Friday, September 2

A couple of days ago Luke took us for coffee in the Corn Exchange, three minutes from the Airborne offices. We spent a long time there afterwards. The way the architects and designers have refurbished and repurposed it seems stunning.

This morning we pass it as we head to the station where we will say goodbye to Luke and Alice and board a train to Manchester airport.

The airport will live down to its reputation as the most dysfunctional airport in England. None of the travelators work, getting anywhere requires you to walk up narrow steps, walk ten yards, and then walk down narrow steps, and on at least one occasion a set of these steps, wide enough for one person at a time, contained people arriving trying to push past people departing, both groups moving (or not) in opposite directions.

The plane will depart an hour late because staff shortages will mean that the luggage takes that long to load. Rumours about major problems with luggage, we will remember, caused us to travel with hand luggage only in the first place.

At the very end of the holiday we will receive evidence that we made the right decision.