Bringing her home...

[Annabella]

I went back up to the Midlands this weekend to swap the pornmobile for my bike, Jimmy has Linford here, so I wanted mine!


Sunday morning, it was raining, windy and generally horrible weather, so I decided that having one of Mother's delicious dinners before I left was a good idea.

2pm, wrapped up like a Babushka (tights, leathers, with Dad's fishing trousers hoiked up to my armpits) five layers under my jacket, and two neck scarves; Dad lifts me into position on the bike (I'm wearing so many clothes I can't bend...) tucked in front of my panniers (complete with shower cap waterproof covers) and laptop (wrapped in number plastic bags, rucksack and then with spare lid and jacket bungied on top).

Wey hey! Off I go. Stop for petrol, and get laughed at when I go in to pay. I don't care, I'm warm

I decide to head down the Birmingham New Road, then nip straight onto the M5 and head south. It's the quickest way, and as it's starting to go a little dark, I couldn't be bothered going the scenic route.

The first issue, some gimp in a Nova quite a bit ahead of me, indicates left, and pulls into a parking space. I observed, and noticed this.
What I wasn't expecting (though probably should have been), was for him to pull out across my lane just as I was about 10 metres away.

Lock up the rear (it's really wet) slide a bit, but stop in time - and still upright thankfully. To see the guy LAUGHING! YES!! LAUGHING. RAH!!! All, calmness went out the window. Visor came up, and as I skirted around the front of him, I was yelling every obscenity I could muster.


Ahh, calm. Near miss, but I'm fine. Carry one bimbling along at just over 40.
Anyone who knows the B'ham New Road will know how many sets of lights there are down this stupidly boring and straight road.
So it is only by the third set of lights I realise that the same yuppy in an MGF has pulled alongside me, again, and is revving his car and edging forwards.
Ahhh, he's racing me!
So, I have a bit of fun for the rest of the duration of the road (about 8 miles worth) toying with him. I particularly enjoyed keeping level with him, until he reaslised that there was a car in his lane turning right... at which point I pulled away from him, so he could get in behind me. Awwww poor poser!

Onto the M5. Not so bad, settle into the routine. Sit in the outside lane, keep up with the traffic, with my head on the tank bag and ducked behind the fairing, I'm warm, comfortable and eating up the miles.

About a mile before I reach the halfway point and where I turn off onto the M50 to reach South Wales, there's a sign.
"M50 closed"
GREAT!
Ok, ok, I'm fairly happy, I don't mind an extra 40 miles de-toured through Bristol. It's not like I'm in the car and I've got to pay £4.70 to get over the bridge.
So I carry on.
Approachig Bristol, and there are big yellow signs and cones everywhere. I can't get onto the M4. I'm directed onto the M48, and the old Severn Crossing. Another de-tour.
Heading round the corner on the slip road and
BANG
queues and queues of cars all trying to filter past each other.
At 70mph and going round a bend I didn't fancy trying to stop, so spotted a gap and headed down that.
I continued to filter for the next 8 miles much to the frustration of many car drivers who took it upon themselves to horn me. Serves them right for moving across their lane to block me

I'm starting to get a little bit fed up now, knowing that I still have another 30 miles to go.

I get to the old Severn Crossing, and the queue is solid. There's a huge police presence and they seemed to be only letting a few cars through at once, and escorting them over.

I push my way through to the front of the queue following a girl on an SV. We sneak into the next convoy behind a car.
I dropped back from the main group, because as I came out through the toll booths a huge gust of wind caught me, and blew me accross the lane. So I sit in the middle of the road, being blown between the two lanes.
There are police cars along the bridge every 200 metres. Very odd!

Emerging the other side, the road is clear, and no police is sight, so I can actually get some speed up finally. Ride with the girl for a bit.

Where the M48 rejoins the M4 is just after the new Severn Bridge, and here, on the opposite carriageway there has been a massive pileup - that appears to have only just happened, (no ambulances, etc just a couple of policemen on foot - no car I can see )

Looks pretty nasty, but not the reason the bridge was shut.

As I carry on, I seem to have picked up a car behind me. Tailgating, with beams on high. I pull over to let him past, and he pulls behind me.
It looks like a police car, so I sit at 70.
He stays behind me, RIGHT behind me, all the way into Cardiff.


I swear he was sitting there waiting for me to do something wrong. Sitting that close to the rear of my bike, with his lights on high beam, I feel was provocation. If I hadn't noticed the several extra aerials and the extra lights under the bumper I may well have done that.

So, speed limits all the way home. YAWN.

Eventually, I am home, after three hours, and the last half an hour being most frustrating. It only takes an hour and a half usually!


So, if anyone knows why the Severn Bridge was closed, and any details on the accident I saw, I'd love to know why my journey time was doubled!
____________________
Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
www.bikepics.com/members/bella

[fazed]

severn bridge was closed due to those "fathers 4 justice" blokes

[synaptyx]

"Fathers 4 Justice" were at it again: https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4049641.stm

[instigator]

Thumbs up for fathers for justice

Thumbs down for your long journey........

[Kickstart]

[Annabella]

[Azmodeus]

It really takes the wind out of sails when you find the roadblock/traffic jam/detour was (technically) for a good cause, doesnt it?

[zx636]

OH come on, you cant blame the Fathers for Justice for the traffic jam.
Lets all blame it onto the POLICE.

[Azmodeus]

Well, you could blame the mothers for not letting the fathers see their children in the first place!

If you look hard enough, you can always find someone to blame

[zx636]

OK. I admit it, it was me

[Frost]

[Gazdaman]

The mirror newspaper really played it down, saying that the fathers4justice climbing the newer bridge hardly caused any problems because the police 'simply redirected people over the old bridge, and there was light traffic'.

Guess they don't want them to think they did a good job I suppose.

They wanted to disrupt the queen's visit to cardiff.


Gaz