A disappointing day in The View from the Terrace

We had a really frustrating day on Sunday. We had planned to visit our daughter and her partner in Cardiff. I haven’t seen her since January so was really looking forward to it. We set off in good time, then at Abergavenny, eleven miles south of here the main Cardiff road was closed. We decided to take a different road which would join that road later but, after driving a few miles up that road, it was closed too. We had no idea what was going on. We ended up on the Heads of the Valleys road which, is a very long, steep climb. Right at the top the car started making strange noises and there was steam coming out of the engine.

Because of the noise the engine had made we thought it best to call the breakdown service which we have as part of our insurance, but then my hubby told me that he didn’t have the number in the car. We changed cars a few weeks back and he hadn’t put the number in this car. We walked over to a nearby pub where it was a bit quieter but Hubby couldn’t get a response from Directory Enquiries. He asked a man in the pub if he had the right number and the man found the number of the breakdown service for us on his iphone. Then Hubby found he had no credit on his phone! Very organised, my husband is. I was about to give him mine but the man offered to use his. We got through and they said they would be with us in about half an hour so we had a coffee in the pub while we were waiting and bought the man a drink.

When the breakdown man arrived he told us he couldn’t fix the car and would have to take us home. He said he would tow us back down the Heads of the Valleys road. This road is so steep it has escape lanes at intervals! The man assured me that because he was using a bar not a rope Hubby would be OK and only had to steer.
Eventually we were transferred to a breakdown truck which brought us home. He told us that the Cardiff road had been closed because of a cycle race.

It was all very disappointing. I do hope the car isn’t seriously damaged. I have a horrible feeling that it had been overheating and Hubby hadn’t noticed. We’ve only had it 6 weeks and it has always felt warm travelling in it. I didn’t think the heat gauge was working properly when I drove it but Hubby insisted it was fine. He has gone down to the local garage to see what the position is. Meanwhile I guess our trip to my favourite folk club this evening is off. Oh well it’s a beautiful day so I can get my hanging baskets done.