All Change Please! Solo Trip Nov 2019 - Pre Travel Days

[pinkstargirl]

As I had a busy few days prior to travelling, I’ve decided to lump them all together in one day!

Pre-Travel Days (-3 to -1)

Friday 1st Nov (Day -3)

I’d stayed at my Mum’s the night before as the lady I go to for my nails is 10 minutes away. Mum popped her head in at 7:30 as she was off to work and wished me a happy holiday. My sister also stuck her head in at 8am to check I was awake and to see if I wanted a coffee… best sister ever! I got up, showered and dressed. Said goodbye to my sister and left for my nail appointment at 9:30.

My nail lady is great and as usual I was so happy with them. I left around 11:30 and headed back to town as I had some waxing booked at 12:15. I was really early so went into a cafe and ordered a bacon & egg sandwich and a cup of tea. It was delicious but a bit messy!
I had some waxing done, it’s a salon I always used when I lived in the area but I’m not sure if I’ll go back again - the waxing was very slapdash and not done very well at all. I caught sight of myself in the mirror as I was re-dressing and realised I had egg yolk round my mouth from earlier… oh the shame!
I got diesel for my car and put more air in my one finicky tyre, and left at 13:15, on the road to Maidenhead. I got there at about 15:00 after being sent round the houses, through the back of Windsor (presumably because of the ever-so-pleasant M25 which I’m sure looked exactly as it does on any day ending with a Y) and surrounding areas. I was only in there for an hour, I had to pick up some jeans which I’d had altered and I grabbed some toiletries in Superdrug.

I got home at 16:15 and spent the rest of the evening packing. I haven't noted what I had for dinner but I did have some Malibu & Pineapple in a can to help me pack. I had to also work out exactly what I needed over the weekend, I was leaving the house in the morning although my flight wasn’t until Monday. I’d received an email from Virgin to pre-book my meal, so I did that.
I’d been making some Mickey Ears so I also finished those off and then headed to bed.

Saturday 2nd Nov (Day -2)

I got up this morning at 9:30. I stripped the bed and put the bedding on to wash. Then, breakfast. A large crumpet, and some tomatoes and onion fried up as well as a cuppa. I hung the washed bedding up then printed a couple of bits that I always like to have hard copies of (like travel insurance) before packing the last few items, loading the car and leaving at 12:40, bound for Solihull.
I arrived at the Solihull Travelodge at 14:25. Just on the off chance anyone else goes there and uses Waze as a sat nav - don’t turn down towards the station as Waze suggests, stay on the main road and the Travelodge is next to the fire station! I had some time to kill as check in wasn’t until 15:00. I got to my room just after 15:00 and set about getting ready for my evening, heading off to the station at 16:30. I arrived at the station 10 minutes later, bought my ticket to Birmingham and headed up to the platform, only to discover the trains were slightly delayed - typical! Once I arrived at Moor Street, I crossed the road into the Bullring shopping centre and searched for somewhere to eat. I had planned Nandos, but it had a big queue so I settled for Pizza Hut. I got some cheese bites, a veggie pizza and a J20 on a deal for £15.99, along with the salad bar too.

I decided to get an Uber to the hotel where my best friend Sarah was staying as it was pretty chilly. Bad move on my part as it took forever! The plan had been I would get to the hotel around 18:00 and get to spend some time with my goddaughter before Sarah and I left, but I ended up having to meet them in the lobby and we had to head off quickly. My goddaughter, F, has a bit of separation anxiety at the moment, so she did say a couple of times that she wanted to come with us, but she went back up to the room with Sarah’s partner without any tears and only a tiny bit of fuss.
Sarah and I left the hotel and made our way along the road to the O2 Academy. We were seeing my favourite band from my teenage years, a1. Sarah had liked them as well but from the sounds of it (we didn’t know each other at the time), not as much as I did. I worked out that it had been almost 19 years to the day when I’d gone to their tour in London, and now here I was seeing them again!
We were in the disabled access section. I’d discovered after we’d booked that the concert was a standing one, and Sarah can’t stand for long periods of time, so was using her mobility scooter. The O2 academy had been really helpful and quick with their responses to my emails, and we’d been sent a voucher that we’d show to get us into the section, and would allow us priority entry. We still had to wait for 25 minutes in the only area outside the venue with no cover as it began to rain. There were 8 of us queueing for the section, and at 19:30 we were led through a side door and towards a ‘lift’ which could take 2 at a time. I say ‘lift’ like that because there were no walls, just a few panels which have sensors so (hopefully) you can’t get your finger caught between the wall and the ‘lift’. The disabled access section was still locked, so the guy radioed for someone to come up and unlock it while he went to get the next 2 people. Once everyone was settled, someone came round asking if anyone wanted drinks as the bar was downstairs. Sarah and I had a double vodka and coke (her) and a double malibu and coke (me), and she insisted on paying. Bet she wished she hadn’t when it cost £16!
We spent an enjoyable hour or so catching each other up on life, Sarah lives in Devon and I live in West London, so we don’t get to see each other much. We talk and text loads but there’s nothing like being with your best friend.

