Friday 8 February 2013

On the A49 - Stream of Consciousness



Good.  Not rush hour yet.
Things went rather well today. Home in an hour.
Errands done, shopping done, a full tank; don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.

Millie’s head pops up in the rearview mirror, she settles down again with a sigh.

Not long now sweetheart, dinner’s coming.

Good that they’ve installed traffic lights here, much easier to negotiate now;
massive roundabouts can be a pain.

Damn, it’s starting to drizzle; that’s all I need.
Glad I had the car washed, the windscreen's clear; at least it’s water rather than mud swishing about.
Those car washers, strange lot. East Europeans, I suppose. Romanians? Bulgarians?
Small, swarthy, unintelligible. Girls too. With identical trolleys and equipment.
Do they ever get tempted? Car doors left open? Wallets, handbags forgotten by the driver?
I wonder how they live, who owns their trolleys. Some East European boss man, I suppose.
Perhaps they rent the equipment? Or pay it off in instalments? Poor sods. But handy to have around.

Come on, this is a sixty zone, Get a move on! This is an open road, for crying out loud!
Slow drivers, worse than fast ones. No overtaking here.

That chap outside the walk-in centre, handsome old man. Well set-up, well-dressed too. And well-spoken. First thing I noticed was the toe of his shoe on the newspaper on the ground. Strange thing to do.  A little surprised when I handed him the paper. “Thank you very much,” he said, “ I couldn’t get down there. would have kicked it to the nearest seat and picked it up that way.” He had a nice smile too, not the usual cross old man angry about his infirmity. The indignity of it all, don’t ever want to be like him, perhaps I’ll die before old age cripples me.

Leebotwood. Where do they find these village names? The Pound Inn looks quiet. Too many pubs and restaurants forced to close. Will The Pound last? Hope so, nice place, decent food. Bit far from home but good place to stop on the way to town.

O come on, going down to forty really is not on. Ah, his indicator is on, But where the heck is he going? There’s no turning  . . . . . . . Ah, a lay-by, is that what he was looking for? I never pushed him, did I? No, always leave a good gap. Definitely. Thank YOU.  Good, let’s go. Nice straight open stretch to the Strettons. All Stretton, Church Stretton, Little Stretton. "Stretton = ‘On The Street’ - Roman names, obviously."

Caer Caradoc up ahead, his usual brooding self. Why do I call hills ‘he’? Wonder if he looked different in megalithic times when they built the hill fort ? Trees perhaps?  Too many sheep nibbling away for centuries? Must come out for a walk in the Stretton Hills soon. Millie’d love it.



Oops, I seem to have jumped the lights. Can't see  speed cameras around here.  Marshbrook, descriptive name. At least it’s obvious why it’s called Marshbrook. Pretty wet here during the last floods. Affcot, ‘The White House', lovely restaurant. Dark now, no signs at all. Bet it’s been sold as a private dwelling.
Such a pity they left, can’t stand the new place they opened, all plastic tables and catering company food. Won’t see me there, blast them. You find a good place, cosy, good food, friendly service and ambiance, exactly to your liking, not over-priced, and they bugger off. Makes you spit.

Here we are, the Valley Road. Calm down. Home soon. Pouring with rain now. Typical!



46 comments:

  1. What good company you are for yourself, Friko!

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  2. Hello:
    How this brings back so many journeys on the A49 in all weathers and in all seasons. Best late at night when we would often travel it en route home after visiting our friends, the Jenkins, at Wollerton Old Hall.

    A small point, but we do not think that East Europeans as car washers are any more likely to be tempted to petty crime than anyone else. Indeed, if they were not available to wash cars and carry out so much essential work which the British seem loath to do, then how would it get done? But these are just our thoughts.

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  3. hahahaha loving your thoughts as you drive down the road...we are not that much different you know...lol....roundabouts are the new thing over here...oy...

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  4. wat kan je het heel leuk vertellen,heerlijk.

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  5. It was very entertaining traveling down the road with you. I hope you spoke out loud for Millie's sake. It would have entertained her as well. xox

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  6. I enjoyed the lingo...idomatic expressions and descriptions areso different from ours here in this little rural county. I aso hat to see the good food places give way to the express shops.

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  7. I admire your self control. My monologue would have been peppered with four-letter expletives that would have caused Millie to cover her ears. Enjoy the verbal atlas.

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  8. Fun to be on the road with you and Millie.

    Another weather report...raining here now, with lots of snow due to begin falling this afternoon, continuing overnight. I am hoping that our workplace might be allowed to close before the usual 8 pm and that the subway trains will continue normal service. Otherwise, I'll be having my own inner dialogue on tonight's homeward journey.

    xo

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  9. Maps and landforms. You can take me anywhere. Love the old land forms best. I am one now days. Dianne

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  10. And I thought I had a hyperactive mind! I hope you had a couple of glasses of wine after you returned home, Friko!

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  11. Very interesting!I could hear your thoughts, I guess. I love this post.

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  12. Thanks for allowing me on your journey - thoroughly enjoyed it.

    Anna :o]

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  13. What a delightful stream of consciousness -- I felt as though I were right with you! And I must say, I've had some of those conversations with myself. (Especially at the roundabout!)

