8th May 2015

We’ve just endured two days of relentless rain and wind, especially wind! I’d hoped last night’s forecast, promising calm and warmth, would be accurate, but it wasn’t. Over the years, I’ve played plenty of sports in some truly miserable conditions, but I can honestly say that wind is the ultimate game-spoiler. Both Charlotte and I agreed over lunch on Wednesday that this recent wind has been dreadful, disrupting our gardening efforts to the point of frustration.

Yesterday, I had planned to mow the lawn and plant a row of beans and carrots at the allotment, but the rain and wind made even the smallest task difficult and ultimately prevented me from getting those beans in the ground. What little I managed left me cold, soaked, and covered in mud, not to mention tired and thoroughly exasperated!

Today, however, we’re off to Heathrow to catch a flight to Vietnam the following day. My checklist for today included voting,  watering the greenhouse (Peter has kindly promised to look after it for the next few weeks), and giving the pool an extra vacuum to clear last night’s debris, in that order of priority. In an effort to uphold our democracy, I feel it’s essential to remember that countless people have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, their lives in some parts of the world for the right to have a voice without fear or prejudice. Voting deepens your appreciation of freedom and reminds us of our responsibility to protect and participate in this essential democratic process.

The gales had died down by mid-morning, but frustratingly, sudden downpours seemed to hit just when I needed to be outside, driving me back indoors to check the little weather station in the lounge. With its LCD display showing a cheerful sun, it seemed oblivious to the deluge outside!

By 2 p.m., Sue and I had completed all the pre-departure tasks, although we did have a minor glitch with the alarm system, which eventually sorted itself, after I’d lost all vestiges of my hearing. It made for a peaceful drive to London (at least for me).

We’d booked ourselves and the car into the Holiday Inn, and on arrival, were pleased to find our status recognised with an upgrade to an executive room. Naturally, we’re quite accustomed to such luxuries, befitting the discerning citizens we are. After watching ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Homes on the Continent’ on the room TV, we took a walk into Sipson, which is presumably home to many of the staff who support the Holiday Inn and its esteemed guests.

For dinner, we headed to the King William pub, a place we’d dined at a few times on previous trips, back when our true status was still under the radar. We enjoyed a pleasant meal and a few drinks before returning to our suite and sinking into the queen-sized bed.

We woke the following morning at 8 a.m. after a somewhat restless night. Foolishly, we’d set the room temperature to 16 degrees, which was just on the edge of comfortable. Lesson learned, next time, we’ll go for a crisp 12 degrees or less!

After checking out at 10 a.m., we caught the Hotel Hoppa bus to Terminal 4. The thirty-minute, winding route eventually deposited us at the terminal concourse.

Check-in was refreshingly straightforward. There were three dedicated desks for Vietnam Airlines, just five people in front of us, and none of the usual security questions. The attendant simply asked if we’d been to Vietnam before and swiftly processed our boarding passes. Five minutes later, we were in the queue for passport control, and with hardly any passengers around, we breezed through as quickly as I can remember in recent years.

Now airside with some time to spare, we settled into the usual pre-flight routine: texting the kids, reading the paper, wandering through the shops, and, of course, enjoying a beer.