As has been my habit since living in Vienna I arranged to go to London for the Christmas period to see my two sisters and my father as well as catch up with some good friends. This year the travel plan looked to be in jepordy as Heathrow Airport failed to cope with snow - that is what you get when you sell your main gateway airport to a dodgy firm of spanish builders who prompt;ly lower investmnt in the basic infrastructure and turn it into a shopping mall with no thought for passengers, risk management , etc, emergency weather planning and offer the CEO/MD a bonus which is greater than the amount spent on snow clearing gear for the year. That person finally (too late) said he woudl not accept the bonus ; I wonder why he is being paid all his salary as he appears to have failed at this job let alone done anything to deserve a bonus!
Anyway British Airwas assured me through their website that my flight would be one of the 50% that would leave Vienna. On the day I checked in OK and deposited my bag and went to the gate as advised. At takeoff time weahad no news froim BA except they told all those with connecting flights they would be travelling another way....the rest of us worked ot that this menat we would be leaving late. Fianlly after still no BA announced (or anyone else for that matter) news we were advised that the plane would board shortly - which we did and departed nearly one hour late. En route the pilot flying explained that Heathrow had been closed but as we had a 15 minute hold anyway all would be OK....After 20 minutes in the holding pattern the piot explained that the airporrt would re-open in 20 minutes or so....Finally after over 3 hours in the air for a 2h10m flight we landed to see very few machines clearing snow, one runway closed, deicing equipment that was so odl and inefficient it was verys ad. The place was a shambles and yet when I got to the bagge hall for once at LHR my bag arrived at the same time as me.
The tube to London was the next joy - a train jammed to the rafters as they seemed to be running late and were few and far bewteen. But it ran (which is more than it will do on Sunday when I am due to return- atube drivers' strike) and I finally made it to my sister and brother in law`s flat with time to spare before heading off to a reunion dinner at another flat in West Kensington. The susualcollection of old friends from school and partners was around and we had a great evening.
The weather has been cold and a little more snow at times but it is clearing up.
Tuesday saw me at the Essex workshops of P&A woods as the photgrapher whilst my brother in law helped award certificates to some prize wining coach-building apprentices . The workshop only does RR and bentley cars and is a fabulous place. After the awards we got a quick tour and saw red label and 8 litre bentleys form the 30s, modern (BMW) Bentleys . There was a Rolls from a Maharajah with a matching pair of Lee Enfield rifles clipped to the running board ready for any tigers one might see, and fantastic wooden body work at the rear to hid e the hood. The whole place is incredible and they also told me that they did some aeronautical work includng RRMerlin engines. Plenty of snow on the road away from the motorway but we had no trouble getting anywhere we wanted.
Shopping in London was also on the agenda, but I stayed local to avoid the Oxford Street crowds and slush!
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