Things are looking up and different. The friend is reconsidering... and I have changed my route. Cancelled the previous tickets and am now in the process of getting new ones, possibly for two, I will know this tonight. My starting off point will also be different, as I no longer start in Harwich, but in Hull. This after I was looking at my route to get to Richard and thought "why drive 450 kilometers on your first day, when you can get so much closer by boat?"

Getting new tickets also means the 11-22 March dates are now off. The 17th still stands, I will have to be in Suffolk then to visit the Ross Revenge. But the start and end date now depend on... us. Going to take single trip tickets. So it's possible I don't have a ticket back when in England, that I buy it there. Dunno yet.

On the positive side: at least I won't have 5 roundabouts to navigate off the boat, but 7... {facepalm} :-D

On the positive side: at least I won't have 5 roundabouts to navigate off the boat, but 7... {facepalm} :-D

I don't think it'll be too bad. Once you're past the first two and out of the ferryport, you'll be on the main waterfront drag, and you simply head due West for the next 70 miles, as the road gradually gets bigger and turns into the M62.

Or you could take the A1079 past Beverly and York - I don't know that road myself, but it should be OK.

Given her the incentive of a lifetime. She's always going on about how I should shave off my beard... I told her if she comes along I will do exactly that.

LOL. So long as I'm not expected to do the same.

On the positive side: at least I won't have 5 roundabouts to navigate off the boat, but 7... {facepalm} :-D

If you don't want to navigate too many roundabouts, stay clear of Milton Keynes!

On the positive side: at least I won't have 5 roundabouts to navigate off the boat, but 7... {facepalm} :-D

If you don't want to navigate too many roundabouts, stay clear of Milton Keynes!

And Swindon...

Or you could take the A1079 past Beverly and York - I don't know that road myself, but it should be OK.

Not a bad road. Just have to watch for military vehicles on training from the old ASMT (Army School of Mechanical Transport -now DST - Defence School of Transport).

Ah, Swindon's "Magic Roundabout".... We must direct Jord via that delight ;-)

You never know, he might bump into Zebedee. :-)

Nah - that would mean he was in Florence....

No magic at all please.
No Magic Mike.
No magic mushrooms.
No magic roundabouts.
No magician.
I'm coming over for some rest, not to figure out the idiosyncrasies you can't figure out yourselves.

You naughty boy. :-)

Okay, definitive dates are finalizing. Route now taken:

- boat to Hull
- Hull > Richard
- Richard > somewhere central for prodding
- Central > Suffolk RR visit 17th
- boat to home

So everything moves forward by about 1 to 1.5 weeks.

definitive dates:
Leaving Rotterdam -> Hull March 4 @21:00h, arriving Hull @08:00h
Leaving Harwich -> Hook of Holland March 18 @09:00h, arriving HoH @17:15

You'll have someone to remind you to keep left! YAY :)

somewhere central for prodding

Does this refer to a kind of, bigger, group-meet-up, Jord, rather than you having to pick us off one-by-one? Or some obscure English custom I'm not familiar with? ;)

I like the idea of a group do, I do :) so was looking into places up to say, about 2 hours out of London by train but got rudely interrupted so didn't get very far with that. It might have to be a one or the other but not a both just from a financial/time/wellness point of view :/ Do you whatsapp at all?

I do now. I can't actually set up a group though. My daughter did try to guide me through the process but ended up declaring it would be quicker if she walked home from Spain and did it for me - so contacted my sister for me, who erm... got her husband to set one up for us :) I think that's why I got a book in the post. Androids for seniors. It's got a bit mislaid since...

I'll send you my new number anyway - probably won't be until later today because some appointments beckon before that.

You'll have someone to remind you to keep left! YAY :)

Better yet: a chauffeur. I only have to sit on the left and be scared shitless because I don't have a steering wheel and pedals there. :)

somewhere central for prodding

Does this refer to a kind of, bigger, group-meet-up, Jord, rather than you having to pick us off one-by-one?

The former, a bigger group-meet-up. I haven't really thought it out yet. And to be honest I was thinking of figuring it out while there at Richard, cos I also don't yet know where I will be going after him. Just slowly trickling down south towards Essex.

I like the idea of a group do, I do :) so was looking into places up to say, about 2 hours out of London by train but got rudely interrupted so didn't get very far with that. It might have to be a one or the other but not a both just from a financial/time/wellness point of view :/ Do you whatsapp at all?

You know the answer to the last question already. :)

I'll be setting up a group one of these days myself for all people who stay home, so I only have to send photo's once. Is it really that difficult? Hmmm... will see :)

Just slowly trickling down south towards Essex

Most people don't trickle down to Essex - they RUN AWAY from Essex....

Better yet: a chauffeur. I only have to sit on the left and be scared shitless because I don't have a steering wheel and pedals there. :)

Blind folds can be provided

Most people don't trickle down to Essex - they RUN AWAY from Essex....

I have no choice: my boat back to Holland starts from there. Plus a day before I have to board the Razorbill 3 in West Mersea to go to the Ross Revenge, of course the real reason for this whole trip... did I just type that out loud? damn!

Check the water table before you get to Mersea Island. There is only the one way on & off it. It has been known to get flooded into mid-April.

Then I'm sure that you and all fellow Seti/BOINC idolizers will personally oversee that the weather gods don't wreak havoc in the neighborhood while I am over there. Won't you? :)