This story actually started months ago but it took a visit to Jan this weekend to bring me to my senses and the story to its fruition.
In the September of 2008, Lisa needed to move herself plus all her possessions and Steve's, to their new place in Southampton. Mommy said, that as a moving present ,she would hire the van to move everything down plus to the driving.
A quick scan of the phone book proved useless, everyone advertised in it was based in Telford , Shrewsbury or Herefordshire, all of which are a minimum one hours drive away, in the wrong direction and that was before I'd even started the journey! I made a call to Sarah, my neighbour, who knows everything! Yes she said, here was the number of the guy she used, based in Aber, very reasonable rates, nice guy, good vans. Who needs a yellow pages with someone like Sarah around!!
I called the number and a wonderful smooth voice answered.
“A.V. Hire, can I help?”
“Yes please I want to hire a van.”
“No problem what sort of van?”
Now he had me. A van sort of van. My knowledge of vans is pretty limited. There is a Mark sort of van – a small Ford Transit thing, then there is an Ian Snow sort of van - red and battered but big enough to stand up in, then there is the Ian Snow posh van-a long wheel based sprinter with high roof. That would do me.
“A big sprinter Van” said I, sounding like I knew what I was on about. He ran through the various rules and conditions, price and mileage costs after the first free 400 miles. I agreed to it all, arranged the date and said goodbye.
Five minutes later I phoned back to ask were I could find him and said van. Small details like that always elude me! With my map scrawled on the back of an envelope plus the finer details regarding lefts and rights in reference to Bookers on the estate, I once again said goodbye and finished doing whatever it was I was doing that day.
The weekend eventually came, as linear time has a habit of doing. Lisa and I headed down to Aber to collect our big van. We met Bob, the face behind the smooth voice on the phone and filed all my details into his computer, we then went to see our van.
To say it was not what I was expecting, is the understatement of the year. A Sprinter, I have since learnt is the make of the vehicle not the model as such and a Sprinter was what Bob had given us. A low roof, short wheel based Sprinter.
Lisa looked at it and said “its not going to all fit, is it!”
Being as optimistic as I could, I replied “Mommy can pack a van better than anyone I know, Mommy will make it fit.”
Bob, seeing our not exactly ecstatic faces, asked if there was a problem. I explained the discrepancy of size (its always a woman/man thing this size difference problem, I'm sorry but that really is not 6 inches!) I explained how much stuff we had and the fact that this included a large settee. How big was the settee he asked. I climbed into the back of the van, lay down on the floor with my hands stretched above my head and answered “about this big!” I never was much good at estimating measurements either!
We returned to his office and the computer screen. To be fair he searched high and low to find us a bigger van. “Um, that one has a broken clutch, you wont want that one and oh, that one the door fell off the other week and I've not got around to putting it back on, what you need is a Bedford Van!” I smiled. “but they are all out this weekend.” The smile died. “It's OK, we can do this” I said eventually “We will take the small big van.”
As we walked back over to the van Lisa started to silently cry. “Its OK,” I told her. “Mommy will make it fit.” I hugged her until she felt better telling her over and over again “Mommy will fix it, Mommy can fix anything, if I have to drive it twice, I will!”
As I tried to work out where the gears were, to prevent me looking like a complete idiot, Bob went through the final check list, The van was half full of diesel - not Petrol he added, please return it half full. Post the keys through the letter box of the office if there was no one here when I returned. I said I'd be returning about midnight on the Sunday. He said there would defiantly be no one there and I agreed to call down later in the week to sort out the excess mileage! We smiled, I crunched a gear, he painfully grinned and I drove away.
Back at the house in Llanbrynmair, we just over half filled the van and drove to Chester to get Steve and Steve's stuff.
Steve's father is a doctor, his mother a PHD lecturer, they live in a huge house and to help furnish the new home of their offspring and his girlfriend, had sorted out some of the things they didn't need. These things included a double bed, oak table and matching chairs, two leather recliners, chest of draws, two coffee tables and various other stools, cupboards and assortments - and that was before we started on Steve's things plus his computer with its 20inch plasma screen and boxes of attachments. I looked at the van. I looked at the growing pile on the street. I looked at the van again. I was good but even I wasn't that good!
We re-sorted the pile into essential and not quite so essential, we unloaded some of Lisa's and looked at it again. As people stood around discussing the pros and cons of packing this bit first and maybe that bit second, I quietly slipped aboard the van with Lisa and we packed and unpacked, loaded and reloaded, shoved bits into draws and curtains between chair legs. By the time we had finished it was near midnight and the pile on the side of the road, although still quite significant, had diminished. We loaded it into the garage and retired to the house. Steve's parent, it was decided would hire another van the following weekend and drive down with the rest of the things. With that decision finalised, we collapsed into bed.
