Anniston 17-18 July 2024 - The return

Dawn, approaching the UK on 18 July 2024

After a poor night's sleep, I was woken to need to leave in 30 minutes. This was quite a panic, and I missed breakfast, although Jo did not.  We didn't quite make the 30 minutes, but it wasn't too bad.  Jo couldn't find the keys to her bag lock, but they were where she thought they were - that's the level of panic we were at.

We are off to meet Robert's friend, where Robbie will be staying the night.  We meet them at Ted's, a restaurant that serves Bison.  We have eaten in one of them before, in Washington, and the food is very good.

After dropping Robbie off, and having a little time to catch our thoughts, we headed to the airport.   Arriving 15 minutes later than I would have liked, we again had problems with check-in, going to the wrong desk.  The baggage drop lady was a bit brusque and careless.  She chucked our bags on the belt and hardly said a word.  The security staff also seemed to have had a bad week. They were uninterested and did nothing to stop some people pushing through the queue - it was chaotic.  The tray with my laptop was sent off well ahead of me, and I briefly lost track of it. 

We were through security by 17:00 and got some water and sat in the restaurant area for a bit.  We arrived at the gate at 17:40, boarding was scheduled to start at 17:55.

18:26 an announcement that the plane is still being cleaned.  Followed by an announcement telling us that Atlanta airport is the most efficient in the world (clearly not true at the moment).

19:25 seated on the plane
19:35 left gate
19:43 take off

I watched 'Ferrari'

21:17 I had finished my meal, it consisted of:

Chicken curry & rice
Side salad
Buttered role
Cheese & biscuit
Chocolate mouse. 

While eating, service was suspended due to turbulence for about 20 minutes. The crew were instructed to take their seats - the turbulence was not bad.  Again, I think they are overreacting to the recent tragic incident.

01:38 I had finished breakfast

Egg muffin
Cranberry grain bar
Yoghurt
Coffee

02:48 landed (07:48 local time) and spend 20 minutes waiting for a stand

03:09 at stand 

We got through border control amazingly quickly, there was literally no wait. Our bags turned up quickly, and we were off to meet the taxi driver.  We had to wait a few minutes for her because we had come through so quickly.  It was a pleasant, uneventful ride home.  The rest of the day is a tired blur.

It seems we bought the Alabama weather back with us for a day.

Anniston 2 July 2024 - look for the good

Anniston, AL is the destination, this is how we got there:

5:00 Get up, eat and complete the on-the-day packing.

6:10 (0:10 at destination) depart from home.  Extra time has been allowed, and is needed.  The M25 is getting worse, I wonder how much all these delays are costing the economy?  How much unnecessary CO2 is being put into the atmosphere?

8:25 We arrive at London Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3.

Booking in failed on auto machine because it's a delta flight, not a virgin flight, but has a VS flight code. The first machine had half the screen white, so I tried another.  Then I spoke to someone who did it manually and reprinted the boarding cards.

Something is different every time we fly, this time there is an extra security check - we needed proof of return booking, this was only on my Google Drive, so it took a while to find. 

Jo was stopped and put through the body scanner.

9:11 We are through security, second breakfast is next - porridge & coffee from Pret-a-Manger.

10:40 We arrive at the gate after crossover delays for toilets.
I am asked, “Have you enjoyed your stay?” then she spotted her mistake.

Jo is again asked for proof of return. When I said it was checked already, they misunderstood and the other lady said she had checked it.

The Flight is full, they are asking to put bags in hold.

While we are waiting, a nice young couple offer us their seats (that's how you know people think you are getting old!).  We accepted (that's how you know the people are correct!)

10:48 Boarding started.

11:18 Seated.

Flight time 8 hours and 36 minutes is displayed on the monitors on the seat in front.

11:29 We are pushed back from the gate.

Jo is helping an even more elderly Indian lady who is trying to contact her daughter to give a message to her granddaughter.  Inevitably, I am asked for help also, but neither of us succeeded. The cabin crew later helped her.

13:28 Lunch is now complete - it consisted of:

Couscous
Diced Chicken in pesto sauce, dough balls (not nice) & spinach.
Gouda & crackers
tiramisu
Coffee

I watched "Oppenheimer" (but also did some dozing)

16:15 A warm cookie and decaf coffee is served

I watched "Tom & Jerry" it is a live action and cartoon mixed presentation.  Not bad, but the story was about the humans.

18:47 We experienced moderate turbulence for about 2 mins - enough to delay the final meal and ask the cabin crew to sit down.  It was an OTT reaction from where we were.

I watched "Wonka", or the part that was available.

19:30 cheese pizza and chocolate biscuits are served. This time I drink tea because they'd run out of decaf coffee.

20:22 We landed (73 miles away according to the tracker)

20:32 We were at the gate, the seat belt sign goes off, the mania starts.  I controlled my claustrophobia and sat patiently.

20:55 In the passport line.  The Border Protection official is possibly the friendliest we have had, and is asking where we are going.  I say "Anniston, Alabama".  "Why would you want to go there?" He clearly doesn't have a high opinion of the place, but when I tell him it's to see our grandchildren, his demeanour changes.  We joke about English Tea. Jo is fingerprinted again, I am not.  We are sent on our way.  It was so nice to feel like a welcome visitor, rather than a criminal.

21:13 At baggage claim, the bags arrive quickly, and we are gone.  Outside Robert, Karen, Robbie and Madelyn are waiting.  We say our hellos - both the children ran into the arrivals area to welcome us - that made the whole experience worthwhile. Now we go to the car park. 

