The car was a saga. Late Wednesday night, Vicki and John went over with jumper cables to try to start it, but neither of them could find anything that looked like a keyhole anywhere on the car. So, returning to Brentford, John called Hertz. They arranged for the AA (that's the Automobile Association here, not the other AA) to come first thing Friday morning. It was not easy for Vicki to get John up before seven o'clock, but she accomplished it.
The AA man showed them how the keyholes were hidden under plastic and he succeeded in jumping the car. What he could not do, however, was turn off the lights. He told them that the something must be wrong with the electrical system of the car, and advised them to contact Hertz.
So, we all got in two cars and drove to the Hertz return at Heathrow. Of course, when we got there, the lights turned off automatically the way they're supposed to. That always happens when you take it into the shop, doesn't it? But Vicki volunteered to take us to Terminal 3 on Friday morning and we just left the little Golf there.
We had initially planned to go to Brighton today with Vicki, but it was late and the BBC was predicting some showers. So Jerry suggested that we go to Wisley, and that proved to be a superb idea. Wisley is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society, and is its largest demonstration garden. It is absolutely huge and completely amazing. We came in through a charming old mansion which houses the RHC library.
There are acres and acres of gardens designed in a wide variety of styles using almost every plant imaginable.
Tropical and desert plants are grown in beautifully-designed greenhouses. John had Vicki and I pose outside of one of them.
In the evening, Jerry took us all to a fantastic brasserie in Chiswick. We had a wonderful dinner. We are going to miss them so much. I have no idea how they put up with house guests for so long. These are the two most fantastic people in the British Isles.
So, thanks everybody. Soon it will be back to hearing about the Academic Performance Index and the budget crisis and all of that. It has been a good break for John and me, and we thank you all for sharing it with us.
