Entry #5: Up, Up and Away

I managed to get up fine today, groggily, but my only breakfast was a big packet of ready salted crisps I snacked on approaching lunch time. After closing the lid on leftover pasta bake I went for a post-lunch cigarette, which turned into extreme smoking what with the high winds.

The force of the winds was startling and became a worry as the day progressed. News gradually filtered in affirming this was something to be concerned about as a number of people across Greater Manchester were injured and several were killed. I heard someone was decapitated in Deansgate, but I think this was a case of Chinese whispers and referred to the woman who “suffered head injuries when a piece of metal was blown from a roof on Bridge Street in Manchester city centre.” Full article at BBC News.

Unfortunately the news about travel chaos was not miscommunicated and it turned out just as bad as it was reported. The Manchester Blogging Workshop had been in my calendar since December so I still got on the bus there after work rather than to home. The journey should have been about 40 minutes but I was still on the bus after an hour and a half.

After a power nap, texting despondency to my mum and regretting taking the book out of my bag yesterday, I considered my options. Most traffic was heading into Manchester City Centre, there weren't many buses coming out because they couldn't get into the centre in the first place. I got off the bus and walked many times faster than its wheels were turning and arrived at the BBC's New Broadcasting House much later than scheduled.

Most people on the list couldn't make it, but better late than never I met Richard Fair and a few folks who managed to get there. We chatted about our blogs—or the lack of as is the case for prospective blogger Andrew—and why we have them. Although the attendance was not as high as intended, it was clear that every blogger is unique in their motivation to let the world in and what they let the world in about. Thomas “toast” McEldowney was there explaining how his photo a day project is becoming a bit of a preoccupation.

The wind had calmed down and I thought getting home would be a breeze on the tram. But no, not so simple. There was a power outage due to damage to overhead lines somewhere between Trafford Bar and St Peter's Square, so a growing group of us waited for a replacement bus service to take us to Old Trafford from where we'd be able to board a tram. The bus intended for us ran someone over and it was at this point we were getting bemused at being stranded, and I amused myself through lighthearted banter about the chaos with the woman standing next to me.

We kept together as we surreptitiously scrambled onto the eventual replacement-replacement bus. The bus took us to Trafford Bar, which was responded with cries of “but you're supposed to take us to Old Trafford, there's no power here!” The driver conceded and our final task was getting on the right platform, which saw a group of us hysterically wandering from the incorrect one. The woman I randomly befriended is called Jane (assumed spelling), I thanked her for her company and gave her my mobile number should we arrive in the same situation next Thursday.

Finally walking onto my street I passed under a fallen tree and spoke to my mum who told of a fallen tree near her, which she reckons is likely to cause an accident. Quite why nobody has thought to put up some sort of reflective warning for approaching motorists I don't know, but apparently the police only want to receive calls once somebody is trapped under a tree and not before it happens. Whatever happened to prevention rather than cure? I'm going to do my best to prevent yawning later by getting ready for bed now.

entry info

Entry #5, published on Friday, 19^th of January 2007 at 00:29 local time (Swatch Internet Time @054 .beats)

Returning in 2008 ;-)