Fingers Crossed

[ellie]

I have just booked a short break to Madrid with my student midwife daughter (she works part time for a large hotel chain so we got a lovely hotel for £20 a night including breakfast) who needed a little holiday - just the two of us, but now it looks as if Heathrow may be a victim of strike action.

She will be so disappointed - we are due to fly out on the Sunday of the bank holiday weekend! <:cry We get back the day before we go up to Gatwick to fly out to Florida for our cruise so I am very anxious about not being able to get back in time for that!

What a nightmare!

This year really has been awful for people flying - volcanic ash, BA strikes, companies going bust, and now this.

So fingers crossed they can sort something out before we go.:(

[JAF]

Oh dear, I will keep my fingers crossed for you and hope all works out well.

Andrew is out in Azerbaijan at the moment and due back to Heathrow on Sunday so he will hopefully be okay. He is having a great time and said it is a wonderful place if you want to go on a diet as he is not enjoying the food - nothing like Manny's!

I have to admit I do not have any sympathy for the workers over this. I know they had a pay freeze last year but so did my husband along with a lot of other workers who were lucky enough to keep a job. This year Stuart has lost his job but has managed to get a couple of secondment contracts with TfL and guess what they have just been told they are on a second year pay freeze. I also note that BAA are reporting a large loss so under the circumstances they should be grateful for a 1% pay rise which is better than nothing and they will still have a job. (Rant over)

[Mary and Colin]

I will keep fingers toes and eyes crossed for you Ellie that all goes to plan for you. <:fingersarex

Have to agree i don't have a lot of sympathy with this either, if they carry on like they are people will lose all confidence in booking with the airlines anyway and then they won't have jobs to strike about.
I lost mine because Woolworth went but i can tell you we all worked our butts of right up until we locked the doors for the final time. You would think everyone taken pay freezes and jobs going all over that these people would think themselves lucky instead of striking. <:angry
Sorry to rant on i do feel better now though <:embarr

Ellie everything is crossed for you still honest even when i'm typing <:widegrin

Mary

[pbensur]

I hope it works out Ellie - it will be nice to have some one on one time with your daughter. Wishing you the best of luck!

[Links]

fingers, toes, arms and legs all crossed for you ellie

[ellie]

Aw, thanks, everyone! <:embarr

We are so looking forward to this little break. My daughter has to come straight back and start her final and major piece of course work so she needs to recharge the batteries. I had hoped to take her to Florida but the airfares were prohibitive.

Sadly, I think all these strikes can only put tourists off - and do these people really want that? Surely a drop in travellers will put their jobs at risk? In this economic climate we all have to tighten our belts - and be jolly grateful if we HAVE a job.

[ellie]

Well, it looks as if we are all systems GO! <:widegrin<:cool<:cheer

[JAF]

Hope you both have a fabulous break in Madrid and the weather is much better than it is here tonight in a very wet and windy Chelmsford.

Was very pleased to see they are not going to strike as it would have upset the plans of so many people including those who needed to fly on business.

[Mary and Colin]

Have a great time. <:party

Mary

[pbensur]

Have fun and give us a report on your return!

[ellie]

Thanks, all! Its SO cold here - we've had the fire on in the evening!

Will certainly do a report - if we do anything apart from crashing out round the pool! My daughter has just finished a large piece of work for uni (she's printing it as I type!) so she is pretty exhasted, and I am due to go to Gatwick the day after I return so have been going through the house like a dose of salts, and trying to get packed for the cruise too, so I am a bit shattered as well!

[pbensur]

Well then you had better just crash by the pool!! Just want to say that you have inspired me to do something similar with my oldest daughter next year after she completes her honors thesis. How lovely to get some nice one-on-one quality time together!

[ellie]

Oh, Patty, do take her away, you will have a wonderful time and we so rarely get time to be with just one child (well, child, she is 26!, but you know what I mean).

She is SO excited, took in her essay this morning - and is now packing!

Hooray! <:cheer

PS It does help to have a daughter who works for a large international hotel chain part time and gets wonderful staff rates......:<wink