A day where Plan A failed....go to Plan B

Today, we set out in Maura's 15 year old little car toward Kingston where a hired car awaited us.  However, about a mile from the car hire, her car bucked and quit.  She managed to get it into a car park and put in a call to the RAC.  We set off on foot to get the rental car.  It is a little Toyota Aygo.  A bit tinny.  Mark drove back to where Maura was sitting and the RAC fellow showed up minutes later.  He was a wonder.  He determined that her distributor had given out.

It was decided that he would follow her back to her house.  It was harrowing for Maura because, as the car overheated, it would buck and stop.  Then, it was a question of letting the car cool down.  So, she led the way, followed by a big, orange RAC van, and we followed in our little blue car.  It took about an hour to get back to her house.

Our plan to visit Julia in Brighton for lunch had to be scrapped as we had spent so much time with the car.  So, we had a lunch at Maura's and then took a walk on Wimbledon Common where we all had ice creams.  The weather cooperated and we had a lovely afternoon despite it being Plan B.

Maura loaned us her 'sat nav', known in the States as GPS.  It guided us, thank heavens, across London to West Wickham where we went to Katrina's, played with Lewis in the garden with Walshie and, after Lewis went to bed, we got Indian takeaway and chatted until past 10. Then- to West Wickham and to bed.