Royston to London - via Brighton…

To round off the holiday, how about going back to where it all started four weeks ago? zoeimogen had her surgery at Sussex Nuffield Hospital on 24^th April (and it was her own birthday the following day). Caroline & I left in the car, and drove down the A10 (not the motorway) and then got to the M25. This is where the junction is closed at Waltham Cross (Junction 25), so involves going all the way up to Potters Bar, and back down again. Judging by the slow-moving and stacked up traffic around this part of the M25, we decided the journey time would be about the same to go via Berkshire (instead of via Dartford), and onto the M23.

We stopped for fuel and facilities at the filling station beside Pease Pottage services, and then carried on via the M23/A23 and A27. The sight of the Brighton University junction (Falmer) is slowly becoming more memorable. As before, the traffic was slow on the way into Woodingdean, but not too bad. As we got close to the traffic lights at the Downs Hotel, Caroline demonstrated that the driver has control of their own (as well as the passengers) window controls, while I had my arm resting on the window ledge… taking me by surprise… ok, you had to be there!

Spookily, we arrived at Sussex Nuffield Hospital around the same time as we’d left four weeks ago. I was quite surprised at the “No Overnight Parking” sign in the car park, but the winds were up again. I was standing at the passenger door, and the wind blew it open, crashing the door into my body! Ouch! Last time I took a picture of the view from the back, it looked kind of dull. Well, the sun was out more today, although I am sure this view is through tinted glazing!

We went into see Zoe, who was accompanied by two members of her family at the time. She was quiet, but relatively comfortable. That’s how I’d like to be a few days after the surgery… I think I could do it lol. She most defiantly had that “post-op” glow, and even only having just seen the finished product in a quick sight, she said “It’s good”. She was happy, and we had agreed to meet Paige here at 1500, and she arrived and came up to Zoe’s room to say hello. Just before 1530, we left for the car park. Paige had been out at a farmers market in Purley that morning, and sold all the products she took with her!

We drove out of the hospital car park, and spent the later part of the afternoon (and early evening) at The Tin Drum. This bar-cum-restaurant was in Dykes Road, just off the Seven Dials. We had a good time to talk with Paige about many things, and were quite impressed with the quality of food on offer here. One of their non-alcoholic specialities (I forget the name of it) consisted of a long glass with freshly squeezed orange juice (yes – I could see the juicer behind the bar), lime juice, a few other juices, soda water, with ice and orange slice on top, then sugared (although we both had ours without the sugar on top). Really nicely done too. Paige was able to get a couple of pics of the both of us... one with flash on, and one off. I personally prefer the second one, even if it looks a little washed out...

After a few hours here (where our parking space was snapped up before we’d even finished turning around!), we had some time at the beach, before we drove back to the railway station just before 2100. As with previous Saturdays, the majority of Brighton Line trains were off, to be replaced by buses as far as Three Bridges. From calculations, I could get the 2140 non-stop rail replacement bus to Three Bridges, where a Southern train would take me direct to Victoria, where it would be the simplest and shortest connection of the year (maybe) to get round to Victoria Greenline Station for the 2345 Megabus back to Dundee. Paige guided us up to the station, and we thanked her for the hospitality and for meeting up today. This left us a little time to wait in the car, together, before the bus, and a chance to say our goodbyes – for now. I went for my ticket, before getting the bags out the back of the car, and saying a final goodbye. The bus was YJ 05 PXM, an East Lancs bodied double decker (DAF chassis, it turns out), in allover grey, belonging to Marchwood Motors. The rail replacement was a mixture of buses from London General, Metrobus, Solent Blue Line/Marchwood Motors, and Southern Vectis. I could see Caroline following behind me in the car, until we got to the M23 section of route, and she overtook the bus, tooting and waving in my direction.

And there it was – I sort of felt a little alone. The bus put in a good performance on the motorway, and we made it to Three Bridges where Southern staff with a tannoy told us to follow the arrows. I’d slipped into a “robot” mode – barely thinking, but made it into London Victoria. It was easy enough to walk around a couple of corners for Megabus Neoplan 50126 on the M11 back to Dundee. It had been a long day (we initially woke up around 0700), and despite being very happy for the holiday I had just had, I was missing Caroline already.