Today was supposed to be a nice trip out to Preston so Phil could look at some recliner chairs along with our niece Hazel and her three year old toddler Annie. Now, Preston is top of my list for the least place I would visit and second is Morecambe where we're going on Monday, but my disabled OH doesn't get past the gate unless he's got an appointment so ................ then we had a tyre blow-out just before the junction we needed. Phil was in his mobility chair where he was in the shelter of the car and I was sat on the concrete barrier getting all the wind from the vehicles in my face cradling Annie who wanted to wriggle all over the place whilst Hazel was doing everything she could including finding an important bit of equipment that was broken. Fortunately (and thank God for mobile phones) her partner downed tools whilst silo-ing and came after about half an hour. It was not a pleasant experience by any means and, having finally got home, I just wonder how much worse it could have been if there hadn't been a hard shoulder.