Travels with 'Hilda'

This week I have driven a looong round-about route to meet family in my home-town of Devizes and then home to Aber via a lovely yurt-friend in deepest Herefordshire.

My increasing age means my long and short sight will no longer accomodate both driving and looking at maps or instructions. So I'm a prime candidate for sat-nav and with great trepidation I set off plugged-in to my mobile version in action...

We get on all right, Hilda and I and at least she is someone to talk to when the dog has been left at home..

BUT she sulked in silence all the way south through Wales yesterday and only deigned to help out when we were nearly at Newport and she realised I actually meant it when I said we were leaving Wales for a couple of days...

Furthermore I do honestly believe Hilda was having a laugh at my expense when we were bowling along a single-track road called something like Jake's Ditch this afternoon, and expected to hear a cackle of mirth when we met a tractor coming the other way....

To be honest we met nothing and I have to admit this one was probably my mistake. I swear I detected a catch in Hilda's voice and a sigh of relief when she was finally able to direct me to 'turn left onto the A44'

'Hilda' you ask? Ah...Rumpole of the Bailey ;-)