So. My sisters and I set out at 5am this morning to Glasto, feeling very pleased with our organisedness at getting on the road to schedule with our bags packed and a clear sky ahead of us.
Imagine my distress, then, to be sitting back at my kitchen table 8 hours later because our hire car burst into flames just after junction 6 of the M4. The firemen tell us this was almost certainly because of an electrical fault in the hire car. They also pointed out to us that the car didn't have a spare wheel - making it illegal for it to be on the road.
The good news is that the three of us emerged from this terrfying incident completely unscathed. Given that the time between us first realising there was a problem and the car turning into a ball of fire on the hard shoulder of the M4 was under 10 minutes (common for electrical fires in cars, apparently), and that the firemen told us it was sheer luck that the fuel tank didn't explode, we're feeling pretty good about that. Less pleasing is the fact that most of our belongings (and a good few items lent to us by lovely friends) are now burnt to a crisp and our long-planned girly weekend in Somerset has gone up in smoke. But hey, it's only stuff. And Glasto is on every year.
The hire company - Best Hire of Battersea, London - set new standards in customer service by hanging up on us while we tried to let them know what was happening to us and we watched the windows of the car blowing out from the heat of the fire. The off-duty policeman on his bike who stopped immediately to help us and to deal with the passing traffic, and the amazing fire men who put the fire out and managed to salvage a few precious items from the blaze, however, were amazing.
My head is all over the shop. Gutted that it all went so horribly wrong. Pathetically grateful that we are all ok. Desperate to see my little girl. Roll on home time.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
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13 comments:
Glad yr okay... are you going to have another attempt tomorrow? Never be put off. My friends car's engine gave out in a cloud of smoke on the way to a free party once, took us approximately three hours to get rescued (twas the early hours). The AA refused to drive us to the party so we returned home and got another car... made it eventually!
Christ that is scrary, I hope you are ok.
I would offer you money for your ticket but damn glastonbury and their ID!
See you soon
Holy shit! Glad you're ok.
I though cars only blew up in movies, now it's happened to you it's REAL REAL REAL.
Can you not still make it to Glastonbury, armed with little more than a bottle of whisky and a funnel?
:-(
Mate, that's a real shocker. Glad to hear you're ok though. Maybe it'll throw it down in Somerset all weekend so you won't feel so bad!
Oh no ytamsin you poor thing. Come on people - surely someone can give the girls a lift down tomorrow? :(
OMG. shock.
Glad to hear you're all OK.
Shitting hell! I've been loafing around all day, wondered briefly if the Post It note would bring you charmed weather, and I've just read this after CPev posted it on Facebook.
What an absolute bummer. I'm glad to know you're all alright.
This type of thing fairly makes you think about your existence and the joy of just living - but glad you're OK!!! Blimey.
Poor poor poor Tamsin. Would you like to have an alternative Glasto on the beach? We can buy a disposable barbeque and some cider and I'll talk in a Somerset accent. It'll be ace. I can do a mean Jay Z impression too - seriously I can be very ghetto - it's like i'm channelling Vanilla Ice.
Oh Tamsin, how horrid :( I hope your weekend gets better x
that's hideous!!!!
I am glad you are ok...
It' sounds like a scene from Christine
Scary as hell. Hope you're feeling OK now.
Had a similar thing happen to me in France when Ruby was about 5 months old in France.
The car didn't burst into flames, it just smoked a lot as I dropped some euros into the cigar lighter and it fused the electrics. Of course, I had my own personal firefighter on board, but it was enough to put the wind up me right royally.
Sorry you didn't make it to Glasto. Fancy trying somewhere else next year? I've got fest-envy and need a fix.
PS. Any fit firefighters attend the scene or were they all middle-aged and slightly tubby?
Shit Tamsin, that sounds scary, Glad you all got out OK.
Sure you remembered to change gear? You didn't think it was an automatic when really it was a manual?
Miss you Tamsin :-)
Love from down under xx
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