A Good holiday spoilt by the journey

[Heedless Horseman]

Strange to Me... always thought Bristol was a 'Good Place'... bit like Newcatle... but obviously locals will have problems.

[Techno II]

Strange to Me... always thought Bristol was a 'Good Place'... bit like Newcatle... but obviously locals will have problems.

WHAT !!!

Does Newcastle have roads that are so steep, an old car will jump out of first gear....like Bristol ? (Been there..done that.)

I think not.

And where the blank is Newcatle ?....Should that have been.......Oh...I give up.

Cheers - Phil.

[Steve J]

Bristol is a traffic nightmare and one of the few cities with a motorway right into the city centre. About 15 years ago there was an accident around the M4/M5 junction that caused gridlock in Bristol, as all the motorway traffic was diverted through it. A colleague was getting married that day and most of the family were unable to reach the church in time and just made it to the reception. Luckily I cycled to work so it didn't affect me.

IIRC it was thought that an accident at a few key junctions in London would bring the city to a standstill. It was bad enough on a Friday night as it was.

[Techno II]

Bristol ?

I genuinely can't remember why Von & I took two neighbours down to Bristol....Why?
I'm certain that I was the only one, of the four of us, with a driving licence.

Going home....

I DO remember driving East, back up the M4, back towards Guildford.......With three other people in the car snoring......useless tossers.

Must have made it back.....and I wasn't drunk, or out of my head on opiate painkillers.

[Ithoriel]

My grandparents came from, and retired to, Torpoint, across the Tamar from Plymouth. We found that if we avoided the English holidays travel was pretty straightforward. It helped that we had strategically placed rellies that we could stay with on the way there and back so Edinburgh to Torpoint was a three part journey.

Of course it's a couple of decades since I've been down that way.

[Poggle]

My American wife is always amused by the way it takes us so long to get anywhere in the UK. I reply that a hundred miles is a long way for an Englishman and a hundred years is a long time for an American.

[Heedless Horseman]

Hmm. Well, only time I've seen Bristol was on 'Being Human'... and looked similar to Newcastle-upon Tyne ... central motorway and river... also tidal. Some of the 'old NUT treets were  on 'slightly less' steep slopes... 'Get Carter!'...'long gone' 'Scotswood'. or Jesmond, and 'alleyways.'.. seemed 'familiar' somehow!

[Techno II]

Slightly less steep slopes ?? 

Bloomin' heck.

The road I tried to drive up with four people in an old Morris 1100, genuinely seemed like it was a 'one in one' slope.
There are some fairly steep hills, here in Pembrokeshire/Ceredigion.....But NOTHING like that road in Bristol....and there were houses, either side of the road

Cheers - Phil.

[Heedless Horseman]

Ha! On my Spanish Holiday, a girl driver had to drive up a town street... about the same slope... BUT a 'river'... with side streets Gushing in, after a Thunderstorm... and I mean, about 1 Foot+ of Flood water... in a SEAT, (Maybe Fiesta type), with 4 occupants... and made it. Don't think Bristol can  match that! Not even in a  Moggie!

[T13A]

Hi

Just got back from watching Bristol City v Fulham at Ashton Gate, SW Bristol (1 - 1 we wuz robbed)! Park and Ride from the ground to Brislington was a night mare, but from there to where we live in Somerset no problem.

Cheers Paul

[Big Insect]

The only thing to do when going down to Cornwall during the peak holiday season is travel at night - preferably just after midnight.

We were down near Penzance earlier in the year - and yes - change-over was the Friday morning. So we just packed the car on Thursday evening and set off at about 23.30 - we were back in Bristol in 3 hours. The A30 and M5 were pretty much clear. I dont mind driving at night personally, but for others I know it can be a challenge.

Going down is more tricky - as you often cannot get into your accommodation until at least 16.00hrs - but again we just travel late.
It doesnt always work out but generally you tend to at least keep moving, most of the time.

[steve_holmes_11]

An observation that England's Southwest gets thinner toward the end.
Like Python's Ann Elk and her theories about the Brontosaurus, there are lessons here.

If we all decide to go to Cornwall during the same few summer weeks, we'll get squashed as we're forced down the ever-narrowing landmass - like corn fed to a foie gras goose.

Hence the attraction of rounder shaped countries for holidays: France, Spain, Greece, and ...

https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/sierra-leone-is-the-worlds-roundest-country-and-egypt-the-squarest-one/


Props to Vatican for coming top five in both roundest and squarest countries.
I imagine that being tiny takes the edge off those sharp corners.

[Techno II]

The only thing to do when going down to Cornwall during the peak holiday season is travel at night - preferably just after midnight.

It would be well over 50 years since my dear old Mum & Dad (and me) had our summer hols down in Cornwall....I think we went 3 or 4 years on the bounce.....A place called Portreath, IIRC.

I can remember we set out at 4 or 5 in the morning to avoid as much traffic as poss...(We were starting 5 or so miles from Guildford)... but for the life of me, I can't recall how long the journey was. I think I slept quite a lot of the way. Seem to remember going past Stonehenge.

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Course Runcorn is a real hell hole for traffic - I blame Nobby, mind you not heard of for a while, prob stuck in traffic.