The journey down was fine until we hit the massive roadworks just before Cumbernauld. It's just a forest of road cones and the lanes are separated by these red and white monstrosities, with a speed limit of 40 mph, policed by average speed cameras. We were in the outside lane and I started to look to move over to the inside lane a couple of miles before we got to the turn-off to Airdrie at Auchenkilns - but it never came and we ended up having to go a couple of miles past the turn-off and try to work our way back through the unknown territory of Mollinsburn etc. After a few wrong turns and a slight detour through Cumbernauld, we finally found our way. It appears that you have to make a very early decision to take the inside lane if you want to turn off towards Airdrie - probably about 5 miles before - all very well for the locals who know this now, but very confusing to strangers.
Anyway we had a nice meal and afterwards I took this photo in the Red Deer:
We stayed overnight at Barry and Helen's and, in the morning, I drove Jo over to Mary's and then headed in to Glasgow for a couple of meetings. When I got back to Elderslie Brian was home and we had a nice chat whilst the girls pored over family history - again - it's Jo's obsession just now.
The drive home was slow and painful for the first part - congestion through Glasgow with the roadworks at the Kingston Bridge, followed by the long haul through cone forest. What made it worse was there were two police motorcyclists, driving side by side, all the way through the roadworks, after which we assumed they would turn back - but they didn't - they kept going all the way to Stirling, doing exactly the speed limit - bah.
A bit of excitement on the national radio news - Banchory got a mention - apparently there was a power failure and 600 homes had no electricity. We phoned Ross, but there was no problem at home - it must have been at the other end of the town.
Jo and I listened to last Saturday's Sounds of the Sixties as we drove home. It was a special edition, with the second hour dedicated to the memory of the first proper rock and roll tour in the UK, exactly 50 years ago, featuring Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, at the end of which there was a tragic road accident which killed Eddie Cochran at just 21 years old. It was very entertaining, featuring music clips and interviews with some of the musicians who backed them up, including Joe Brown, who told some amusing anecdotes. It was, as Jo remarked, much more entertaining than the show of the same tour we had seen at the Fringe last year.
Last stop on the way home was just before Clattering Brig where we stopped and bought a bunch of daffodils. The stall wasn't manned but there was an honesty box, in which there was just one pound coin, so we helped ourselves to a bunch and doubled their day's takings!
This morning looks a bit grey, but the rain seems to have stopped - at least for now - so I'll go and shower now and keep my fingers crossed that it stays dry for the golf at least.
