Ding ding ... all aboard! (From Dorset Echo)

Ding ding ... all aboard!

10:15am Monday 6th October 2008

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So, after all of those months of planning, preparation, stress and sheer hard work, here we were on the leaving day.

With the evening leaving do now apparently all sorted out, it was down to us to cock up the plans, which we managed to, by turning up 45 minutes late with the bus. I had been rushing around frantically searching for my phone charger, blood pressure close to 4 figures, whilst the house was chock-a-block with party guests for Lucas's first birthday.The filling of the fuel tank at Tescos was a challenge. They insisted on 4 transactions, totalling about £250 to fill it.

We also found that Jim had left the fuel tank cap on the grass outside our house. More mad panic. The leaving do was already in full swing as we arrived. I fought my way to the bar past wellwishers and annoyed photographers who had been awaiting our arrival. Another photo session for the Dorset Echo!

I just wanted to spend a final few moments with my wife and son before I departed but found myself continually sidetracked. Lucas is on the verge of walking, I'm also missing his first birthday. Not ideal timing. I'll be gutted if he's walking by the time I get back. So, just after 10pm we piled on board after our personal goodbyes. A police van had come down to see us off and Jim came within inches of reversing in to it. It was a humourous interlude in an emotional moment as we then pulled off to a cheer from the crowd. As we struggled up the Ridgeway (this bus is definately sluggish now) to a predictable query of "Are we there yet ?", there was a definate smell of burning. We pulled over in Tescos carpark in Dorchester to investigate.

Here we were, 8 miles in to the trip with everything out of the back, the bus jacked up and the wheels off. It was raining and my colleagues jibe, calling us the Folkestone 12 ringing in my ears. With a bit of fiddling, Bill declared it fixed. We had the wheels back on and everything packed again in minutes. Back on the road, one hour behind schedule and Jim happy that the bus was indeed running smoothly.

I slept a deathlike sleep til Dover, missing the apparent stop en route to collect 6 Hamleys teddy bears. Hence, I was feeling fine for the 5am crossing and impressed at the progress Jim and Bill had made to get us there on time. We watched the white cliffs disappear in the gloom as our bus said goodbye to England for its first and last time.