Its been a long day……

It was pre-arranged that today my sister and I were going to do our food shop for Christmas Day. But as everyone knows here in the UK, heavy snow was being forecast for today.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to drive the distance to her house, so hubby drove me. As we would be so near to Brent Cross, in London, my son and him would drive on, get Ryan's Christmas present from Links of London and then pick me up on the return journey.

Maybe they wouldn’t have set out on their mammoth trek if they knew what was too come.

As soon as they left, the snow turned to a blizzard. My sister couldn’t get her BMW X5 of the drive. So her hubby had to drive us there. We ran in like mad women and threw everything in the trolley.

We set the table for Christmas Day and then settled down on the sofa stuffing chocolates waiting for Chris to pick me up.

Meanwhile after lots of skidding and pushing of cars (all BMWs+ Mercs) they made it to Brent Cross at 12.55pm. Only to be told the shopping mall was being shut at 1pm!!!!!!

They insisted on being let in and split up and ran to the two counters they needed and thankfully, got what they went for.

But this is where their real problems began. All the roads around Brent Cross went into massive gridlock. They decided to sit it out and wait.

They went back into Brent Cross and took this picture at just after 1pm on what should be the busiest day leading up to Christmas.

We rang them about every hour, only to find that they hadn’t moved more than 100meters each time.

So we set out in search of something to eat.

The Indian take away on the corner were a wee bit harassed to say the least, so the Tesco Metro was the next stop and an Indian ready meal it was. The roads were impassable to all the houses, but the main road looked OK.

We enjoyed our Indian, fudge cake and Ben & Jerry's and sat in front of the fire.Only to find out Chris still hadn’t got on the A1m motorway. It was now about 8pm.

Now at some point Hubby said I could get a train home, but it being England I knew the trains could be a no go. Yep, I was right. I live right next to a station, but its lights weren’t working, so no trains were stopping.

I had two doses of painkillers with me. But no heat pad or sleeping tablets. So although I was in the best position, I was concerned if I had to sleep over.

Finally, they got to what was the problem-a jack knifed lorry, blocking two lanes of one of the busiest roads in London. Once they got onto the A1M the roads were fine. But because Chris’ car being a Mercedes wasn’t coping with the slippery hills, he couldn’t get into Potter Bar. So in my sisters 4 wheel drive we got me to them at a petrol station. Past yet more jack knifed lorries.

I jumped in the back and laid down and we were home, warm and dry at 10pm. They are now tucked up in bed exhausted. I’m on night duty, waiting for daughter to finish her late shift at the local pub.

So I had a nice day, but I can’t say the same for them.