Check in fine, breeze through fast track and head for the CH. WOW - I wanted to walk around the whole place just to see what it all does. I probably didn't sit down for five minutes! Eventually sat near the big screen and had a full English - yum. I had pre-booked a haircut, which was great (an improvement on the previous one). I pick up papers and The Economist and GQ (a welcome return), then head back to the computers to check up on V-Flyer (I didn't log on all weekend!), but as soon as I'm in, the flight is called (8.45 - much earlier than it used to be!). They seem to have cleaned up boarding for the gates at the end of the pier - we left from gate 36, and there was a clear lane for J and Au.
Aircraft is FAB - Lady Pen, so we have V:Port. I settle in to 3A, which is looking very ragged - the edges of the covering on the footstool is very worn, and there are big chips of many of the raw edges of the plasticky suite walls.
The flight passes quickly and quietly with a mix of work and V:Port. They have only one episode of The Thick of It, which I didn't catch on TV when it was shown. Come on, this is V:Port - why not have the whole series! The one epsiode gives me a taste for other tv (don't fancy the movies on offer) so I watch three episodes of State of Play, which I loved. I fear if I get V:Port on Friday, I may watch the rest ('Sorry' I will say to Mrs csparker when I get home 'didn't get a wink of sleep.').
I pass on the initial food service (11.30 is a little early for lunch), but they put aside a soup and chicken tikka for me. They weren't too bad at all - rice was a bit on the crunchy side, but not unpleasant. Afternoon tea was ace - I skipped the sandwiches, but the eccles cake, millionaires shortbread and scone were again yum.
No delays getting onto the ground and I join the race to the immigration hall. Not too long to wait, then it all goes wrong. My right fingerprint won't scan properly so I am directed for 'secondary' screening. This involves sitting in a pretty scuzzy waiting room felling a little nervous, watching my passport and waiver form being ignored in a rack. Whathave they got on me - did I pick up a speeding ticket in Fl, and am now on a 'most wanted' list? What have the kids sneaked into my bag? About an hour passes before I am taken back to the now empty immigration hall. We go back to the same desk (the hall is now empty), where the same agent tries again. The same agonising wait, and eventually I'm allowed in. I know what Alex Ferguson means when he refers to squeaky bum time.
Thoughts on what happened:
- My index finger can be a little scarred due to double bass playing in a past life and eczema
- The scanner was a little defective
- They do a comparison between my previous entry, which was into MCO - perhaps they have different kit there
- The MCO scan was bad and they let me in anyway.
- My bad prints require a more detailed analysis that the immigration officer wasn't prepared to wait for.
I guess I will know more next time I try to get in...
My bags are looking lonely on the carousel and I breeze through the rest of the airport. The limo desk guy asks what happened to me - he's been hanging round for an hour. I'm soon in the car with a very nice lady driver who gives me her card at the end of the journey.
In conclusion - a cracking flight, a scary wait to get into the country and next time I fly, I will do the following:
- Book the pickup about two hours early so I can really do justice to the CH
- Hope that State of Play and more of The Thick Of It are on V:Port
- Moisturise
