Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Not a day for losing nerve! 26.6.2015

With excitement and anticipation rising towards the forthcoming Turkey trip it was more than a bit disconcerting to wake up and find that mist and rain was the order of the day!  A front was actively moving eastwards and the conditions were pretty poor and worrying.

What is the last thing you want when living on an island with a requirement to travel elsewhere? Bad weather! It means the transfer flights over to Glasgow are cancelled so is definitely bad news. A redeeming feature was that my flight wasn't until later in the day so hopes for change ran high.

But what of those maritime steeds of Caledonian MacBrayne you ask!  Ah well, the last two days had seen a working to rule and disruption to some services , but today saw a full blown strike in operation, hence my travelling by air.

Eventually the mist began to clear and I set off for the airport after lunch. Had a quick meeting with Graham Bauld at the airport to discuss the safety plan update which is completed annually. Basically an assessment is made of any changes which have occurred in bird concentrations/movements and the like over the past twelve months which need to be taken into account. Thankfully, neither of us had noted any such changes but a watching brief needs to be retained on Grey lag Geese in the overall area.

The transfer was made in nice weather although we caught up with the tail end of the front as we arrived at Glasgow. A long wait for the final flight transfer to London, which was cancelled, with the replacement then  itself being delayed by over an hour, saw me arrive at a very deserted Terminal 5 and the need to get a taxi to the EasyHotel. This demonstrates a new approach in accommodation provision. Comfortable and clean, but tending towards a monastic cell with facilities! As it was the delays only afforded me around three and a half hours respite...........

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