Ping! Kerplunk!

My ladylike glow turned into rivers of sweat running down my face, my back, and under my arms.  My heart started beating really fast and my tummy clenched.

Three tons of horse behind me, Revered Son oblivious under his headphones beside me, and I couldn't steer.  Was I imagining things? We had to round another small corner and the car felt funny again. Help!  I put on the hazard warning lights and slowed to a crawl up the hill, as the engine started going twang, kerplunk, ping;  and, after what felt like an eternity, I just managed to manoeuvre myself into the new service station opposite Exeter Racecourse.

Calling the AA was top priority, but my card was lost after the last call-out just a week ago, and my phone was low. The AA said they'd be out in two hours but could not take responsibility for the horses.  It was 4.55pm and everyone would be going home in five minutes time.  Unbelievably there was no phone number listed for the first Exeter 4x4 rental place I managed to track down on Chrome.  But White Horse Motors,  at 5.02pm, answered my call, and delivered the most enormous Isuzu to me within 20 minutes.  Meanwhile the AA arrived with their rescue truck to take away my old Nissan.  "It's just three snapped cables" they said.  "It'll cost £45 plus the cost of the cables plus VAT, ready by Tuesday when you have to return the hire car."


At this point there were two rescue trucks, the AA van, the Isuzu, the Nissan and the trailer all there to rescue me, on my long trek to my Mum's.  We took up most of the carpark!  And I was £325 down.


A giant juggernaut in a tunnel,  and an oversized tractor pulling a massive trailer of hay in a tiny lane later, we finally arrived at the livery just outside Beaminster, where I kept my first horse 22 years ago.  A journey which should have taken two hours, had taken six.


But I was finally here.


My second holiday of the month about to begin!

---