Thursday 21
November
Off on a short break to Norwich and the Christmas
Spectacular in Thursford.
I have just the two pick-ups in Petersfield and Liphook
and only 24 passengers, a number lower than expected. I am surprised as the
show is fantastic and will have to advertise more next year!!
We have a stop at Clackett Lane where I serve most of the
group tea and coffee on the bus before driving to Cambridge for our lunch stop.
It has been very wet and windy this morning but
thankfully by the time I arrive in Cambridge it has dried up.
We arrive at 13:00 and I arrange to pick my two dozen up
a couple of hours later at 15:00. I drop in the coach bays along Queens Road
and although they are only for dropping off and picking up I hoped I may be
able to stay here and have a stroll around the city centre as it is very quiet
with only a couple of coaches about. No chance! The traffic wardens ride about
on mountain bikes and look as fierce as only a traffic warden can.
I drive back to some other coach bays further back from
the centre alongside the river. I like this spot and after buying a sandwich I
hope to stay here a bit longer. I have waited here for a couple of hours before
and there must be room for six coaches and I don’t see another one all the
while I am here. Not good enough for the traffic warden who moves me on! At
least I have managed to wait 45 minutes to get my rest period in on the
tachograph. There is proper parking (at £10.00 a go) but it is out of town and
I like to see things when I’m sat on the bus or go for a walk. The parking area
is too far away to walk in and I am not sure of the shuttle bus when I don’t
have too long anyway.
Eventually I pick them all up at 15:00 and we crawl out
of Cambridge in heavy traffic, and some heavy rain that stayed off while they
were off the bus.
The drive into Norwich was a crawl too and we don’t
arrive at our hotel, The Mercure, until a dark 16:45.
I arrange dinner for 19:00 (as agreed on the phone when I
called from Cambridge) and the receptionist will hand them out as people go in.
The porters are helping with the luggage when another lady from reception
appears and says we must have dinner at 18:30 as there is another group in.
There are no other coaches here and any other group will be arriving after me
so surely it is first come first served, especially as I have called ahead with
my arrival time and agreed meal times then. I am not too concerned of a 18:30
dinner but as most of the passengers have gone I hope they will all be told. I
am a little annoyed but leave the ball in the young lady’s court to tell
everyone. Some of them will not know as they will not be able to hear the new
instructions being shouted at reception!
Breakfast is a buffet and I have arranged for everyone to
come down at their leisure as it is a lot more relaxing and easy going. It is
also much easier for the hotel as there will not be queues with everyone coming
down at once.
The lady who changed our dinner time now wants us to come
down to breakfast at a set time for everyone!
This does rile me and I refuse to change. I think she is
a little put out but I am not budging on this and tell her so, nicely of
course! She relents and decides to leave the arrangements as they are.
I have a quick pint in the pub over the road before going
to dinner at 18:30. Some of the group don’t turn up until seven having either
not heard or are simply confused by it all! I really don’t know what the
problem was as we were the only ones in the restaurant at seven and it is big
enough to take plenty of folk. Having said all of this the meal was very good
as were the staff. I was impressed!
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