How To Be On Time For Meetings

Get rid of the SatNav ... yes, really. At a recent meeting I went to one of the attendees turned up nearly half an hour late. He'd got lost. The reason - he was using a SatNav! :)

Now, I'm not saying SatNavs don't have their uses but more often than not people blindly follow them without having a clue where they're going and haven't got a clue what to do when they go wrong or it takes them down a wrong road.

We've all heard stories of lorries getting stuck down narrow dirt tracks, stuck under bridges, drivers ending up in a completely different place to where they intended.

I arrived half an hour early (but then I'm just a smart alec). Here are my tips to arrive on time (other than getting rid of the SatNav).

If coming from a long way away, set off in good time and plan to arrive half an hour early - giving some leeway incase you get delayed.

Check where you're going on Streetmap the day before. This will give you a pretty good map and reference to where you're going.

You can check timing and distance on www.theaa.com Route Planner. Add a bit if you're going to be travelling at peak times.

A Green Alternative To Business Travel

I was phoned up the other day by the City Car Club, trying to flog me their services having got my name and number from a local business directory (something that happens more and more these days). Now living outside of Brighton, I'm unlikely to use them, as I'd need to drive in to town in order to collect one (OK, I could use the bus and I do occasionally).

Have you ever used one or something similar?

Apparently it works out cheaper than a taxi, so if you live and work in and around a town where the scheme operates, it probably makes sense once you've registered as a member.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7723313.stm

What were they thinking?

In theory the new Bus Lane - or more correctly the bus 'corridor' between Peacehaven and Brighton (Ovingdean actually) was meant to improve the traffic flow along the coast road. Presumably because everyone would jump out of their cars and onto the buses. However, the reality is that people will continue to use their cars and now that they've cut the lanes from two down to one along some stretches of this road, to make way for the bus lane, all those cars are now squeezed into one lane instead of two. Things will be so much worse.

While they've been making the 'improvements' the traffic has been worse than ever. In the morning after the rush the traffic has been much slower getting down to the Rottingdean lights and coming back from Brighton has been much, much worse. Usually any time after 9.30 and before 4.30 you can whiz into town in about 20 minutes, now depending on what state the roadworks are in and whether there are temporary lights, stop/go boards or not, it can take 30 minutes - 50% longer. I haven't attempted to make the journey during the rush hour since they started the road works and will avoid it at all costs, unless I have no choice.

One of the advantages of working from home is that I don't have to sit in traffic these days in order to get to work.

Let's see what it's really like once the school traffic has been added to the mix.

Joined Up Thinking

Or rather a lack of... displayed by the local councils.

They're currently digging up the road and creating traffic chaos on the A27 just outside of Lewes in order to create a bridge over the Beddingham level crossing. Because it's a busy road and there's the potential for a fatal accident as cars speed through the barriers or perform some dodgy manoeuvre like weaving through the closed barriers, they've decided to implement the roadworks to bypass the crossing. As a result a number of cars are using the A259 coast road from Newhaven into Brighton to avoid the traffic hold-ups on that stretch of road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni_Ndb7bzWA

However, they've now decided that this is the perfect time to start the implementation of the A259 Bus 'corridor' along the only other main access road into Brighton, along the coast. That should be fun when it really gets going. So far, they've restricted it down to one lane at the Ovingdean roundabout for a couple of days but have stopped.

It's already busy enough along there in the morning and evening rush hour with traffic starting to back up all the way from Rottingdean to Peacehaven from 7.00am onwards.

On top of that - yet again, they're digging up the road along the Brighton seafront. The same stretch of road they dug up a few months ago and a few months before that. So if I want to get to the other side of Brighton - I need to leave plenty of time and be prepared to sit in a traffic jam at some point.

Rant: Where have all the buses gone?

Well, maybe not all the buses but the one I stood waiting over half an hour for. Doing my bit and saving wear and tear on the car with all those short journeys, to say nothing of saving money and hassle in trying to find somewhere to park in central Brighton, I decided to catch the bus.

