I went up to Susie's on Friday (August 6) as I had a golf game set for Saturday with a former colleague from Kohler who happens to live in Bloxham. I have known Phil Davis since about 2003. He is now doing freelance HR . Takes jobs when he likes and takes holidays when he likes. Anyway, I thought I would head down early and join Susie and Mike in a English tradition that I had never had...or at least I cannot remember having. Takeaway fish and chips from a fish shop. I arrived about 6:00 on Friday, and Mike and I went into the village to get the food, Susie set the knives and forks and warmed the plates. It was quite good, but the portions were very large, a lot of chips, and a big piece of fish. I had expected it to be quite greasy, but it did not seem that bad. I must try it in Cheltenham some time.
On Saturday I went for my usual morning walk in the village, and just after 1:00, Phil came and picked me up for golf. We played at a local course, with the very lovely name of Banbury Golf Center. The price was right 15 BP. It was a strange day. Drizzling when we teed off on # 1, we were quite hot as we made the turn at 10, and it rained a bit again on 17, and then we sat out and had a beer in the sun when we finished.
View from the 14th tee
Phil hitting a great drive
On Sunday I slept in, as I usually do at Susie's. Then I went into Banbury to Tesco to get a few things, mostly groceries as the stores all seem to close at 4:00, and by the time I get home Sunday it is too late to get my dinner or things I may need for breakfast. I also filled up the car with petrol and took it thru a car wash.
After our usual Sunday lunch fry up at Susie's, I left for Cheltenham about 4:00. Now I am getting pretty good at doing this trip, I no longer need a map and I am more comfortable driving on the left hand side of the road. However just past Stow on the Wold, the police had the road blocked, and instead of my usual route, I was waved onto a different road. I was a bit worried, but I figured I have maps of the region, and I could go cross country to meet up with my normal way back. However this is England, and the roads are so narrow, and the hedges and fences so close, unless you come across a lay-by, there is not safe place to stop. So I drove for about 20 minutes before I could stop. By then I was almost in Burford. After checking my map I saw that just after Burford, I could link up with the A-40, which is the road into Cheltenham.
CRASH ON A-40
Bring a Sunday evening in August, the roads are quite busy, caravans, antique cars and just generally heavy traffic. I am still quite cautious, and I am driving a stick shift. In traffic near the place where I would have met the A- 40 on my normal route, traffic slowed down, then appeared to speed up. Suddenly the car ahead of me, a gray Range Rover, ran into the back of the van ahead of it, quite hard, smashing the back window of the van and pushing it forward. The hood of the Range Rover buckled and it seemed to immediately have steam and water coming out from the engine. Suddenly the occupants of the vehicles all exited. The driver of the van had a cut nose and was bleeding. He quickly took his family (3 children and his wife) out of the car to the side of the road. then the driver of the Range Rover exited with her companion....then, apparently from nowhere, 3 Indian ladies in Saris appeared...there had been a red car in front of the gray van ! It has been the first car to stop !
The vehicles in the accident on A-40
The car behind me had also stopped. (by this time a lot of cars had stopped). The driver of that car and I got out and went over to the assembly of other drivers and passengers. Except for the cut nose and some scared kids, everyone was OK. The three Indian ladies seemed very worried, as if they felt they may have caused the accident. By this time cell phones were out and in about 4 minutes the police arrived. As I was the car immediately behind the accident, the police officer asked "who was the driver of that car". I identified myself and she took my name, age and address, and also noted the registration of the car. She asked me a few questions about what I saw, and if I was hurt. (She did not ask for my drivers license, which may have required some explanation, showing of passports, visas and international driving license)
My view (notice how I managed a safe and controlled stop a safe distance behind.) This was taken as I was leaving and the police had arrived and were taking statements. You can see from my angle in the car, I could not see the red car...
Home Safe ...whew
I am leaving England on Wednesday for the US, not back until September 7th.
