Friday was to be the first day of golf but of course before that could happen, I needed the arrival of my fellow golfers in order that I at least had somebody to play with. Unfortunately, their journey proved to be not quite as smooth as mine and it wasn't the airline's fault!
The last communication put out by our organiser Gerald, was don't forget to bring your passport! A simple instruction and one that you would expect a bunch of people, some of more advanced years than others, to take on board and perhaps include it as the final item on their pre-departure check list. Apparently on departing our golf club in Skipton, the question asked was, "have you all got your passports?" A collective yes was the right reply and so the journey to Manchester Airport was completed trouble free...at least until the check in process began!
Our erstwhile Captain, Mr William (Bill) Simpson, known to everyone on tour as Will I Am, handed his passport over to the check in staff only to be asked the question, "where is Mrs Simpson?" Yes, he had brought his wife's passport rather than his own which was laying in a drawer some 70 miles away! Disastersville for Bill. His only option was to get a taxi home to retrieve the relevant document, arrange another flight, this time from Liverpool to a different airport and then organise another taxi back to the new departure airport. Nobody subsequently dared to ask him the additional costs incurred for his golfing trip but they were substantial, that's for sure!
You would have thought that this was the end of the problems for the day but another one did occur resulting in the delayed departure of the flight. Ryanair believed that Bill's golf clubs had been loaded for the flight and therefore had to be removed from the hold, as is normal practice, because the passenger was no longer travelling. It was some time before the pin dropped and the airline realised that Bill's clubs had actually never been loaded! Eventually, the flight departed nearly 60 minutes late with the result that the golfers had to travel directly to the first golf course rather than enjoy a leisurely lunch at The Helm.
As for me, I had a delicious full Irish breakfast, enjoyed a wonderful couple of hours exploring the area and arrived at Westport Golf Course fit, refreshed and raring to hit the fairways of this beautifully situated track. Eventually, my playing compatriots arrived and finally, Will I Am, some six hours later than originally expected! Needless to say he didn't get to play a full 18 holes but everyone was glad to see him arrive safely although with a considerably thinner wallet!
As for the golf, it was terrific. Gorgeous sunny skies although a touch cool, great course, fantastic location and I managed to finish in the prizes. For me, a perfect start to the trip and a day to remember.
The last communication put out by our organiser Gerald, was don't forget to bring your passport! A simple instruction and one that you would expect a bunch of people, some of more advanced years than others, to take on board and perhaps include it as the final item on their pre-departure check list. Apparently on departing our golf club in Skipton, the question asked was, "have you all got your passports?" A collective yes was the right reply and so the journey to Manchester Airport was completed trouble free...at least until the check in process began!
Our erstwhile Captain, Mr William (Bill) Simpson, known to everyone on tour as Will I Am, handed his passport over to the check in staff only to be asked the question, "where is Mrs Simpson?" Yes, he had brought his wife's passport rather than his own which was laying in a drawer some 70 miles away! Disastersville for Bill. His only option was to get a taxi home to retrieve the relevant document, arrange another flight, this time from Liverpool to a different airport and then organise another taxi back to the new departure airport. Nobody subsequently dared to ask him the additional costs incurred for his golfing trip but they were substantial, that's for sure!
You would have thought that this was the end of the problems for the day but another one did occur resulting in the delayed departure of the flight. Ryanair believed that Bill's golf clubs had been loaded for the flight and therefore had to be removed from the hold, as is normal practice, because the passenger was no longer travelling. It was some time before the pin dropped and the airline realised that Bill's clubs had actually never been loaded! Eventually, the flight departed nearly 60 minutes late with the result that the golfers had to travel directly to the first golf course rather than enjoy a leisurely lunch at The Helm.
As for me, I had a delicious full Irish breakfast, enjoyed a wonderful couple of hours exploring the area and arrived at Westport Golf Course fit, refreshed and raring to hit the fairways of this beautifully situated track. Eventually, my playing compatriots arrived and finally, Will I Am, some six hours later than originally expected! Needless to say he didn't get to play a full 18 holes but everyone was glad to see him arrive safely although with a considerably thinner wallet!
As for the golf, it was terrific. Gorgeous sunny skies although a touch cool, great course, fantastic location and I managed to finish in the prizes. For me, a perfect start to the trip and a day to remember.
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