Day 1: Sarratt, Herts, UK

Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Sat 6 Nov 2010 08:09
Day 1: 5 November 2010. Bonfire Night. Sarratt, Herts N51 41 W000 30 Distance travelled 106 km
 
Well, we set off pretty well on schedule in light drizzle and a number of neighbours kindly turned out in the rain to wish us well and take a few photos.  Not a very auspicious start as the starboard windscreen wiper fell of going up the drive and we had to call at Halfords to replace it! While we were there we cashed in our last Sainsbury's voucher to get 5p off a litre of diesel and filled the tank with what I hope will be the most expensive diesel of the trip.
 
The M25 exceeded its reputation and it took us a record 3 hours to do the 106 km to my daughter's cottage on the village green in Sarratt. After greeting my three grandsons (Sam, Tom and Jake)  we went out to a bonfire and fireworks party at the house of their friends where we were wonderfully entertained to a sumptuous curry with champagne! The children had prepared a "guy" in the form of Wayne Rooney but the bonfire took a lot of lighting in the rain.  The firework display which followed featured some quite alarming incendary devices more akin to SAS training than home entertainment.
 
We all walked home in the persistent rain, wet but happy and well fed - the children quite "high" on coke and chocolate brownies! For an "Old Boy" of St Peter's School, York, Guy Fawkes old school, it seemed a fitting day to be leaving the counrty!