Thursday

I had, of course, got things mixed up and was going to arrive a day too early. 

My journey started in Munich .. after my daughter's Graduation Ball.  I caught a train to England leaving Munich at 22.30 and arrived in London the next day ... Cecilia picked me up and we went for a coffee at the side of the Thames ..  lovely to be back in England again. She then helped me over to Euston where I boarded a train for Watford and stayed over night at my sister's house.

Friday

I travelled by train to York. By the way: you don't have to go south to London to get a train north to York if you insist "there must be another way". 

At the station I showed the friendly taxi driver my reservation confirmation and he drove me to the Travelodge where I was booked in with Pat and Judy for 2 nights. The receptionist hadn't a booking for us which wasn't much of a surprise when we realized the taxi driver had taken me to the wrong hotel !

The Travelodge was on the other side of the dual carriage way and the only way to get there was to phone in a taxi from York to take me to the "other side".

At the Travelodge Mrs Bennet hadn't turned up and "did I know a Mrs LEX or LUCHS or something because a man had phoned up to say "Pat and Judy are stuck in New Jersey" .. *

"New Jersey !!" I think    " .. they get lost before they even get here" :-)

To stay the night I have to pay cash .. English Pounds ..  they don't take Euro cards and have never heard of EURO, don't have a ATM machine and don't know where one is! Left me with 8 English pounds and a room to lay my head.

Saturday

Still no Pat and Judy but I have to get to the Family History Fair at York Race Course. There's no one on reception (that's not manned 'til 15.00) so no one to ask whether they have phoned or how do I get to the race course.

A fellow guest has thrown his car key by mistake through the little slot for room keys and is just as happy about the hotel as I. The manager of the fast food restaurant comes over to get the car keys out and the guest and his wife offer to take me into York to a ATM. Actually they are on their way to pick up their son from Halifax House so I get out there .. this is known ground .. can't get lost any more.

The ATM in Haslington tells me "We are not processing these cards at the moment .. please come back later".

I get the bus into York .. at the station the ATM is not as fussy and gives me some money .. so NOW I can go to the fair.

I follow a group of people who are chatting about "great Aunt Fanny in the 1861 census" and finally arrive at my destination. Familiar faces .. Art .. Magdalena .. Gordon .. Steve and his wife Eva ..then finally the sweet tones of Pat's voice ..

"WE'RE HERE .....  WHERE'VE YOU BEEN ?"

Pat "stranded in Newark"