Coming home

So I'm at Heathrow again. It doesn't seem six weeks since I was here last, how time flies...except when waiting for a flight of course.

I nearly didn't get here at all due to the perils and failings of the French automobile industry. When dad started his car this morning, about half an hour before we set off, it went completely mental. That's the only way to describe it. The windscreen wipers started, the lights were flashing, the engine and air con fans were running flat out. It was like a silent movie apart from the noise of the engine running like mad. The biggest issue was the total inability to switch the damn thing off, even taking the key out didn't work. Well not actually a key, the "renaultcard" thingy as a normal ignition key would be far too normal for a Renault. Eventually I had to stall it and even then the lights and wipers and all kept going. We had to disconnect the battery to finally kill it. I thought I was in a Stephen King novel for a moment. Reconnecting the battery didn't help, it just set it off again. All totally weird. The diagnostic display in the dashboard was telling us there was an "electrical fault". You're not kidding M. Frog-mobile. Even the guy at the garage was stumped when we phoned him. The old man'll have to try and get his breakdown service to tow him to Gloucester tomorrow. Gods alone knows how much it'll cost to fix but at least he's finally realised it just has to go. Hopefully it can be made mobile for not too much and he can pass it off in a part exchange for something not made by Renault. Moral of the story, don't buy a Renault.

Luckily their neighbours are fantastic and drove us to Heathrow at the drop of a hat, not something you expect them to do on their day off. I'm very grateful and lucky that their Renaults both seem to work.

So now I'm in the lounge person a copy of super yacht monthly and watching children's BBC. These business types have very eclectic tastes in magazines and tv viewing.

To all those in Perth, see you soon. To all those in blighty; it was good to see you and I'll see you sometime.

I'll just leave you with the news from the local paper, which conjures up some great mental images;

And they say the devil has all the fun.

Oh! And the picture at the top is the local winery. Just like Margaret River, only a bit more damp.