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Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2006-11-01 19:03:56 - Graham EllisCourse went well ... but an awful day with the car. As I drove in to the college in Inverness where I'm training, I saw that one of my headlights was out so I bought a bulb ... and came to fit it in the college car park. But the bonnet wouldn't open. Called the AA and I had to give them a one hour slot with me AT the vehicle for them to come, so I was in the freezing car park (there's snow visible on the hills here) from 12:15 to about 12:45 when he arrived. By twenty past one, he wasn't into the car and was throwing his hand up "I dunno what to do" ... not one of the 90% they get sorted at the roadside, alas, and I was on to looking to use other resources to get on the road for the evenings and drive home.
While still light - it gets dark early this far north at this time of year, I drove up to the Renault dealer, close by. Of course they didn't have a mechanic to look at it straight away but I left the car with them ... and they called me back about an hour later to tell me that they had got into the bonnet and that the latch was broken (I knew that!). No spare in stock and so, whilst they could replace the bulb, they couldn't guarantee that they could securely close the bonnet when they had done so, so it might fly open when driving. Oh - and on the other hand it might take another garage to get in again next time.
They can get a spare latch to them by first thing Friday morning, so I've left the car there and one of the delegates has given me a lift back to the hotel with the kit (because it's the night we're changing from Inverness College to the Holiday Inn Express ... no room available all through anywhere ... and the delegate's picking me and the equipment up at my hotel (Travel Inn) at 08:15 in the morning.
I know that courses for these people will always be memorable ((I also know they're net savvy and possibly read this stuff ;-) )) - I came up a number of years ago and in that case trained them on Skye and it's a course that I still remember well. The playing of the fiddle, the harp concert at lunch time and, so much, lovely people - quiet, twice as bright and twice as resourceful as the typical delegate - I remember being exhausted at the end of every day last time too!
And, of course, they're still lovely people. It's so much the norm when I'm away to present a course that everyone has a home to go to and I sit on my tod in a hotel room; actually I'm used to it but it's still a pleasure, and indeed it was a huge pleasure, to join them last night for Spanish Tapas and a pink of non-alcoholic summat at the Harlequin on Castle Hill just thereafter.
The memories of xxxx, yyyy and zzzz will endure much after the car incident fades to the back of my mind. Why - I can remember an Indian meal with Lisa also on Castle Hill in Inverness which must have been - what - the best part of 10 years ago now. Perhaps she'll join me again next time.