R.I.P. - Trolley

It is with much sadness and regret that I have to announce the demise of my...trolley...

This is a dreadful blow...
My trolley and I (I didn't give it a name) have been travelling the highways and byways of Southern England (and the streets of London), for over 2 years now, transporting all sorts of bits and bobs... drills, rollers, brushes, saws, paint, food (yes, food) and many other items too numerous to mention and generally keeping the world of commerce ticking over.
Many people have taken the piss commented upon me and my trolley, from Radlett to Rudgwick, Guildford to Vauxhall and all stations in between.
We persevered, regardless, come rain, snow and sunshine...truly an all weather combination!
Fearless, I would even suggest.
No more, I'm afraid.
I had noticed recently that the bloody thing was coming apart at the seams - literally.
Much stapling had been administered in order for normal service to continue.
I suppose I should have seen the writing on the wall a couple of weeks ago.
I was outside my door, wresting with the, rather overburdened and lumpy article when I heard someone behind me shout 'SNAP!'.
I turned around to see a blue-rinsed octogenarian (female) grinning at me and holding onto an identical 'vehicle' trying to make it to Tesco before either of them passed out...
'Argos' was all I said and we made our excuses and trundled off down the road, wondering if my street-cred had suffered somewhat.
The final straw came on Friday.
It was one step too far...
As I unloaded the groaning trolley off the train, I misjudged the gap and dropped it onto the platform with a 'crack'.
I ignored it, as usual, but found that the normal effortless 'glide' had now become a real drag.
The chassis had broken and I was without any suspension.
With much effin' and blindin' I hauled the thing back to base and immediately got forensics onto it.
It was a write-off.
It will be sadly missed, but the show goes on...
Trolley.v2 will be making an appearance soon...an industrial version.
I will be posting pics of it soon.

Apparently, the tyres were illegal as well..

Well, well, well

Epiphany??

It's been a roller-coaster ride so far, this year, one way or another.
Certainly over the last few months.
Perhaps it is because I have been in an "elevated sensitive" state that a particular incident that occurred on Monday evening has had a profound impact on me.
I had spent the day working in Guildford, and on finishing, I had strolled to a restaurant, wined and dined myself and then headed to the railway station.
I was walking around the Friary Shopping Mall, it was a balmy evening, not too many people about.
And I was in my usual, "What's It All About/What's it all For" mode of thinking.

Several pedestrians were wandering about and then round the corner came a young kid on a BMX style bike. Riding on the pavement. No problem, he wasn't going too fast or wild and he appeared to be bothering no-one and was giving everybody lots of room.
I didn't think anything of it (yeah, I know they can be a pain in the arse sometimes, but this kid was doing OK...and I was knackered).
As he sailed by me, the calm was suddenly shattered by a loudspeaker/hailer squawking at some obscene volume to the effect of "Oi!! THAT KID RIDING ON THE PAVEMENT- IT"S NOT ALLOWED- GET OFF IT IMMEDIATELY!
It was directly above my head.
It stopped me in my tracks.
I couldn't believe that there was some Fuckwit/Arsehole, watching a camera and commanding pedestrians how to behave. WTF??!!
I was immediately transported to 1984, which, co-incidentally, I have recently re-read.
I think I stood there for about 5 minutes just looking at the bloody contraption on the wall.

Big Brother is here...
Yes, I know all about the cctv coverage/cameras throughout our country/society, but for some unknown reason, because this was right in my ear, literally and because it concerned something so trivial as a kid riding a bike on a pavement it brought the whole CCTV observation scenario into sharper focus.
I was fucking LIVID!!
By the time I was sitting on the train home I had decided, not for the first time, that this was no longer the country/society that I wished to live in...or die in, for that matter.
Time to do something about it.
So... I have.
I have spent a major part of my life travelling, one way or another, and I think it's time I dusted off the passport and moved on...certainly from this God-forsaken piece of shit that purports to be England.
I am now beginning to make plans that involve a lot of travelling.
With the way things are going work-wise and the (slight) possibility of a previously unforeseen little pension pot infusion, (yeah, I'm that old...nearly!!), my plan is simple:
I am going fly to the furthest point on the planet from this mess that I'm living in at the moment, and see about working my way back...if I want to.
New Zealand, (yes SC, this may involve you!!) as a staring point and take it from there.
I will have no time limits.
I am relatively fit, physically (mentally, I'm still not sure), so it has to/can be done.
There are few (if any) people here, who will even register my prolonged absence, so I think, now is the perfect time to do what I have been advocating so many people to do over so many years...
I'm going to Fuck off.

I've given myself a maximum of 2 years (maybe could be done in 1) to get everything in order (monies etc).
Any advice/suggestions/comments are most welcome and if there is anybody out there who'd like to hook up with me at any time you are most welcome.
T&Cs will apply of course...mine, that is  :-)
Will I make it back?
Who knows.
I do know that I have to get out of this country and do what I have been itching to do for most of my life.
I am well aware this will probably be my last journey, but I'm going to make sure that it will be MY "Journey Of a Lifetime".

More details will follow and up-dates posted accordingly.

xxx