Flying and spitting feathers

I've been jetting across the channel more than usual this month and it's had its moments I can tell you. The worst was coming back to this little corner of paradise on 12th September just in time for my daughter's birthday. I got to check in about five minutes after it opened and joined the back of the already impresive queue. It took a full hour before I got to the desk and got checked in. I spun round the corner to get through security, only to find the queues just to get into the queues stretching right back past the check-in desks to the front doors of the terminal building. I tried in vain to explain that this was going to take more than an hour and I'd miss my plane. "Join the queue sir." It was stressful, but I eventually got into the plane some 20 minutes after it was due to leave and they shut the door behind me. Phew.

Spitting feathers? Why? I'm convinced that this was a conspiracy by BAA and the airlines to put pressure on the government to relax the security measures. Which they did indeed do, up to a point, the following week. Ryanair had launched court proceedings against the government to 'make a point'. And BAA, struggling to maintain higher security staffing levels for an extended period were no doubt happy to reduce the number of security lanes open and watch the queues grow. It was a mess. I was lucky, but many weren't.

So at least I got here in time to enjoy my daughter's 9th birthday. And a good time was had by all.