Today was supposed to be spent travelling up to Inverness a trip of nearly 400miles. So I
treated the car ('95 Astra 1.8 16v) to a nice oil change first thing this morn.
This is where the day started to go wrong, couldn't shift the filter. Took nearly an hour
to get it off. Que to comments from SWMBO as to why didn't I do this earlier.

Eventually set off, first stop Wigan to drop off a diff. Mate held up in traffic so another hour lost.
Next a detour to Preston to collect an ebay purchase. Bloody traffic, took nearly an hour
to do a 3mile in/out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gets back on the M6 and shortly after another 'kin huge tailback for the roadworks.

Finally get going properly and 2 miles before Killington services the 12k old cambelt let go


Tokk the AA 6 hors to get us back home !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One tow off motoway, another to Lancaster and a third for the last leg.

Currently sat with a large scotch and starting to feel happier

I'v got a friend who his visiting her mum in Inverness this wekend i'll tell her to have a drink for you Don't you just hate cars

Lady luck wasn't looking down on you today.

At least you got all that bad luck oot the way.

I feel your pain, traffic was mad tonight, for some reason they decided to close a lane from large sections of the A1.
Took me 5.5 hours from Cambridge to Newcastle, normally takes 4 Fortunately no major mechanical failures to report.

I can't think of 2 worse places in the NW to try and drive into of a morning than Wigan and Preston....... and to attempt car mechanics before hand!!

I sympathise deeply but are you mad!

Oi, nowt wrong with wigan .......... you've just got to know how to get to where you want to go to. Which having not lived there for 8 years i haven't a clue. Traffic can be mental tho - love to know what the town planners have been on, must be damned good to think it can handle the volume of traffic it gets.

Errrm.....look at where I live Mike! Ashton in Makerfield is actually a bit of of Wigan........ It's a lot quicker for me to drive 25 miles every morning to where I work in Southport than if I had a job in the centre of Wigan 3 miles away! And I used to live in Southport and drive into Preston every morning and trust me thats no fun either!

well i thought my day was pretty poxy messing round taking and fitting carbs.

last night or was it night before, radio said there was 33 mile jam on m25?

33 freaking miles!!!


The volume of traffic is getting to the point when the whole M25 is going to get jammed up so nothing can get on of off, a couple years off but is getting to that point.