I'm on the left, Sarah on the right

Don't leave your bestie with your phone when you go to the loo!

The show started at 20:45, and went until 22:30. It was amazing. The venue was very small (the main part of the academy holds just over 3000, we were in one of the other parts which are smaller, we estimated around 500 people and it was full) so even though the section we were in is at the back, it’s still a good view. The only thing I didn’t like was that there is plate glass all across on top of a waist high barrier, which could have used a clean. It’s probably there so that drinks cant get knocked over the edge and onto the lighting/audio equipment, so I do understand, but it was a little annoying.

After the show, again we were all taken back downstairs in the ‘lift’. As the man was helping us into the ‘lift’, Sarah decided to run over his foot. Poor bloke. All the help we’d had and she repays him like that! We left and walked the few minutes back to the hotel. I’d asked the week before if Sarah or her partner could drop me back at the station after the concert - I’d walked through Birmingham at a similar time in 2018 and felt really unsafe. She called him as we got back as the scooter needed to go in the car (very small hotel room) and we wouldn’t be able to do it between us. It had been hard enough trying to lift it on and off the kerb outside the hotel. Sarah then drove me to the station, aiming for the 23:00 train.
As we discovered, Birmingham is difficult to navigate! We got to the station at 23:12, with the next (and final) train due at 23:40. Sarah didn’t want to leave me here alone for half an hour, so we stayed parked at the side of the station for about 15 minutes. I then went in and checked the departure board to see which platform I needed. None, it turned out, as the last train was cancelled. I managed to ask at the ticket window before the girl closed the blind, and she said there was a coach coming and it wouldn’t be long. I was so grateful for my new coat as I was very toasty! The bus arrived at 00:10, and I got back to the Travelodge just after 01:00. I got some crisps from the vending machine and went to my room, texted Sarah that I was back safe and she could go to sleep now, then went there myself around 02:00.

Sunday 3rd Nov (Day -1)

I woke up at 8am, and after washing and dressing, went down for breakfast at 9:15. I do enjoy a cooked breakfast in a hotel!

I retrieved my big case from my car so I could move some things about. I also had a bag of things to leave in my car while I was away, like dirty clothes and my big jacket I’d needed the night before. I checked in online for the flight, wrote up my notes from yesterday and left at 11:45. I grabbed a coffee from the services shortly after leaving. After some minor delays and rerouting due to standstill traffic on the (you guessed it, it’s a day that ends in Y…) M25, I pulled up at Purple Parking at 14:40. I used the toilet in the check in building and checked the car in. Grabbed the luggage from the car, left the key on the seat and got on the bus, which left for the terminals at 15:00. I must have completely spaced out on the bus and missed the North Terminal! Oh well, it meant I got the first monorail ride in before I’d left England! I checked into the Premier Inn just before 16:00 and was in room 662. I chilled out in my room for a couple of hours, had another Malibu and Pineapple can and watched the end of Casper. I went down for dinner just before 18:00 and was seated quite quickly. I had the meal deal, so ordered a lemonade, prawn cocktail and the surf and turf. I also ordered a double pink gin. My gin and lemonade were brought out in separate glasses, I’d thought it was pretty obvious that they were both for me (dining alone) and had assumed it would be in one glass. So I made a bit of a mess putting the lemonade into the gin glass, but I did mop up!

The food was delicious and the service was good. I headed back to my room and did a face mask. I let it set while I watched a bit of Harry Potter, then had a shower. I then had to get dressed again at 20:45 and head over to the terminal to Boots. It was raining and very cold! I had to get some antiseptic cream as I had developed an infected hair follicle on my leg from some waxing - not the Friday wax but that had caused it’s own issues. I also bought tissues (anyone else get all sniffly on or after a flight?) and some water.
Back in the hotel, I made a cup of tea and sorted everything out for the morning. I realised I couldn’t find my charger for my battery pack. (It turned out I’d put it into the bag of stuff I left in my car while I was away - bravo me!) I set my alarm for 06:00 and headed to bed.

Travel day tomorrow! That will be here.

[ERICSMUM]

Phew what a hectic couple of days ! Those pics are making me hungry. 🍳

[Taffy1959]

Very busy few days and you still have travel day to get through.
Looking forward to the next installment.

[chelynnah]

Ooh looking forward to following this. I’m doing my first solo trip to early next Nov

[candycat75]

Love the Disney nails.

[mick]

That was a very busy few days


Joan