Driving Ms Penny

It was the last match of the East District League Division 2 last night. It was a 'dead' match - we could not get promoted or relegated, and our opponents were already relegated no matter what.

After torrential rain for the last few days the bottom of our drive was flooded again but Paul had parked his car at the new gates. Reg phoned after lunch to say the match was still on. I was concerned on whether or not I would actually be able to get out of Todheugh, but saw a few cars going past the house albeit rather sedately so said okay. Plan was changed for me to just pick up Penny and meet Reg and Jean off the A1.

So I set out at 5.40 p.m. in Paul's car, drove slowly through the flood at Edrom and got to the main road. I could see a sign on the road left of the junction but could not read it, and turned right towards Duns. Then I saw the lake ahead and the lorry going very slowly through it. Hmm. Don't think that looks like a good idea...

I turned around and went back to Edrom. And then turned left to take the back road to Manderston. I could see the road was bad but hoped that if I could get through the water I could see I would be okay. By the time I realised the flood continued on and off for the next half mile I was committed. Okay. Take it nice and steady. Get through each stretch of flooded road, regather your nerve, and keep going. A couple of times I thought I was going to be stranded but I eventually got to dry land.

And then I got to the main road and could see that the sign there did indeed indicate that the stretch of main road that I had bypassed was closed. And suddenly the surrounding countryside was covered with snow...

I stopped to get petrol and then got to Penny's about 10 minutes later than planned. It was stunning how much snow there was at Duns considering we, only 4 miles away, had had none.

We headed out via Preston, meaning to join the A1 at Grantshouse. We caught up with a gritter in front of us, who then decided to stop and chat with the driver of a gritter coming the other way. And then they moved on, only for our gritter to stop again and redirect us all off that road and on to the road towards Reston. At this point I got Penny to phone Paul to get him to phone Reg/Jean to tell them we were now just heading towards Jean's house...

Water was pouring onto the roads from the fields but this was child's play compared to Edrom. Just had to avoid the large potholes and debris on the road. And then we got to the A1 and sanity returned. We made the rendezvous point just gone 6.25 p.m. and transferred into Reg's car. But I had already decided that I was not willing to drive back home that night - floods in the dark was not my idea of fun. Plans were made for Penny and I to have a sleepover at Reg's.

We won the match...

We dropped Jean off at the rendezvous and Penny and I transferred back to Paul's car and followed Reg home.

Coffee and biscuits by the fire and a quick run through the boards before bed. Diana had made up a spare room for us and provided us with jimjams.

We woke up to a glorious day, albeit windy. What a difference. Fed and coffeed we set off for home. The scenery looked spectacular, the hills glistening with snow in the bright sunshine. Sunglasses had not been added to my handbag the evening before.

I dropped Penny off in the square and then decided to risk the main road. I got as far as Manderston's gates before I hit the 'Road Closed' again. Turned around and decided I would take the long route home via Preston...