Warm

A good night’s sleep was had followed by a lovely, warm, dry and sometimes sunny day.
A busy day too. A day where travel has been severely compounded by roadworks.

A 20 mile one way trip was the only way to reach Streatley and the Illis. I was surprised to read a sign saying that the road to Wallingford was also closed. What was I supposed to do? Boomerang along the road back and forth?
Therefore, the only way to escape Moulsford was up Halfpenny Lane. I was to be visiting friends north of Oxford – Bicester / Banbury direction. Hopefully all would be straightforward after handing over H and after Halfpenny Lane.

Given the closure of the Streatley Traffic light junction, a 20 mile trip to replace the normal two mile trip was not on the sensible cards. So I parked up at the Rec and walked with H to the Swan where I met Ali and Fleur who arrived from the other side of the blockade.
There is still extensive flooding blocking access to the Thames Path at Streatley. But it was very pleasant to be able to sit outside and enjoy a coffee together. I handed H over and we parted company.

Next, onto Duns Tew and the Morleys. The Satnav kept trying to take me via the East Oxford route, but I preferred our usual western route up the A34. So that was the direction I took. The Satnav was quite insistent that I should leave the A34 at the Witney turn which was not on my agenda, but was where we got entangled with a jam of cars, all trying to leave the A34 at Witney. What a nonsense! I could see the A34 north ahead and traffic running smoothly. Off I went after it in hot pursuit.

You know that old adage … If something seems too good to be true…

… It usually is too good to be true.

And it was. That free flowing traffic was deceptive. Within a few yards all traffic was taken off the A34 due to some ongoing roadworks or other marked by rather forceful bollards. The type of roadworks that have been plaguing the A34 for years. Botley / PearTree, you name it all roadworks are here.

So this time, I toured middle Oxfordshire, and at one point I was asked ( by the disembodied satnav voice) ‘Would you like to save 7 minutes?). Naturally, I leapt at the offer and toured more of very rarely-visited middle Oxfordshire, eventually re-emerging not far from my destination.

Neal and Anne and their lovely cottage and it’s even better garden, were all in good form. Lunch was delicious, the chatter great. It was good to see them again.

The journey home was smoother than the outward one, largely because the A34 south was open, unlike the northern route. I drove to Streatley, via the 20 mile detour, where H was very pleased to see me. I chatted with family over their physics revision, ans you do, and then returned home, again via the 20 mile detour, see below. All I wanted to do was travel between home (A) and the Illis (B). Too much to ask.

The whole road works situation is utterly ridiculous, a plague, nothing less. There is no joined up thinking. Who on earth decided to block off all routes via Streatley lights, at the same time as barricading the way to Wallingford? And who thought it would be a good idea to close the A34 north altogether, as well as one of its southern lanes, on a Saturday that is the last day of the Easter holidays?

The lack of intelligence prevailing in government and cascaded downwards through local authorities, to the boots on the ground defies belief.

I arrived home with little H who told me she had a lovely day at the Illis so had decided not to run away in this occasion.

I didn’t manage to stay awake for the whole evening though I arrived home around 19.00.

Thought for the Day