Holiday...touch myself

Well, not really touching myself.

So, anyway, has last week off. Last minute plans were:

• Monday
  Drive to A's parents.
• Tuesday
  Get train to London, and take in its sights (most notably Tate Modern), back to A's parents' house.
  
• Wednesday
  Spend Day with A's parents
  
• Thursday
  Unhurriedly travel to Bristol, mooch around there, meet A's sister for tea, back to A's parents' house.
  
• Friday
  Drive home; spend weekend doing DIY.

Now what actually happened was:

• Sunday
  Attempt to go on walk on Marsden Moor. Get 20 yards onto the moor, and call it off due to wet weather. Come back via petrol station so that I can fill up car and check tyres.
  
• Monday
  After a delayed start, we decide to drive to A's parents' via Manchester, where we would try and stop at Earth Cafe for lunch. I wanted to get some trousers, too, so would take the opportunity to get some whilst in Manchester. So, we quickly through some stuff in a bag, and set off.
  We get about fifteen miles, and are doing about 70mph along the M62, when there's a kind of fizzing sound, and the engine of the car starts slowing the car down. This is just past Junction 22, heading west, so we're going downhill, and I manage to pull over to the hard shoulder will minimal fuss, although I did have to cut some old man up, which I apologise for.
  Call Green Flag, who say they'll get someone out within an hour. In their usual manner, they text and say someone should be with us in 45 minutes. All I can say is, it's bloody cold up on the side of the M62, and there was nowhere to shelter. Still, at least 45 minutes passes quite quick when you're on the edge.
  Mechanic takes one look and says it's the timing belt, which requires a complete engine rebuild, and he'll have to tow us back home (well, we specified that he towed us home, technically, he could have taken us anywhere). So back home we go, unload the car and sulk all afternoon. Mechanic said to phone round the garages, as it could cost between £400 and £600 to fix. Bugger.
• Tueday
  Catch train to manchester, and then spend the afternoon shopping. And eating at earth cafe.
• Wednesday
  Go on walk on Marsden moor. Man it's beautiful up there, even if I did get muddy, and nearly blown off the top of Pule Hill. The feeling of being on top of the rail tunnel I've been through so many times was quite unsettling, and the sheer isolation of it was unnerving, but it was a thoroughly amazing walk. First time I've had to use a compass in ernest too. I'll have to remember to take my camera next time I go up there...
• Thursday
  Mooched around the house
  
• Friday
  Went to Liverpool. Never been there before. Some nice bits, some crumbly bits, and spent so long looking at art that my head started hurting. The Christian Janowski exhibition at FACT is quite challenging - lots of stuff going on, and nearly reached the point of sensory overload. Interesting though. One bit was about what people felt film was for.
  Managed to catch a train home that required no changes. Felt weird being able to do that.
• Weekend
  DIY hell. Well, went all right. Electic sanders save a lot of work.

Overall, it was a nice holiday, even if the car did die and change all our plans. I'm now left wondering whether to get the car fixed, or whether to get a new car, although if I did the latter, I'd probably want to get a hybrid, which cost about £16k, a bit much at the moment. Hmmmm.