We tried to make our way to the upper floor of the Roulet services........we planned to get some cans of drinks and sandwiches and then a toilet stop........dream on.......with all those people from the other coaches it was impossible......the escalators couldn't take us.......and at one point it looked like it was going to turn nasty......guys were squaring up to one another.........I could see someone cooling their heels in a French cell.
That plan was abandoned in favour of plan B.......just a toilet stop.......hell, we wouldn't starve if we didn't eat until we got on English soil. We headed off to the ladies.......there were 4 toilets.......one of which was out of order .........and there were about 200 women.......it looked like a bush would be favourite.
Half an hour after we stopped we were back on the coach again, hungry tired and more than a tad disgruntled.......the coach drivers had been fed and watered....they had walked in through the staff entrance.....on reflection I suppose that was only fair really.
The coach was full of bad tempered mumblings....it felt like this journey was going to last forever......then my brother Phil stood up and said 'if any of you down the front think you can hear the sound of chewing back here......it's me.......my ar*e is eating my underpants'. This seemed to diffuse the tension a bit and everyone laughed (well, except those who hadn't been able to go for a pee - they daren't laugh).
Morning came and we limped into Calais........we were on the hovercraft to Dover in no time. At Dover we had to vacate the coach for a Customs search.......we found a cafe and had coffee and do-nuts....... a strange breakfast I know, but enjoyable just the same.......I felt like I needed a wash and brush up......my mouth felt like a monkey had slept in it.
When we got back to the coach again we were asked to pick up our cases......the company had been made aware of the problems and had sent a swish new coach to transfer us back home.
That bit of the journey seemed to whiz by...... before we knew it we were back at Melbourne St.......from there it was only a short hop back home..........We dumped the cases in the front room, closed the door on them......had tea and bacon butties and went to bed.......it's good to get back home!
That plan was abandoned in favour of plan B.......just a toilet stop.......hell, we wouldn't starve if we didn't eat until we got on English soil. We headed off to the ladies.......there were 4 toilets.......one of which was out of order .........and there were about 200 women.......it looked like a bush would be favourite.
Half an hour after we stopped we were back on the coach again, hungry tired and more than a tad disgruntled.......the coach drivers had been fed and watered....they had walked in through the staff entrance.....on reflection I suppose that was only fair really.
The coach was full of bad tempered mumblings....it felt like this journey was going to last forever......then my brother Phil stood up and said 'if any of you down the front think you can hear the sound of chewing back here......it's me.......my ar*e is eating my underpants'. This seemed to diffuse the tension a bit and everyone laughed (well, except those who hadn't been able to go for a pee - they daren't laugh).
Morning came and we limped into Calais........we were on the hovercraft to Dover in no time. At Dover we had to vacate the coach for a Customs search.......we found a cafe and had coffee and do-nuts....... a strange breakfast I know, but enjoyable just the same.......I felt like I needed a wash and brush up......my mouth felt like a monkey had slept in it.
When we got back to the coach again we were asked to pick up our cases......the company had been made aware of the problems and had sent a swish new coach to transfer us back home.
That bit of the journey seemed to whiz by...... before we knew it we were back at Melbourne St.......from there it was only a short hop back home..........We dumped the cases in the front room, closed the door on them......had tea and bacon butties and went to bed.......it's good to get back home!
