the stuff nigthmares are made of...

You expect you off spring to show some semblance of a] common sense & b] responsibility. You bring them up, instilling in them the sense of practicality, sensibility, confidence, reliability & a least some vestige of common sense. l know that we all have to learn the hard way through mistakes & errors but when you are responsible for people younger than your self, you do need to behave in an adult like manner.

OK, l hear the cyber brains clicking away. WHAT has he done?

Let us just say there was an accident on the way back last night. Don't panic nothing serious. Something so stupid that all parents blew multiple fuses simultaneously. l suppose when you are a fully fledged adult you think ahead a few hours. If you are in excess of 4 hours drive away from base camp you plan to leave in good time thus avoiding any late night travel for example. When you are under 20, these things just don't priorities, just as long as you leave sometime.

Are you getting the picture?

The jolly camping party left Hawkshead at around 3.00pm, just as the weather was starting to deteriorate. Harry is, for the most part, fairly sensible, so l guess he thought they should be back at around 7'ish especially as he has exams on the whilst Jess & Geo are at back to school on Monday.

WRONG....

l rang Harry's mobile, not nosey mother, at around 8 to be told there had been an accident, nothing serious but Ben had run into the back of Harry.

At 9.30 no news. Parents start ringing round. Where are they? Contact made with errant children. They were now about 20 miles away. Last night it was torrential rain & high winds. Ben's car had a hole in the radiator. They were going to tow it back. At this point Hubby steps in. Being a Virgo he is always calm, however when he blows it is on a scale of Krakatoa. 'No way', he bellowes down the phone, 'it is too dangerous. Park up in someone's stack yard or drive, explain the situation come home'.

10.30 came & went.

11.00 came & went.

11.30 harry returned. Ben had driven back, filling his radiator every 2 or 3 miles after letting his engine cool down.

Nightmare of nightmares. I was not amused, Hubby was not amused, other parents were definitely not amused, Harry was thoroughly pissed off.

Today, after a few very strong coffees, we, the adults, have climbed down off the ceilings. Harry has completed his exams, uploaded his pictures onto the PC, & complained of feeling sick, headachey etc, etc. The 48 hour flu bug l think?

Let's hope they have all learned from the experience & climbed a rung on the ladder to being an adult.

And, where had they been? Had they enjoyed themselves? How had the camping gone?