Jinx!

Oh Lordy, what a day!! 

I was a driver today and I drove the lorry to Uppermill. I have been there before. I even went there a week ago to the 1940s thingummyjig. As we ascertained before we set off, it is basically a straight road there. So how on earth I got lost I don't know!

Thankfully, Elaine came in the cab with me as it far better to get lost in company than to get lost alone. I was following Janet as she drove the mini bus, but I got stopped at a couple of lights and as we'd already discussed 'I knew where I was going as it is fairly straight all the way' so I wasn't worried.

Elaine and I were chit chatting quite happily as we pootled along until I suddenly realised where I was...."Oh my God, we're on the road to Holmfirth," I said. "If we go much further along here we get to a mini roundabout and then we are on the top road over the moors to Holmfirth, there is no where to turn round!" 

I managed to turn round before we got to the mini roundabout and then Julie rang from the mini bus asking where we were. They were waiting for us near Thameside Hospital, but I was nowhere near there. I made a couple of turns thinking I had rectified the mistake and before we knew it we were lost. We put the satnav on, but it kept trying to turn me down tiny roads...I was in a seven and a half ton lorry, I couldn't get down them. I made one turn and ended up in a housing estate and had to manoeuvre out of a cul-de-sac. I knew I had to have the view down the valley on my right....it was on my left! We had to stop and ask directions.....and finally we made it to the session!

I pulled up outside the Civic Centre and as you can see from the pic it is at the top of a hill on a bad bend on narrow roads. We unloaded and then someone came in asking if I could move as the bin men had arrived and couldn't get past and there was a queue of traffic behind them all down to the high street. It was gridlock in Uppermill! 

We were twenty minutes late starting and I thought I had better go on the front desk in case we had any bad tempered donors as it was my fault. I sat at the computer and the whole thing froze and it was ages before I rectified that.....there were donors waiting for sheets to be printed. I was feeling like a jinx by this time. Then the urn broke and I couldn't sort it, I had a CDU and I felt like nothing was going to go right all day. But....a deep breath, a smile and being surrounded by a great team and lovely donors and everything came out right in the end! 

I stuck close to Janet on the way home and arrived back at base without mishap, thank the lord lol. 


Oh yes....as we were unloading, Sean Wilson, ex Corrie actor walked by, looking rather dapper. He asked if he could come in and give blood, but sadly we had to tell him he needed an appointment. He went on his way....probably to his cheese business in Stalybridge. 

Thank goodness I'm off tomorrow!!