The next morning I was up by 6 ready to go. Lisa got up by 7 and by 8 we had a sleeping Steve ensconced in the front of the van surrounded by so much stuff he couldn't have moved even if he had woken up. We were off.
We needed to sign for this house and collect the keys before the office closed at 1pm. I hate deadlines and refused to stop until we were well within reach of Southampton and Lisa had threatened to pee in the glove box if I didn't stop at the next services! Steve produced a map of where the office was and we were off again.
Signatures were signed, keys were collected, the house was found and by 3pm we had unloaded everything into the house. Steve suggested a walk into town. It was a glorious day, clear blue sky, brilliant sunshine and after all the sweating and driving it was just what we needed. Town was found about a mile away and we wandered around for a while. Steve said it was a shame we didn't have everything with us, but it wasn't the end of the world. Then I said, if they wanted, I could drive back and get the rest for them now. It was only 4pm. I could be there by 8 loaded by 9 back by 1am. I'd done a lot worse working and packing down at festivals, if they bought me a bottle of coke I could stay hyper for 6 hours. They looked at each other, they looked at me. Steve said it was too much, Lisa said “You don't know Mommy!”
We went shopping. Chocolate biscuits and a big bottle of diet Pepsi. Steve picked up a bottle of Red Bull. I asked if he was trying to kill me, Coke made me hyper, strong caffeine drinks gave me heart palpitations. He put the tin back and bought me more chocolate. Steve, it was decided would stay and move the existing furniture around, Lisa would come with me. Steve's parents were informed, soup was brewed to revive us once we arrived and the mission was on. Chester and back by morning!!!
The rest is history. We drove there, loaded the van, had a pee, put the soup in a flask, I drank the coke and sang my way all the way back to Southampton!! They wouldn't let me unload the van that night so I lay downstairs on the settee for another few hours waiting for the coke to wear off!!!
The next morning I woke bright and early, unloaded the van and said my goodbyes. I knew if I stayed until lunch I'd just get all emotional and cry for hours so I called Vicky in Porthcawl, told her to buy the chocolate and I'd be there for lunch to cry with her until I felt better. She promised to but lots of chocolate!
Breakfast Southampton, lunch Porthcawl, Tea Aberystwyth, supper Llanbrynmair! I cant actually remember how many miles we did that weekend but I think it was over 1200! When I went to see Bob to pay the excess mileage he halved the bill, I didn't know weather to kiss him or cry. I think I did both!
The reason why I just told you that part of the story is to introduce you to Bob more than anything. We hit it off really well and when I was in Aber about two months later I called into say hello. We chatted for a bit then he said he just had to pop out to pick up a car for valeting. I went across the road to collect the part for my car that I had ordered and called back. There outside on his forecourt was the sweetest little green Corsa you've ever seen. Identical to the one I own except newer, with a sun roof and roof rack and this one had a sign in it saying FOR SALE £375.
Lisa was about to take her driving test the following week. This would be ideal for her. A quick word by Bob to the guy who was selling this sweet little baby and I had bought myself a Green Corsa for £300!! Bob joked that what Lisa really needed was the Tigra he was selling or even the Puma. The insurance, unfortunately, would have been out of the question for her, but they were nice cars. The Puma was the most amazing colour purple and the Tigra an incredible metallic blue/green, depending on the light.
The following weekend Lisa failed her test but I drove her car down to her anyway as I was due to stay with her for a few days before we drove up to Chester to spend Christmas with Steve's parents. (there is yet another story there that I may just tag onto the end of this one or not as the case may be!)
We had a wonderful time both in Southampton and Chester. As it was Lisa's car and Lisa was insured to drive it, she did most of the driving, I just sat in the front and gazed out of the window. Bliss! The time was over all too soon and I returned with the car to Llanbrynmair, while Steve's parents drove them back down to Southampton.
A month passed and my car heater stopped working. I filled the what not with water and it worked again. Two days later it stopped again - it was out of water! Mark checked it over and muttered words of doom and gloom. The car was discussed in the pub that evening as I worked. Big Ends were mentioned, words like 'Head Gasket' and 'Oh Dear' flowed around the room. Non the wiser I asked what the problem was. It started OK, it drove perfectly well, it was just that the heater stopped working a bit too often for my liking and as it was winter this I felt this was a problem. If it had happened in the summer I probably wouldn't have even mentioned it!
