They promised me rain and guess what I got, yep buckets full of the stuff. I suppose I was lucky, as I returned to my home city of Oxford the advertising placards for The Oxford Mail proclaimed that the flooded roads were now re-open, a trifle premature judging by the skies.
Anyway this was a whirlwind five day trip to chase more legal loose ends and to see my mum on her 78th birthday, of course there was time to squeeze in a few pubs and to meet up with some old friends. The smiling sunshine logo against Birmingham on the destination board in Tenerife airport didn’t give me any false ideas, the 6 degree temperature reading didn’t lie and as I walked from the plane into Brum arrivals the chill nearly cut me in half.
I had only booked an inward flight so was going to get a one way train ticket to Oxford but as a return only costs 50 p more I got one in case I passed once more through the land of Villa, M & B beer, and seedy ice rinks. On the platform I met a couple from Banbury who had flown in from Gran Canaria, I just about persuaded them to give Tenerife a go next holiday. Oxford was cold but the pubs were warming, as I supped a few en route to my Headington guest house. Tuesday saw my mad dash get underway, the roads to Wantage and my mums care home were surprisingly unaffected by the rising water level. Back at Headington Co-Op Travel I also managed to book a return flight from Luton and supped some superb Plum Stout in town after doing my mums birthday shopping. Pre armed with an advised list I even negotiated my way around the ladies undies department in BHS, well it gave me the excuse to ask a young lady assistant to show me around her knickers.
Reading the local paper provided me with a few chuckles, the Scales of Justice section included small misdemeanors and punishments, many had to pay a victims compensation fine, strange that one offence was for fishing without a licence – so who was the compensation for – the fish? Wednesday was an interesting night in town, at The Far From The Madding Crowd students were doing their Dungeons and Dragons card games – very odd, and a chap dressed as a woman stood out like a sore thumb in a group of very serious ale drinkers. Then at The Chequers a larey young couple tried to have a very loud and potentially violent domestic – those Rock And Roll Woodbines had definitely played a part. The staff were spot on and got rid of them before they reached meltdown, I adjourned to The St Aldates Tavern, formerly my old haunt The Hobgoblin, it was great to see it back on top form with a good range of ales and lots of customers.
For my last night I met up with a couple of old Co-Op work friends at The George and Dragon in Hanborough, nice pub, nice beer and nice friends. Dropped off back in Headington I squeezed a few more beers down at The White Horse but was still up bright and early to start my trek back to the sun. With a limited number of coaches to Luton airport I got there with three hours to kill, I was tempted to try to get a tshirt from the outside I Love Sausage food hut, I know a few ladies who would happily wear that cheeky message. The time passed smoothly and without their over priced beer and I whizzed through Reina Sofia airport to find a Titsa bus waiting for me, a couple of Dorada’s and a meal later I was back in Kirby Towers. Thanks Oxford, always good to see you, hope the floods drain away soon.