It’s Wednesday, and so far this week, I’ve driven up to the Midlands twice, both times so that my son could take part in mandatory on the job training for his job on campus. I didn’t begrudge doing it, however I’ve stated that if I still live in Wales, and he has to do this next year for a job, then we can’t do what we did this year. It was exhausting! We did look into the possibility of me taking him up on the Monday (round trip costing about £30) then he would stay overnight in a hotel (about £80) then catch a train home (£30 single). He wouldn’t be able to catch a train there as they don’t run early enough. He wasn’t keen on the idea, and I wasn’t keen on paying for it, so I drove, twice. Next year, he may stay in private rental and they move in a week earlier, so it might not be an issue.

Monday, we had a 3-hour drive caused by roadworks and sheer volume of traffic- part of the M5 is down to one lane. One freaking lane! On a motorway! We arrived by the skin of our teeth in time for his training day having left just before 6am. I then set off for a nearby town and a much-publicised shopping centre. It was a big yawn. The car park was £1.20 an hour which is steep, and the centre was full of generic chain shops. I walked into the town proper and found a fascinating coffee shop. I don’t ‘do’ chain shops like Starbucks or Costa, I prefer the more individualistic coffee shops. This shop was filled with film and music memorabilia, and not a patch of wall or ceiling (!) was unadorned. They were playing 60’s music, and I spent a happy 20 minutes enjoying a coffee and the ambience. I then left for a different town centre that’s in an area I’d like to live. Well, I drove around the town, twice, couldn’t find anywhere obvious to park and shop, espied a Morrison’s (supermarket) and pulled in there to fill up with petrol and breakfast.

I set the Satnav to take me back to the university as I hadn’t a clue where I was. I expected to be taken back to the A-road, but was directed through very leafy suburbs. It was a lovely drive, and closer to the university than I thought. Rental properties in the area vary greatly though I have seen some terraced properties (I live in an end-terrace) that would be around £100 a month cheaper than what I’m paying now. We’ve yet to decide if I’ll move as there could be financial penalties for my son if I leave Wales. I need to make enquiries once he starts. If I did move, I don’t expect he’d come home too often, though it would be nice for him to have that option, and for me to be closer. We’ll see… The training day hit some technical difficulties, and my son found me in the campus coffee shop at 3.30 and we legged it back to Wales.

Tuesday, we rose at 4.30am, sorted out a packed lunch, and the dog was once again taken on a long walk by way of bribery to ensure he slept lots and was good whilst we were out. He also had a new bone in case his teeth got bored. Well-walked, fed, and watered, he was left once again, and we set off at 5.45. We made better time, still a lot of traffic and lane closures - they last until Autumn 2018. We arrived in good time and I had a coffee to steady my nerves. It’s a stressful drive, and I’m not used to it, nor the volume of traffic. I headed off again, and would be left to my own devices for 8 hours. Man, that’s hard work away from home in an area I don’t know, on my own.

I went to an ‘estate’, that I’d seen advertised on the net, and after a short drive arrived at my destination. The place comprises a huge garden centre which I spent a happy hour in, just browsing, gardens with a lake (at over £11 entrance fee, I didn’t bother with it though it is popular) and loads of wooden cabins containing shops. Some were chain stores, most were individual. I found a fascinating gin shop (naturally, LOL) though refrained from buying any, and even a whiskey shop. Very expensive, and no doubt priced with tourists in mind. I wandered around for about 3 hours – it’s a big place, dog friendly, and people friendly too – had a very nice lunch, then asked for directions to a supermarket for petrol. I found the supermarket, filled up with petrol once again, and headed back to the university to wait. Although I didn’t venture outside a 10-mile radius, I found a lot to do, some lovely places to visit, and found the Satnav to be invaluable. I really don’t like to be lost, and the Satnav gave me the confidence to drive around, knowing it would take me back to the university. A great buy as far as I’m concerned.

Later this week, we get to do it all again for the move-in day. We’ll need to be up at 4am so the dog can have a long walk and we can pack up the car. It won’t be too long a day for me, or the dog, as I’ll only stay for a couple of hours to unload the car, get him settled, then I’ll leave him to ‘meet and greet’ his new housemates. He’s excited…