21:28 Karen has a Nissan Armada with plenty of room. It is easily big enough for the six of us and our luggage.  On the way to Anniston we stop at the original Chick-fil-a for a meal. It's nearby, so the journey has hardly started, but while we eat the traffic will clear a little.

When we arrive in Anniston, about 90 minutes later, there is some shopping to do. Finally, we are at the house, unload the car, and make a cup of tea.  It is soon time for bed, but in the meantime, Robbie's job is to stop me sleeping too early.  It's infuriating, but if it works, it will be worth it.

I'm not convinced it worked at all, when I wake in the night to Jo snoring and leave for the lounge, getting Maiev (their dog) off the sofa, so I can sleep there.

It's been a long day, we have been awake nearly 24 hours, but it has been a good day, with w few considerate and friendly people making it easier.

Alabama 2023 - 4 July

In planning this trip, I spoilt two of the important days in July for my hosts.  By choosing to arrive on 4 July, I not only saved a few pounds, but disrupted a national celebration.

As always, our journey started early, we were up just after 6am. Looking back on last year, (https://3cephas.blogspot.com/2022/07/alabama-2022-1-corporate-greed-is.html), most things went better.  There was none of the chaos at LHR T3, but the estimate from the taxi company for the journey to Heathrow has had 30 minutes added somewhere along the way.  We left at 7:30 and arrived in the terminal 2 hours and 15 minutes later, which give an average speed of about 26 MPH (41 KMH), we will soon be back to the 8 MPH that London Taxi Cabs are supposed to have managed when they were horse-drawn.

Progress through baggage drop was acceptable, and so was security (no need to remove shoes any more!), together we completed the process in under 1.5 hours, so having left some time to spare, we were sat in the terminal, and ate lunch at a leisurely pace.

Boarding was delayed for about 10 minutes.  Here we are just before the last communication before radio silence - better known now as  'Aeroplane mode'.  Being seated at the back of the plane meant that we were in no hurry here either. Take-off was scheduled for 13:55.  The plane left the gate only 2 minutes late, (13:57), but we did not leave the ground until 14:20.

The flight was mainly comfortable, even I had enough legroom.

 

I watched 3 films :

14:00 The Pope's Exorcist - written by an exorcist, but it is unclear if this is meant to be a true story.  It's a good enough watch in 'edited for aeroplane use', and kept me engaged for the entire film.

16:10 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - during which I dozed a few times, so still haven't seen it all the way through.

18:32 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, as story from the Shrek universe.  It is quite enjoyable and seems to hang together, but it is fairly moralising at the end - to be expected from this franchise, maybe.

The food on the plane was edible, but beyond that, unremarkable.  Better were the sandwiches prepared by our hosts for the onward journey.

On landing we were diverted to an unusual gate, and had a long, uncomfortable wait before we got there, with the temperature in the cabin rising from barely warm enough to uncomfortably hot.

We arrived in Auburn in time to get out to see the 4 July fireworks, we watched the city's display from a local car park to avoid the crowds.  I tried to take a video, but as usual the phone camera is inadequate.

Being here after a long journey feels like coming home, it is so good not to have to book in to a hotel!

As so to bed, local time about 23:00, or time at point of origin about 05:00 the following day.  Very tired, but also out of sync, so sleeping is difficult, and I wake at 3:30am.

4300 feet

On Saturday morning we were picked up and chauffeured to Southend Airport. We helped uncover the aeroplane. It appeared very small - it is only a four seater. Our pilot explained the procedures. We will have headphones so we can chat, but must be quiet when he's on the radio. There is only one exit, and because I'm sitting next to it I will have to open it in an emergency. We are going over water for a bit, and need to know how quickly the plane will sink. I will also have to get Jo out of the back, and must learn how to move the seat. If the engine should fail, the plane will glide easily, until be can find somewhere to land. Then the good news - there has never been an engine problem on the plane. John goes and fills the plane up with fuel. We get in - and make our selves comfortable. Then down the runway and into the air.

We cruised across the Thames and over Kent, spotting motorways, railways, and particular roundabouts. It is a very comfortable flight. We are enjoying ourselves, and getting an introduction to flying. We can see forts of various ages in the Solent and along the south coast. Most of them have never been used. We took a curcuit of the island and passed over the Needles. We landed at Bembridge and were guided to a parking place by the tower.

It was a relief to get out of the plane, on a day like Saturday, when its hot, the inside of the plane heats up very quickly when we stop moving. It had been a perfect day for a flight, and a very comfortable and enjoyable ride.

A short walk (2 miles?) along the coastal path was the "Crab & Lobster", where we were booked to eat lunch - and a very nice lunch it was too. Suitable fed, we walked back to the areodrome and got back in the plane.

We flew back along the south coast, and higher than we had on the way out. The ships and yatchs were just spots on the sea, and southern England can be seen for miles - it is a beautiful country. France though we did not see - it was too hazy for that. I was allowed to take the controls briefly and found out how sensitive the plane is to the slightest movement. With the pilot back in control we turned inland, and passed over some important landmarks for our pilot, and were still 'town' spotting as we travelled. Despite a little rain on the way home, we had a good flight and a very enjoyable day.

The point of the day was to mark the start of our 25 year of marriage (a little early, but my redundancy meant that the plans we had have changed). Jo would like to do 25 things that we have never done before, and this was the first. If the others are half as good as this we're in for a stunning year.