20/06/2026
Please bear with me, sadly my road trip did not end well. I left home around 11.30pm thursday, stopping on route at all my routine places for a break and fuel top-up. I got to all but the Swallowtails location on schedule, but due to roadworks and traffic I got there almost an hour later than planned ... but it was only myself inconvenienced as nobody was meeting me there anyway. Two people met me for the Black Squirrels - the Squirrels showed up in good numbers and didn't disappoint! It was lovely meeting you both, thank you for joining me there. I was on my way home late last night (friday), was about 4 miles from my last stop-off (Cardiff Gate) in the early hours of this morning when the oil light came on in my car. It went out, came back on then went out again, then I started to smell the oily fumes. On that part of the M4 there are no safe hard shoulders, it's mainly used as junction lanes instead, I could not stop so I had to get my car and myself to the services. When I pulled up there was steam/smoke coming from the front of my car, it was very scary. Two ladies working inside the services were very helpful ... helping me contact RAC and charging my phone for me, as well as giving me a safe space rather than being alone and vulnerable (thank you ladies, I can't thank you enough). When they finished their shift at 6am they made sure another lady just starting hers was aware of me and why I was hanging around the services ... they also made sure I wasn't going to get charged for outstaying the 2 hours limit. I had tried to call RAC and hadn't realised the number I found online from a search for RAC had connected me to a private vehicle recovery company, he kept me on the phone so long my battery became dangerously low, then when he found out I am an RAC member trying to contact them, he got nasty, told me he's not RAC and to phone them ... then hung up. He did say he was on night shift so I hadn't woken him up (I did apologise for phoning at almost 2am). The RAC could not find a recovery driver, so many hours later one who had driven 150 miles finally arrived at almost 10am today (saturday), imagine if I was on the motorway hard shoulder all that time, a disabled woman in my mid 60's - alone! It was also cold, raining and windy, a contrast to the beautiful weather in Norfolk on friday. It was also cold (to me) inside the services, I was beginning to feel cold to the bone and ached all over, a part of my severe intolerence to the cold - which is a symptom of Hashimoto's that is dangerous to me and I am supposed to avoid conditions that can cause it ... good thing I keep a warm(ish) padded coat in my car! In the meantime my daughter, future son-in-law and grandsons had arrived to keep me company and help me (by this time I had experienced 3 panic attacks and was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted!). We were having a Starbucks breakfast when the recovery truck arrived. The entire engine compartment was flooded with oil, but it was (thankfully) steam I had seen and smelled, as oil had been landing on a hot engine ... but when the driver said he thinks my car has had her final journey, it was too much for me to bear ... my daughter took over and I went inside the services, I did not have the energy to contemplate or take in what was being said. In the meantime he started the engine and was surprised, she sounded normal and drove smoothly to the truck for recovery ... he concluded it was more likely to be something minor and repairable like a split pipe or something, he could not find any engine cracks or any evidence of what the actual cause was, but said because of all the oil it probably looks worse than it is. I told him if there had been any unusual sounds or handling/driving problems I would have known, I know every sound that is normal for my car, and exactly how she handles and drives at all speeds and conditions, and she seemed normal to me until the light had illuminated (she is 18 and together we have travelled around 377,000 miles, bless her). My car was put into a relay system to get her to our usual garage ... my friend there knows my car as well as I do - better in some ways as he is the one who has saved her "life" for me several times, I won't go anywhere else! Then I went with my family to their house which is not that far from Cardiff Gate, they are closer to there than they are to my house! My daughter was due to start work at midday, so couldn't bring me home. My son lives about 10 minutes from my daughter, despite the fact he was due to travel to Watford for an Athletics event, he came and brought me home first. I finally got home after 1pm today (saturday) ... I had not slept since wednesday except very short cat-naps on my comfort breaks ... I was exhausted in every way, dangerously cold to the bone and in a lot of pain, when my son left I went straight to bed. I have not had a chance to go through my photo's yet, I am just going to chill-out watching tv for now, may do them later or tomorrow. On the plus side, as if to co-incide with this week's friday post, when I got home there was a beautiful Ringlet fluttering around my front garden - almost as if to greet me on my arrival home! Big thanks to everyone who helped me x
