A varied blog, from the very annoying, to the annoying and then to the fun times.

Guess what?   The motorhome has been returned to the repairers. And if it was not for the fact that our house is on a hill overlooking the road, we may never have been aware of the poor workmanship.   Interestingly at the front and the back of the van, the fiberglass looks smooth, but it is only when you look down on the van that one realises the fiberglass sheet is buckled on the rest of the roof.   Something a buyer would notice of course, when they checked the van out.  

 It looks as if the edge of the sheet of fiberglass was not straight when it was put on, and the repairers tried to straighten it out as they worked along the roof.  They must have realised it was not right, but no doubt thought they could get away with it.   We emailed the two photographs to the owner of the motorhome repairers, and he tried to convince Walter that this was how fiberglass sheets looked, when on a van.   No way.   Walter persisted and in the end the guy told him to bring the van down to be looked at, and it was then they admitted that there was a problem with the roof.  At the moment I will not name and shame this motorhome repair company, but I am getting close, very close.

 On Tuesday, the weather was perfect, beautiful blue skies and a day to be outside, as long as one wore a warm coat of course.   A perfect day for hitching up the caravan, and driving to the caravan dealers, in order for them to put another set of screws in the gas inlet pipe, ones that will not block the gas nozzle.   But alas, we did not get far.   There was an accident near the M11 turnoff and our side of the M25 motorway was closed.   Consequently by the time we tried to get onto the motorway, before the Dartford crossing, the M25 was gridlocked, about 14 miles in total.  

After waiting for about half an hour, we managed to drive between the two trucks on the left, and make our getaway through Dartford, and back home.   The squeezing between the two trucks was quite a feat, as we were towing a caravan, but Walter managed perfectly.   We then unhitched the caravan, closed all the blinds, and will now wait until January to have the screws replaced.

This is the second time we have tried to get to the caravan dealers, the first was on the day we were returning home from Brighton.  The battery in the car was flat, and we were certainly not going anywhere in a hurry.  So after sitting in the car, in the caravan park, with the caravan hitched behind us, we were eventually rescued by the Green Flag man.   But too late to drive all the way to the caravan dealers.

And onto pleasant and happy times, namely Christmas dinner at Emma and Steve's church.   We were invited to join them, an occasion which we enjoyed very much.   It was great meeting up with people, and the food was delicious.   It was one of those days that one never wants to end.

Eileen, who is Steve's aunt, and I, both looking very happy in our Christmas hats.  Eileen has just returned from holiday in a sunnier and warmer climate, and looks very tanned.   Jackie, please note.   I am wearing my fur stole/scarf.   Very snug.      

 Walter, Emma and Steve presenting charming smiles for the camera.   I realise it is a bit incongruous, I am in a fur stole, Emma has a scarf on, and Steve is wearing a T shirt.  One of those days.

And now, ever onwards towards the rest of the festive season.   Looking forward to it.