Months of life expectancy became days became hours, water in the oil, oil over the engine, stories of bits exploding out the sides of my engine abounded, re-bores, engine replacements, I gave up and ate some chocolate!
By the time they had all finished it was agreed that if I just filled it up with water every other day and checked the oil weekly it would last me until I got back from Vietnam in April, as I simply wasn't about to spend my hard earned holiday money on fixing a car!!
That evening as I lay in my bed thinking about the problems regarding my car and how long it would take me to save for another, I remembered the beautiful little Tigra that Bob had offered to Lisa. The next morning I called him.
“Darling! How are you??......... Are you still selling the little Tigra??.......brilliant, how much would you want for her?.........Oh that much!!!.........Oh! …....... never mind.......yes my car is going to die soon but ….. don't worry about it.........OK darling...........Bye babes!” I put the phone down in shock – it was a gorgeous car but I just didn't have that sort of money at the moment.
I picked up a supply of oil and filled a milk container with water for top ups!
This weekend I went off to visit Jan and Wayne who have just moved into their fabulous Manor House. After the tour of the house with on suite bathrooms that my bedroom would fit in, we toured the grounds and out buildings including the Gate House that they have just been awarded Four Stars for and will be renting out!! This house is not only fabulous but will also make them money. I came away inspired and on top of the world.
I drove back past Bobs and stopped to look at the Tigra again. The place was closed but the car was parked off to one side. For the first time I noticed the number plate - N231NDA.. I was stopping in Aber that evening to see a film that I had booked to see weeks in advance. 'Slumdog Millionaire'. A must watch film if ever you get a chance to see it.
This I decided was a sign from Krsna.
There I was in need of a car. With a love of all things Indian, about to see a film about a slum boy making good in Bombay and in front of me was a car that said INDIA or as near as damn it on the number plate. This was MY car!!!
I sent Bob a text – 'Lady has seen the car again. Lady wants the car- doesn't have a clue how she will pay for it but the car is mine!!'
Bob, being the fine , upstanding gentleman that he is has agreed to allow me to pay for my Little India over the next few months – once I return from Vietnam that is, while allowing me to have the car now!!
Not only that, he has agreed to take the magnificent stereo out of my car and put it into the Tigra ready for Friday when I pick her up!! If you ever require a car or van do go to Bob!!! I owe him big time!!!
And he is a very nice man!!
The End
Foot note
Christmas at Steve's was brilliant. It had been agreed that I would drive the children up via Porthcawl so we could spend some time with Trish before she got too sick for visitors. By the time we arrived in Chester it would be late on Christmas eve and Steve's parents insisted that I spend the night and have Christmas dinner with them before I returned home. Once Lou (see Drinking Story) who also lives in Chester found out I would be up there, she insisted that I spend Christmas night with her. We would catch up on our gossip and drinking. With this all arranged we left Southampton, called into Porthcawl and arrived in Chester. The six hour commute was becoming quite a normal practice and was done without the aid of coke but with the loud singing!!
Christmas morning was wonderful. Aunts, Uncles, Grandpa and nieces arrived, the table was laid and I changed into my finery – well one must make the effort mustn't one!
Black French Connection trousers, strappy stilettos, my best sequinned and incredibly beaded black top, complimented with gold earrings, matching necklace and assortment of rings. I felt and looked like the Queen Bee!!
Just before lunch, the first of the wine was opened, just to wet the appetite they said. I was offered a large glass but as I was driving over to Lou's that afternoon I declined in favour of a tiny one. Pink Champagne was offered, again I declined as I was due to drive.
Then my phone rang, it was Lou. “Darling I'm so, so sorry, I seem to be going down with this horrid sickness bug that everyone has been getting, do come over but I wont be up to much”. I looked at my glass and began to explain my dilemma to Lou.
“Sweetie, I'm so sorry you are not feeling well, but I now have a huge dilemma! I can either drink this tiny glass of wine, drive over to you and watch you throw up in a bucket all evening, or I can stay here, drinking huge glasses of wine, Pink Champagne followed by Port and Brandy's and see you another time.”
She sympathised deeply and said she would see me in the Spring! That is what you call a true friend.
PS
While at Bobs this afternoon moving the stereo out of my car ready to go into the new one, I sold my old car to the guy who works with Bob. He wants it for rallying or something. I didn't ask too many questions as I do not wish to know whether my poor old girl will be suffering at the hands of her new owner! The money, once the guy brings it tomorrow will go to Bob who will then tax the Tigra for the next twelve months for me! Plus the guy who is buying Rodent (my old car) will have her off the road for the next few months so I shall trade in the old tax disc which should give me my second payment ready for Bob.
Krsna is defiantly with me on this!!
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