Originally Posted by
sxboy
well saturday night I had a winter ball for M&S at stock brook manor in essex.
Setup in the morning all ok, no snow.
Left for the gig around 6pm, arrived, no snow.
All guest'd arrived by about 7.30pm, all ok ok now snow.
It started snowing about 9pm, quite lightly really, but consistant, but around 10.30pm it was quite bad and about 5" deep. I was told to make an ancouncement thatmost cab company's will stop comming to the venue at 11.30, the gig was on till 1am.
Alot of the guest's came on the same coach, which was ok to come at the 1am finish time. So a few left around 11ish, but still had a good number left.
Right this is where goes down hill. So I leave most of the gear at the venue as it there are setps a or a long slope to get the gear out, the snow was about 10" by this time (2am)
When putting my speakers in the van, a young'ish woman asked if I could take her and her mum to the high street, which is on my way and not that far, I said ok, but she would have sit in the back. So got them in, driving up the drive of the venue and she say's oh can you pick my freind up, he was comming to pic us up, but ran out of petrol and did not have any cash on him, so he had walked about 3miles in the snow. So I pick him up from the drive of the venue. I then take him to as near to his car as I could, as it was down a hill and my van is rear wheel drive, and not good in the snow.
Anyway he gets his petrol can from his car, which was about 20mins away from where I drop him, he then comes back I then get him as near to the petrol station as I could, he then comes back, I then drive them back to near his car, and just go to the brow the hill, once they went I tried to turn round, no go, tried to reverse, no go, so I go down the hill, get to the bottom and it flat ground, but futher on I knew it was all country roads and more hills, so tried to turn round and go back up the hill, no good, now I am stuck.
So its now about 3.30am and I am stuffed I ring my break down servic, which I have through my insurance and it turns out I am only covered for break down, not pulling out the snow, if I wanted them to come out it will be £108, so reluctanly I say yes and pay.
The recovery turns up at 5.50am. I was told a 4x4 type truck would come out, but no just a normal one, which was also rear wheel drive, and they driver told me he had got stuck three times getting me,
Anyway he starts to tell me if he can get my van turned round he knows awy to get back to the A127 which is a dual carrige way and not to affected by the snow, I said there is no way my van will get round the country rodas and up the hills, to get to the main road, I knew I'd be ok once I got to the A127.
I then said I have not paid £108 for directions, which he agreed, and he said he would lift my van onto the doll and try and tow me to the one main road.
He said with the weight of my van, it should be ok.
So did this and all ok got me to a petrol station where it was free from snow, so I could get a good run onto the main road,
Got home all ok about 7.am, had a cup of tea, wash etc, and had to go back to the venue in my car, as the venue were having a wedding veiwing day so had to clear my gear early.
Finally got home for good at about 10am. So I had been up all in all about 28hrs
Now I don't know if I would have got stuck without doing the good samaritan bit, as its quite hill to get home from there which ever way you go, but I don't think i'll do it again!
Daren