Heraldic Study Day - Salford!

Heraldic Study Day - Salford
I have just found my way home after a rather disappointing and unexpected morning. I set off for Salford this morning in good time to arrive well before the morning coffee and was really looking forward to day of indulgence. It was not to be!

I'm sorry to say that when I was just 20 miles from my destination, on the M6, my beloved Rover overheated and blew a head gasket loosing all compression and forcing me to coast to the hard shoulder. Rather fortunately I ground to a halt immediately next to one of those emergency phone things and, after shouting to be heard and straining my ears to hear through the traffic noise, I was finally assured by a Highways Officer that the AA had been called and help would soon be on its way. Within seconds I received a call to my mobile phone from the AA informing me that help would be with me within the hour. In the mean time, I was getting increasingly concerned that the smoke and steam seeping out from under the closed bonnet was not abating. Some 25 minutes later, still awaiting roadside rescue, I was getting increasingly concerned by the volume of smoke still seeping out from under the bonnet and when I touched the bonnet it was so hot I couldn't keep my hand on it. I made a decision and returned to the emergency phone!

In what seemed like an age but was probably less than 10 minutes I was surrounded by two fire tenders, a fire chief's vehicle and two Highway Patrol vehicles. The motorway warning signs had been lit and the Highways Officers were restricting traffic to the outside lane.The queue was enormous. I had single handedly managed to make almost the whole of the north west's commuter traffic late for their appointments!

The Fire Officers were very kind. Having established that I had simply cooked the engine (SIMPLY COOKED THE ENGINE!!!), that the smoke was just VERY hot oil and that there was no danger of the vehicle bursting into flames, I was assured by them that it was better to call them out in time to prevent a fire rather than do nothing and reap the consequences. I felt very sheepish and couldn't apologise enough but they kept telling me not to worry, I had done the right thing.

As the forces of good were leaving the scene and the by now huge tailback of traffic released of it tethers to be allowed to zoom off the AA relay truck appeared over the horizon. Phew.

Because of my level of AA membership, I was given the option of being taken to the nearest service station where the AA would arrange for a complimentary hire car to be delivered to me so that I might continue my journey and then they would deliver the beleaguered Rover to my own local garage but I confess that, by that time, I really just wanted to be taken home. So here I am writing this.

Time to put the kettle on I think.

Regards,
Martin