Nina's Blog - Monday 23rd May 2022

I expect Charnock Richard itself, about a mile to the East of the motorway, is charming enough; but I think the brief for motorway service areas, including Charnock R. which I have used many times over the years, was something like:

As much land used as possible.

As badly and confusingly laid out as possible.

As greedy of electricity in its buildings as possible.

As much meretricious gimmickry - rip-off fast-food joints, amusement-machines, gee-gaw shops etc. - as possible.

As much needless piped-music as possible, even in the loos.

[i] And :[/i]

As [i]little[/i] charm or architectural merit as possible.


Did you have to queue for the charger or was one in working order available, when you arrived?

Monday 23rd May 2022, 20:56

Went for a walk in Halifax after checking in. Just as I turned a corner into the main street I almost bumped into a bloke striding along, he stopped and asked me for directions. I said "Sorry, I'm just a visitor" to which he replied "I thought so, you look like you come from my part of the country, Brighton". Life is full of coincidences, I was there for most of last week.

Monday 23rd May 2022, 14:22, Todmorden.

A bloke in a van yelled at me a few minutes ago to put some shoes on. Traffic was moving slowly so I caught up with them at the traffic lights and asked if he was always so boorish to strangers. He explained that he hadn't meant any harm but that it was weird to see someone without shoes. I told him that it's just unusual not weird.

We parted on good terms with smiles all round.

The really interesting thing was that we were a couple of sentences in to the conversation when he suddenly said "Oh you're a man, I thought you were a woman.". But it was said in a perfectly neutral tone.

Never been in a full electrical car

An electric car ?

Waiting

So much time wai