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  14. Surely Friko, you must have only had one errand, and milk and bread to pick up, you were home in an HOUR?? Or, you shop REALLY fast. Or, I've completely misunderstood and the trip home took a whole hour! It really doesn't matter, because this was such good fun whichever way it was :)

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  15. When I'm on the road by myself I've usually got music playing and I'm singing along...loudly! I can do two full musicals between my town and Portland.

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  16. Your stream of conciousness is so much more polite than mine.

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  17. I recognize that frustrating talk when caught behind a slow driver. And I think of hills a "he" too - interesting how some things are shared despite culture and distance.

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  18. Hallo Friko,
    sehr interessant beschrieben. Erinnert mich ein bißchen an zwei von meinen eigenen Posts: a) auf der Autobahn A61 in der Dunkelheit bei Regen und b) Fahrt bei Reifglätte. Das finde ich bei mir hoch interessant, welche Menge von Gefühlen beim Autofahren entsteht. Das ist zwar nur ein Mimimum, wenn man dies mit dem Fahrradfahren vergleicht, doch dieses schnelle Fahren, wie man die Straße wahrnimmt, wie Details vorbei huschen: das ist durchaus Stoff, um etwas zu erzählen. Landschaft im Auto ist durchaus ein Erlebnis für mich. Dein Bericht über die A49 hat für mich die Form eines Berichtes oder einer Dokumentation - auf einem Niveau, wie ich es wahrscheinlich nicht schaffe.

    Gruß Dieter

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  19. It's fun to ride along with you this way haha. Good job

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  20. nice trip with you
    and now hoist that chocolate bar over your head 3 sets of 12
    smarty pants

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  21. A nice glass of wine was in order after that.

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  22. Is your stream out loud? I've taken to talking out loud - just a short slide to yelling in the closed car. Oh dear - I'll be an embarrassment to my children.

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  23. Ah, Caer Caradoc! Though I think this is not the one we climbed. How funny that there are two. Snowing like mad here today.

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  24. Maybe you call the hill "he" because in German, it is "der Hügel" and "der Berg"?

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  25. Thanks for the ride! Millie was ever so quiet!
    I hate to see new places open up with no personality!! Plastic tables and chairs..yuck
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  26. I enjoyed this, Friko. Stream of consciousness is always so revealing. Have a good weekend.

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  27. It's a good thing Millie can't answer back or tell others about your monologuea. Talk about in-car entertainment....

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  28. Hi Friko - I think I'll look at journeys in a different light now - in fact my journeys in future will be very different ... such a fun read - now I can't wait to head out!!

    Thanks for posting the two photos .. made more sense ... and yes reaching home - the haven of a warm fire, a pot of tea and a chance to relax ...

    Enjoy the weekend walks ... I hope not too much snow?! But at least we're not in New England ... Hilary

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  29. I love stream of consciousness stuff. A brain is so constantly in motion that it's a shame we let so much of that noticing go to waste, to try to call it up later for a well-organized story.
    I like this post very much.

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  30. Nothing like a good roundabout to set the thoughts spinning...driving is always one long internal monologue. Thoroughly enjoyed yours! Thanks.

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  31. Thank you for the drive! I love the names...and I love that you refer to hills as "he."
    Hope you are fine! Please give Millie a pat for me :)

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  32. I enjoyed following your journey. I also love looking around and wondering about things, it's a great way to set off ideas. Although as others have said my monologue would have included expletives at being stuck behind that car! It usually happens when I'm trying to get somewhere in a hurry... and other people seem to have all the time in the world.

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  33. It looks like you are interested in names. Here all the names are English so I don’t remember them well, names like Middlesex Lane, Sutcliff Ridge, Brandywine Corner, Lake Somerset Drive, Cresmont Court. I don’t know why they use such names around here in Georgia – I find it a bit pretentious. Pretentious comes from pretense, no? So I guess they are pretending they live in England rather than in the Deep South. Well here I go like you, thinking out loud.

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  34. I came trotting over in my pony cart after your post at my blog , thank you. Very insightful thinking you have when traveling the A49 !
    Be well
    Willow

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  35. Love this 'stream of consciousness'. It's so how it is we think...one thought to another. Terrific post!

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  36. That was an interesting narrative Friko. Enjoyable to read. Well done - Dave

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  37. While reading this I was wondering what you think of your predecessors in the genre, I mean James Joyce and V. Woolf. ))
    Have you read "The Casual Vacancy" yet, Friko? I've just published my impressions:
    Why (not) read Rowling's first novel for adults
    and would love to hear yours!

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  38. I'm such a naive thing. Or uneducated. Or inexperienced. It took a while to figure out what the A49 might be! Then, I had to figure out roundabouts. After that, I could settle in and enjoy the ride - which I did,immensely.

    And isn't it wonderful to finally reach home? That sense of relaxation, that certainty that, once again, disaster has been averted - thank goodness!

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  39. I enjoyed the drive, strange how other people's journeys always seem more interesting than your own. Hope you didn't get a ticket!

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  40. How true to life, I was there with you, even though I don't know that particular road. Yes, it is rotten that so many good places are closing. I always try to patronise the ones that are good. I suppose it's the general lack of money that's doing it.

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  41. A mind in a car running riot. I have this, at length, just haven't jotted it down. Good read. ~Mary

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  42. Forgot to say that the White House is now an Italian restaurant!

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Comments are good, I like to know what you think of my posts. I know you'll keep it civil.