Well it wasn't too bad. I am here, á la destination, having picked up two new books on the way (because everyone knows the old saying, a girl can never have too many books. Especially when she already owns plenty of unfinished ones and has no spare money), eaten half a bag of bonfire toffee and having made serveral, rather interesting and very English discoveries, as follows;
Discovery number 1: Circa 1900, whoever it is in the country that gets the enviable task of naming pubs, streets and towns got bored. Which is why we end up with the Essex cul-de-sac "Wigley Bush Road", the rather witty "Muskham Inn" [NB: say quickly with a slightly northern accent as I did, and you'll understand] and the grey, showery patch of earth aptly named Dry Doddington.
Discovery number 2: Not only are some people silly enough to continue to smoke. But some people are silly enough to smoke in cars. And not only are they silly enough to smoke in cars, but they're silly enough to SMOKE IN PETROL STATIONS. Luckily the driver - clearly ex-F1 - was out of sight of the ESSO sign quicker than a bullet, giving the silly girl no time to drop the lit butt on the garage floor. People; FIRE KILLS!!
Discovery number 3: There is, somewhere in England, a building dedicated to the APPLIED RESEARCH OF PEAS AND BEANS. Oh yes, an entire building. With a real, official looking sign and everything. This is why we don't have enough doctors? Because those with the talent and ability and enthusiasm to BE doctors, decide instead to sit around all day working out wether the "runner" is technically a pea, or why the Haricot doesn't smell the same as a Berlotti.
Where is the Love?