How the M25 nearly killed my dream...

[Reinelt12]

I also failed to mention that my wife is a Saints fan, and that her plan also involved getting to a pub in Brighton in the evening to see her match on TV... which she was also late for, so not only did she not spend much time at the spa (an hour at most), she missed most of her Saints game! I think I owe her a little...

 

[Chrisjloxton]

I left Manchester at 7am and was fortunate that my Dad called me early (8ish) and told me to go around the clockwise around the 25 via Dartford. An additional 50 miles or so, but only an additional 90 mins (it was very slow around the Godstone junction) - Cheers Dad!

 

[ac gull]

I had similar tale of woe

Left Derby at 8:30am - when got text saying M25 due to open at 12 noon - so went along M40 as usual and then M25 - thought if was still shut you would not be able to drive past J9, thus carried on past long queue to get past J9 at 11am, then hit the queue at 11:05am - radio then said delay was only an hour, then said was 90 minutes delay, still loads of time to get there!

Alas not at 2:55pm we got to J8 and then went back the other way to J9 - it took 4 minutes to get back to J9 - rather than the 4 hours it took to get there

From J9 down A24 then cut over to A23 at bottom of M23 - arrived in ground and sat in seat on 59 minutes

Richard Hebbard got the door opened to let us in - he did seem rather bewildered why anybody could be that late!

Having waited 14 years, taken a day off work to get the season ticket and bought 3 other season tickets for relatives as well - I will I am afraid forever be gutted about not being there for the pre match build up - looked fab on the tv highlights and you tube clips I have seen

To those of you that were there all day at the Amex - you don't know how lucky you are

To those also stuck in the queue - severe commiserations!!

Still am going down for more of hopefully the same quality football tomorrow

 

[Reinelt12]

What a fine woman she sounds. I trust you will be making it up to her in style sometime

Of course, I will come up with something stylish

 

[ac gull]

Edit to earlier post - assume no motorways are on fire - I will attempt to leave work early and drive down for the Gillingham match

 

[nicko31]

Left Oxford at 11am, headed down A34, M3, M27, A27 arrived at 2.50pm, just made it into the ground in time at 3.02.

So glad avoided the M25, that aside it was a hell journey. Return took only 1hr 45mins

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I had a lot of making up to do in the evening...

So you had some fun eventually. It wasn't all bad then.

 

[Al Bion]

We left Cheshire at 7.30, kept thinking the M25 would be reopened but they kept moving the goalposts, thankfully I decided to listen the men in the car who thought it would be best if we came off at J10, as I wanted to drive on as there didn't seem to be any queues, so we came off and went cross country, not quite sure where we went but it was very scenic, ended up on the A24 and cut across to the A23, arrived at the Amex shortly after midday, with only about 15-20 minutes added to our journey. So sorry that others had such a rough time though.

 

[osgood]

What I don't understand about all this, is why the police allowed anybody to pass junction 9. Why they didn't close the m25 fully there, god only knows. At least everyone would of got to their destinations , maybe it would of taken a little longer.

Indeed.

isnt it incredible that with all the technology available, and speed cameras deployed, the M25 is mismanaged/ unmanaged when it needs to help motorists.

 

[Reinelt12]

Four years ago today - thought it was a good time to bump this and remember everything that went into that day... I am still married too somehow!!!

 

[surrey jim]

Four years ago today - thought it was a good time to bump this and remember everything that went into that day... I am still married too somehow!!!

just read the story, glad you made it. the four years have flown by.