The bus I saw heading off down the road as I arrived at the stop, was ten minutes late. My bus turned up five minutes late. Not too bad

Waiting patiently at the stop for the return journey and no sign of the No. 14 which was scheduled at 4.20. Several other buses and the usual sight of three or four in a row, all the same number. In the end I gave up hoping for a No. 14 and took a No. 12 instead which was packed, standing room, too full to take on waiting passengers at following stops and a walk up from the main road.

Slovenia - a short-break

Back from a few days in Slovenia and a last minute short-break. Despite that fact that we had to fly out of Stansted it actually turned out to be a lot easier and less hassle than flying out of Gatwick or Heathrow. Options of getting there by bus or train were out - not just because of the cost but the time. While I might try to use alternative means of getting places and not using the car all the time - in this case it just wasn't practical. Over four hours by bus and over forty pounds by train ... one way. So the car was quicker (only took just over 1 1/2 hours) and cheaper to park there. NCP did a great deal on long-stay.

Ruth, the friend I'd gone with had done a great job picking two Penzions, the first in the centre of Ljubljana - Pod Lipo. Clean, comfortable and very friendly, more of a hostel than a traditional B&B. Just a few minutes walk from the river and it's vibrant, cafe society. Well, about as vibrant as it seemed to get on a Saturday night in the capital city, which would be a very quiet night anywhere else. A slightly overpriced and not particularly brilliant meal - first they served me lamb chops instead of steak and then when it did turn up - their definition of rare was most certainly not the same as mine.

We took in the sights of Ljubljana the following morning - which didn't take long. There's not a huge amount to see. The City Museum and Castle are worth a visit and there's a Sunday Flea Market along the river bank and a few churches to visit. Lots of smart shops for window-shopping and judging by the cars there's plenty of money about in this ex-communist country.

Took the bus up to Lake Bled for some cycling and relaxation, with yet another delightful Penzion. Just a short walk outside the main town and with the added bonus of bikes available for guests, which we took full advantage of each day. The lake is well known for it's very picturesque island in the lake with a church. Boats take tourists out to the island to see the church and ring the wishing bell. You know when a boat of tourists has arrived by the continuous tolling of the bell.

On our first full day we cycling around the entire lake, it didn't take long and there were few other tourists about. Roller blading is also popular around the footpath but wide enough that you can avoid each other reasonably safely. Unlike trying to negotiate Brighton seafront. Having completed the circuit we then found our way out to the Vintgar Gorge with it's wooden walkway, enabling visitors to walk the length of the gorge. Unfortunately, the nearby fish restaurant was closed - although the local catch was swimming in two cages suspended in the clear, fast flowing river or we'd have stopped for lunch. Instead we had the most delicious mushroom risotto back in Lake Bled. Good basic food and generous portions at the traditional Gostilnas (local inns), with meat and fish being the main feature.

Slovenia is definitely pro-cycling, with plenty of wide cycle paths along most of the main roads and there is a big focus on outdoor activities in general all year round. The scenery is very alpine with wide fertile fields, surrounded by hills and mountains, still capped with a sprinkling of snow, plenty of trees and wildflowers. The Julian Alps is a popular tourist destination for walkers. The villages are a mix of traditional peasant lifestyles with vegetable patches, chickens and maybe a goat or two and the newer buildings - of which there are plenty, presumably for people working in the larger cities and towns. The older buildings are mainly wooden, chalet style (the winters are snowy and cold) and each village has a church with tall spires, often topped with an onion dome. We cycled up one track to visit a tiny, small church with very weathered frescoes but a delightful translation and explanation in English on the wall outside and great views over the valley.

Another attraction in Lake Bled is the thermal spa - where we spent a few pleasant few hours relaxing in the steam rooms, saunas and outdoor hot tub after a, not exactly gruelling, cycle ride earlier in the day. Not the best of bikes and I was missing my gel saddle and brakes that worked! Well, that's enough of sounding like a travel brochure for the Slovenian Tourist Board but it's definitely worth a visit - both the spa and the country and it's only a two hour flight from London.