You wouldn't believe it

An Icelandic volcano has recently created all sorts of problems for air travellers. A period of no flying caused people to be stranded in various parts of the world or delayed in this country.
Of course for those involved it has been a problem and a source of annoyance. But, it has to be said, it also gave some of those travelling to exercise some initiative to get to a destination by other means.

Of course, travel delays are a nuisance to all involved, both travellers and transporters. I am reading about the Grand Tour at the moment. A book, by Jeremy Black, who has researched diaries, journals and accounts of some of those taking part in what may be seen as the first British cases of tourism. This was towards the end of 17th and through the 18th century, a time, for some at least, of immense wealth. Immense wealth and quite lengthy periods of free time to indulge in opening up their worlds to the delights of Europe.

Generally, it tended to be the younger bloods, but whoever did it, I was amused to read that they too were subject to travel delays by natural forces too. Not volcanoes though. Simply the wind, or rather more simply the wind blowing too strongly or simply blowing in the wrong direction.

Consider one unfortunate case. In 1699, one adventurer was hoping to leave Harwich to sail to Holland. He was delayed for two weeks, due to wind blowing the wrong way. On a fourth attempt to sail, they made it, but, on three previous attempts, they had to turn back each time. In those three attempts they were at sea for a total of 72 hours. The first time for 12 hours, the second time for 36 hours and the third time 24 hours. On each occasion, they simply rode at anchor off the coast waiting for the wind to change. And he was of course sea sick - in more than one way. The journey from Dover to Calais should have taken about 6 hours in favourable conditions.

Others, who had sailed for Calais ended up in Dieppe. But worse was one who returning from Holland ended up on the coast of Norway. Amusing stuff from a distance of nearly three hundred years, but it had to be endured nonetheless.

It's like the pay off in the classic 4 Yorkshiremen sketch. "You try telling the young people of today and they won't believe you"