Thursday 9th April

Have you ever sat smugly at home watching TV news as thousands are stranded at airports as flights are cancelled?  So have I, and I never imagined it would happen to me. Well it hasn’t – not quite.

Late on Tuesday night I was posting my blog ‘I’m So Tired’ when I just checked my e-mails.  A bad habit I know but thank goodness I did.  A message from Ryanair telling me that because of an Air Traffic Controller’s Strike en France my flight tomorrow (yesterday for you) was cancelled.  Aaaargh!!!  There was a link to choose another flight and as long as I went from either Bergerac or into Stanstead there would be no charge.  But….it is Easter and all the flights are full.  The earliest I could get a seat – and it was the last one was on Saturday into Bristol.  So I quickly transferred and printed my boarding pass at one in the morning.  Then e-mails to work explaining my absence.  I can do some things by e-mail so not a complete disaster.

And actually the sun is shining, the wine is cool, so staying for three more days is not the worst hardship in the world.  But I do wonder how many people may have not checked their e-mails and have arrived at Stanstead or Bergerac or any of the other airports affected and had a nasty surprise.  Those pesky air traffic controllers have a lot to answer for…

Anyway, have to go – I have wine to drink…