who has got family stranded by the volcanic ash?

[MrsShu]

me ! easy jet have cancelled return flight

To add to worry of brother stranded in Jo'burg (away from his DW and DD's...he is missing them like mad!) my DH suddenly remembered that his Mum was in Thailand visiting his step-bro and his cousin was in Egypt...
Everyone assumed MIL would be going bonkers (I even had a mental picture of her ringing up Iceland, asking to speak to the volcano and giving it a bing for not doing things her way) but she is apparently quite placid about it all. I'm sure the golden boy treating her like the Queen of Sheeba is helping...though won't help us when she gets back as she will expect us to kow-tow too! AND we'll have to hear all about it!!

The cousin is apparently ill (probably had ice in something even though EVERYONE knows that's a no-no) but on his way home via Spain and France...or so his Mum last heard.

Anyone had a reli or friend picked up by the Navy yet?

Some flights coming into Heathrow later tonight. BA mainly. From LA and Tokyo I think. Sky news just now.

yeah all UK airports open from 2200 tonight bbc

BIL and his wife and kids are stuck in Dubai in the same hotel as Peter Andre and his kids.....

I am due to go to Barcelona next week with some pals. I will blow a cylinder head gasket if I don't get to bloody well go, have been looking forward for ages.....

Madascheese Update!

Munchkin retrieved without incident and he is now fast asleep upstairs in the spare room. Kids are great friends already and have had nutella sandwiches and pink milk for tea, and stayed up FAR too late .

We should have posted earlier but have been far too busy drinking wine and gossiping about you lot ! Off to have some food now.....

Thanks for the update Alibaba - I spoke to DH this afternoon and he mentioned the Ireland thing too. Shame about the sleeper thing not working out as at least then there was some certainty about when he could be expected.

After a week and a half with him away, I'm getting bored now but loving the comments about 'who makes the mess'. My cleaners are due tomorrow and on a normal week, I am usually scurrying around trying to tidy up in advance - not this week though!! I'll be having words about it when DH finally gets home.

Great news Madcheese and Portofino. So glad that you got him back.

WTF is pink milk?

milk with red wine strwaberry nesquick in....

Good news Mad and Port

Don't you dare dilute that red wine, Portofino.

Hello, I wish I'd found this last week. my DH went to Barcelona last Tuesday for a 2 day conference. He is finally now on a bus overnight to Paris then on a train to Schipol airport to pick up his car (in the short term car park no less was running a bit late!). We live in the Hague so he will have an hours drive home if traffic ok. We have 2 boys and they are missing him like crazy and he them. I've been coping ok but I'm ready for a break now, I think now I know he's on his way back it suddenly feels like I really need a break now. We've only lived her for a few months so have no family or many friends to help out with the kids, though a lovely lady whose kids are friends with DS1 took him out for a few hours on the weekend which was nice.

I am missing him but must say the house is surprisingly tidy in his absence, he normally works mostly from home so I guess that doesn't help.

Oh and he was supposed to go to a 3 day course in Budapest and for that we were going to go along, free accomodation and all that, but that's obviously all off now, boo hoo.

And they are back!
First two just went over.

Bet they sound loud!

Bugger them.
And before I get flamed, I have DS stranded in a very far far way place.

Why would you get flamed, Coffee? Where is your DS stranded?

Not even sure where he is right now.

To anyone stranded in Geneva or London wanted to go Geneva....
I have an Easyjet return ticket GENEVA-GATWICK.
Outbound is wednesday am (21st leaving @ 7:10), 1 adult, 1 child, 1 infant,
Return GATWICK - GENEVA on the 22d (arriving around 10pm).
I was supposed to fly in London to visit friends with my 2 kids but as this is likely to be a nightmare, we decided not to go and thought it might help someone.
If you are interested by any of these flights, drop me an email with your contact number and we can arrange to change passengers name... even for the one early tomorrow.

CatP
Tempted to go shopping in UK, but will resist. There were a few folk in Geneva but I think that they have managed to get home, or at least are on their way.

Do you live near here?

Coffee I've got friends who don't have family stranded, who live below the Heathrow flight path, who are also enjoying the silence, bless them they do feel guilty about it though.

I feel like a coffee now...in bed.

Alibaba you've just reminded me about the cup of tea in the morning...not long now. They've opened Heathrow tonight 10pm and a BA flight from Vancouver has actually landed, yes really, so he might even be back tomorrow from NY.

Things I haven't missed: him promising to take DS swimming every Sunday morning and never actually getting around to it, him being out at the gym or on his laptop every night, him never making a meal, him spending most of the weekend in the garden whilst the DC watch TV/play on DS/play on Xbox (meaning that I can't go out without feeling terribly guilty), oh and him never ever remembering that I like a peppermint tea in the evening.

But yes I do miss a cuppa in the morning.

Hurrah hurrah hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DD1 (13) has been stranded with school trip in Rome since Friday. Flight 1 cancelled on Friday and rescheduled. Flight 2 meant to be today but cancelled again but (hurrah again) tour operator has put them on a coach and they are currently on a rather long but exceptionally welcome journey home.

She is due back (5 days late) tomorrow at 6pm and I am there with the mother of all hugs! (My PFB still even at 13).

Rather relieved flight didn't happen as unconvinced by CAA changing the rules on ash clouds. Think this is costs winning over safety.

Finally, happen to know that there are A LOT of empty coaches on the continent that could bring folks home at far less cost than people seem to be paying for taxis etc. (This is how DD1 is getting home). Can pass on details if needed.

brockyg
Terribly British, your post about a cuppa in the morning. Made me

Maggots
Hurrah!! Glad that she is on her way home at last.

I have a friend who works for a couch tour operator in Southern Germany and she said that they have buses free at the moment. They had just one request.

One of the local schools had a group stranded in Florence. The head teacher rang a local coach company who had just sent a coach of Italian students stranded in the UK back to Milan. Coach driver was telephoned on route and was collecting the UK students the following morning to bring them back.

Am still in sth Carolina. Although airspace seems open they are staggering flights back to uk and this combined with massive backlog of passengers means flights are still terribly delayed. We have been given may 2nd as a return date! We are 2 adults 3 kids so getting 5 seats is tough. Have decided to split up and have a seat booked for DS (14) on Sat. He needs to get back to school for gcse work. I just hope he is Ok and plane isn't diverted. Am I mad? Would you do the same?