At Thomson's baggage drop many people were having their hand baggage weighed, and having to demonstrate that all electrical equipment: computers, tablets, phones, cameras, were working. None of this fuss for me. At passport control I again sailed straight through with no sign of any delay. As it would be a long evening I made the mistake of buying a sandwich in the departure area. Never have I met such a dried out, tasteless piece of bread and cheese. Next time I might go for the pizza which at least looks attractive, or buy my food on the plane.
At the main customs check others were unpacking and demonstrating their electronic equipment, removing belts, shoes and watches. I just sailed through again without so much as a pat-down. At the next door several ladies were again having to unpack their handbags! No questions asked of me.
The flight departed on time and, apart from being low on some food items, everyone who wanted got fed and watered.
We arrived at Gatwick 30 minutes early, and that is where my problems began. No land-bridge was available so we parked at 49F, about the furthest gate from the North terminal. It took nearly 20 minutes to get a set of steps to the front exit. A short walk in the rain, and then 3 flights of steps into the terminal building. I was exhausted already.
The first moving walkway was working, but by the time I had visited the bathrooms I was already last one out. The 2nd moving walkway didn't. The 3rd was o.k. but by now I was in with passengers from other flights. Passport control was easyish. There were only about 5 bags left on the luggage carousel, but mine was among them. By now I had already been on the ground about an hour.
The hotel bus to take me to my car parks at stop 8, about 1/2 a mile from the terminal entrance as I said a fortnight ago. Well, it felt like 1/2 a mile anyway. When I got to stop 8 there were about 6 people there, waiting for my bus, and all had been on my flight from Luxor so I had not actually lost any time. The bus is rather old, and needs a step for the passengers. Once again I really struggled to climb in (and later out). At the hotel the car park was really wet. I collected my keys and located the car. It had been parked so close to others that I had difficulty in squeezing in so that I could pull forward to open the boot. The inside was saturated it must have rained a great deal and humidity had got in, but I managed to clear enough windows to begin the drive home and the heater eventually sorted the rest out.
With roadworks on the M23 I decided to take the A23/217 to Reigate. This of course was closed, with no diversion signed, due to local flooding. Fortunately I know this part of Sussex/Surrey fairly well and soon gained the M25.
Next the signs informed me that the M40 northbound sliproad was closed. So, it being in good time I took the M4 towards Swindon instead. After some time, and too late to change route, the M5 between junctions 9 and 8 became closed, so I had to find a route from Tewkesbury to the M50. Again the signage was useless - they had wanted me to leave the M5 at Cheltenham and travel via Evesham but that route is for trucks and wimps.
To cut a long story short I arrived home around 02:30, thoroughly exhausted and shattered. This may be my last trip via Gatwick by car. It would have been easier to sleep at the airport for 6 hours and take the first train!
My blog will probably begin again on Monday 8th December when I hope to take the direct non-stop EgyptAir flight from Heathrow to Luxor to avoid Xmas and New Year (bah, humbug).