Sunday, 9 January 2011

Thursday 02 December Snow!!

Wake up to about a foot of snow and as we have a busy weekend am concerned for the trips planned.
Today we are supposed to run an excursion to Runnymede for our Christmas lunch cruise and also to see Daniel O'Donnell in Bournemouth tonight.
Tomorrow we have two coaches going to Germany - our own Trier Christmas Markets Weekend and a private group to Petersfield's twin town of Warendorf.
It is not looking good.
I manage to make it into the office though the snow is very thick and had to walk on the road. It was as quiet as Christmas morning.
We don't expect anybody in today but the telephones will be busy with concerned passengers.
It is obvious we will have to cancel the Thames cruise and I can rearrange it for next week. The Daniel O'Donnell concert is a later start and there are a couple of thousand pounds worth of tickets involved. I really don't want to cancel this trip.
I manage to speak to all the passengers from the Thames cruise before calling Brian, the driver.
I had presumed he would still be at home in Aldershot but was in Alton with the coach ready to pick up the passengers!
The main roads are improving but with the overnight temperature forecast to be -7 they will be icy early tomorrow.
I leave the decision on Daniel until lunchtime and am still undecided by then. Robert, who was driving the trip, is stuck in his house and cannot get out. Brian, Ray or myself cannot drive late today so my hand is a little forced and I cancel.
It is probably the sensible thing to do but I am now faced with 48 refunds of £65.00 with no refund for me for the tickets bought!
I lost 2 Holiday on Ice trips in January due to the sudden snow and that cost me a lot of money and coupled with today makes me feel sick in the stomach.
On top of this it is decided to cancel the proposed trip to Warendorf. I have been in touch with the organiser and feel it is the sensible option as there are no hotels involved and I may be able to transfer the shuttle booking to another date. We still lose any profit in the job but hopefully have salvaged some goodwill by refunding the coach hire fee.
This is not a good day.
I am concerned for tomorrows weekend break to Trier but am determined to run the trip.
The taxi company I use in Petersfield have decided they cannot take their vehicles out which has given me a big headache for the morning. The taxi companies picking up in Liss, Liphook and Haslemere have all said they will be able to pick the passengers up.
I go home later today feeling very down and worried.

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