Sunrise from the early morning Glasgow flight
The annual fieldtrip to Millport has got off to an interesting start:
When the group of thirty four met up at Cork Airport on Monday morning at 9am to travel to the West of Scotland for the Millport Fieldcourse, did we have any idea that it would take thirty hours to do a journey that should take 5!?!!
First we were fog bound in Cork (even though our very helpful technicians were telling us how lovely it was in the Cooperage!), then we had to join a queue that eventually stretched the entire length of the terminal building to try and get a group of 34 to Glasgow via some other means – which the Aer Lingus staff just loved!!!!
Then a further two hour wait for a bus to take us to Dublin airport followed by a further hour and half wait organising hotels meant that eleven hours after meeting in Cork we had got to ………..a hotel ten miles north of Dublin airport!!!
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” – RW Emerson
To compound the situation further, the eleven nighthawks then had to wait for four hours in Glasgow as the 10am flight was late! But at 1.15pm, (23 hours after we should have been there!) we set off on the ferry from Largs to Millport arriving at the Marine station just after 1.30pm.
So a very big thank you to the students (especially the eleven “lucky ones”) and the staff for all their help and assistance during a rather traumatic two day’s travelling and for especially staying laid back and good natured about the whole affair.
I’m now off to find a darkened room and maybe have a wee dram (for medicinal purposes you understand……..). Here’s hoping the rest of the course runs a little smoother…….
Cheers!!!
Rob McAllen
Daybreak over the southern uplands of Scotland