really rest on the plane, because I tend to put Economy seats on, rather than sit on them. I'm undercaffeinated, my blood sugar is likely low and having the hood down just provides a degree of sensory overload.
With the finely honed skills of an advanced driver, and after years of experience as a risk manager, it only takes missing three junctions before I come to my senses, stop, and put the lid up. Unfortunately, the junctions I missed and Waze recalculated my route onto, appears to be a toll road. To my knowledge, there's no transponder in the car - it wasn't mentioned at pick-up. I have a sneaking suspicion this will come back to haunt me...
Sorry - too tired - more later...
As is normal before a foreign trip, my sleep isn’t great - Harry isn’t the only one who reacts to change
Alexa wakes me at 06:15 and I get up, ablute, then dress and go downstairs. I put my towel in the washer/ dryer and switch it on, go and retrieve my lightweight fleece from the garage, then put the bins at the top of the drive and text Chris and Taylor next door to ask if they’d be kind enough to put each out on the relevant day, and re-stow them for me.
Adrian arrives at exactly 07:00 (rather worryingly) and we pack my three pieces of luggage in the boot of his car. We’re soon headed down towards Thetford on a glorious sunny morning - and Adrian’s satnav is telling us we should arrive by just after 10:00. My flight isn’t scheduled to depart until 13:20, but I always like to leave a three-hour margin, for contingencies and the dreaded security checks.
Once we reach Mildenhall, the ETA is still looking good, so we make a pit stop for a bacon roll and a coffee.
Ultimately, we get to the M25, which is always the great unknown - today it’s pretty good...
I actually remember saying to Adrian "I'll get some B Roll pics". What a twat...
We continue to arc around the north of London heading for Terminal Five. Suddenly, at just gone 10:00, we are here…
I thank Adrian, grab a luggage trolley and load my bags onto it. Adrian pulls away to put himself at the mercy of the M25, as he drives the reciprocal route home.
The terminal, for once, is relatively quiet, and I’m soon having my passport checked and watching my luggage disappear (who knows - perhaps forever) into the maw of the baggage handling apparatus.
I make my way to security, which is as quiet as I’ve ever seen it, and obey the (new) rules. Despite signs saying the opposite, I’m told not to pull my laptop and iPad out, not to remove my watch or shoes. I’m through in no time at all.
The duty-free area is the usual mosh pit...
Patrolled by daleks disguised as robot cleaners...
My flight is leaving from Gate B38, which involves going down a couple of floors and catching a transit train which takes us under the taxiways before we emerge at the sub-terminal.
I position myself on a surprisingly comfortable seat, near the loos and the drinking fountains, where I fill my water bottle, and log on to the free WIFI.
I am surprised and pleased to see a text from Nick saying that the garage door is fixed! Apparently, it was the safety brake out of alignment (you’ve likely got the same puzzled look on your face that I had when I read that). I pay the £67 invoice - and thank Nick for his help - great start to the trip
Soon we’re boarding, which goes smoothly except for people *really* taking the piss with cabin baggage. The couple in front of me each had a wheeled case, a large bag each, coats and they were both wearing rucksacks. They spent ages trying to find somewhere to put it all. I kept the suggestions I had to myself…
The aircraft is completely rammed - apparently oversold by 10 seats. I have an aisle seat, and the unfortunate passenger next to me - Daniel - is quite happy, because he’s a BA Cabin Staff on a standby seat.
We’re airborne about ten minutes late, our push back and start time was delayed, but we then get airborne and into the cruise. I eventually get the inflight WIFI to work, have some pretzels and apple juice and order Chicken with Gnocchi for my inflight meal…
Very tasty (still not a patch on yours Jane
). I decide to buy four hours of full internet access for £11.99, mostly so I can buy an eSIM for Canada, as my Three account won’t work there (as it will in Gilead, to the south).After a comedy of errors trying to pay online, I eventually achieve connection. I go to the App Store to download Airolo, which Martin (Arsey) introduced me to a couple of years back. The connection is slow. I mean S L O W…
I open the Airolo page and it’s saying it will take eleven HOURS and 54 minutes to download…
I ask the very helpful cabin staff about it, and she tells me I can apply for a refund. I click on the refund button and it takes 20 minutes to timeout
Entertainment is ok, but just ok. I treat myself to watching Alien - if not my favourite movie, then in the top three. What a great film - unbelievable how long ago it was made - there isn’t a wasted minute in it.
I watch three episodes of Lionesses, which is bollocks, but entertains nonetheless. I’m about half an hour into the first episode of Yellowstone, when I got presented with a glass of fizz from the Captain, Ian, with his apologies for not being able to upgrade me. What a nice gesture, set in motion by my BA benefactor…
At around 19:00 (BST), they look like they’re threatening us with some more cabin service…
...which manifests itself in the form of a cosmetically unappealing, but very tasty cheese and onion tuurnover...
I finish the (90minute) pilot episode of Yellowstone. I think I may be watching more of this when I get home
At length, we start the descent into Toronto. I sort out all the paperwork I've printed for the hire car and join the throng of people leaving the aircraft. The cabin staff have been run ragged with a jam-packed jet, so I make sure and thank them as I leave.
We walk to Ontario (or that's what it feels like) before going through a simple immigration procedure - a bit like entering the USA (well, in the old days). Eventually I rescue my bag from the carousel, and push my trolley to the car park (via a couple of lifts and a subway). I present my docs and Theo, the excellent operative says, "We've got a choice of colours - which would you like?"
Silly question...
Go big or go home...
I try for something like 20 minutes to get the fucking thing to link to my phone by Bluetooth, before giving up and rifled through my bags and found a cable to plug it into the dash with.
Like a fucking savage...
I very unwisely decide to put the hood down and drive straight to my hotel (about an hour and a bit away). I say unwisely, because it is gone midnight, body-clock time. I didn't really rest on the plane, because I tend to put Economy seats on, rather than sit on them. I'm undercaffeinated, my blood sugar is likely low and having the hood down just provides a degree of sensory overload.
With the finely honed skills of an advanced driver, and after years of experience as a risk manager, it only takes missing three junctions before I come to my senses, stop, and put the lid up. Unfortunately, the junctions I missed and Waze recalculated my route onto, appears to be a toll road. To my knowledge, there's no transponder in the car - it wasn't mentioned at pick-up. I have a sneaking suspicion this will come back to haunt me...
Sorry - too tired - more later...
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