That was a journey and a half

[stevewool]

Picked up the car from the airport , and within minutes we was on the road.
Within 3 miles there was a car broken down on the duel carriageway just before getting onto to M4 , so trying to get through that mess but we did, so over go again onto the M25, now which way do i go the M1 or the M40 i shall see when I get to the brow of the hill on the M25.
Yes they was queuing on the M25 so we shot of up the M40 and all was well.
Just before Oxford signs started flashing M42 , 60 minute hold up, now what shall i do.
Come of and straight onto the d Northampton road the A 43.
That knocked 8 miles of the trip, a nice fast road and soon we was onto the M1 in the roadworks,50 mph speed limit for miles on end, well till we reach the M6 turning.
Foot down and off we go again, hang about flashing signs again junction 20 to 21 closed.
That's the next junction i thought.
Yes there was signs saying 2 lanes blocked then its shut and flashing lights, but hang about they was starting to close it and we did managed to get through before it was shut.
Two more road works before we pulled of the motorway, then it was home.
A crap drive but home

[grahamw48]

I avoid motorways wherever possible. 'A' roads are less stressful, and I can escape from them if I need to change routes/go for a pee, etc.

30+ years ago, much better on all the roads. Less vehicles. Less women drivers. Less foreign drivers. Less old drivers. Higher speed limits. No cameras.

[stevewool]

Just to much traffic like you say Graham

[Trefor]

Sounds like you hit the traffic at a bad time. Its normally OK going North before 4pm. I use the M40/A43/M1 route when coming home from Heathrow or our office (Staines). However it takes me 40 minutes to get from Staines to the M40 after 4pm on a weekday.

I love Birmingham airport ... :-)

[stevewool]

The price we paid for the trip with British airways flying out of Heathrow compared to other airports was over £200 in savings, so a little moaning and a extra few minutes driving time is worth it.
Plus it's something to write about too.

[Slip]

I was at Heathrow airport Saturday picking up the mother in law for her latest 6 month stay with us here.

Left Leicestershire at 7.30am onto the M1 and M25 and got off at terminal 4 cargo. at 9.15. Wasn't due to pick Harlene's Mum up until 5.20pm, but as I lived a couple of miles from Heathrow until recently we thought we'd make a day of it and visit a few friends and family.

Eventually the time come to pick her Mum up, be being tight with extortionate car park fees didn't want to spend long in the short stay of terminal 3. So we arrived at 5.40pm, the flight landed early at 5.05. it got to 6.30 and still her Mum hadn't come through. So Harlene picked up the phone linked to immigration at the arrival hall and a lady told her they had held her Mum for 10 minutes to interview her. Seems they didn't like the fact she had a 30 month visa and she had previously visited for 6 months and only gone back in June 2016. Harlene explained that she was visiting us because it's cheaper for her to come alone rather than us fly as a family and try to get time of from work together. Plus she was making use of the visa, afterall it is valid for 30 months.
Seems they didn't like the fact she had been given the 30 month visa, but seeing they let her through, she couldn't have done anything wrong. Although time she did come through it was 7.15pm and the car park cost Harlene around £13, I wasn't paying!

The drive home took around 2 and a bit hours, but thought it may take longer. As we joined the M1 the signs were saying Junction 17-18 shut.... Great, I come off at 22. I anticipated a great big diversion stuck in traffic. But as luck would have it before we knew it I was at Junction 19 and scratching my head at what the signs meant?

Oh and Steve, those 50mph roadworks, 16 miles they go on for... I checked at Christmas and again this time.... But this time I saw people working!

[stevewool]

Oh and Steve, those 50mph roadworks, 16 miles they go on for... I checked at Christmas and again this time.... But this time I saw people working![/QUOTE]

I got behind a big truck and he was doing 60mph , so i just followed him and the are two speed cameras o that stretch of motorway, so just pulled back a little at those spots.