Flat Tyre Inside The M25

Snowing in London again this morning. Windy and damp and cold right down into the boots. Nearly at LHR for a drop off when a horrible shuddering high-rpm flopping noise engulfs our little car. Flat tyre on the M4. Joy.

After no luck phoning a couple taxi companies, had instant luck using Hailo. Not kidding: was less than five minutes after a couple clicks in the app. Family not only got to LHR in plenty of time, but the driver called me after dropping them off to let me know they'd made it and to make sure I was ok.

I was, because we have roadside assistance on our insurance. In only about 30 minutes, a cheerful and super-nice guy in a very cool flatbed truck appeared and loaded the aging A2 up and off we went, looking for a tyre shop. We bumbled about a bit before coming upon one in Uxbridge -- a small shop with no bay so the cars worked on sit outside, in the snow. The gent running it said he had a tyre that would fit so the driver unloaded the car and went on to the next stranded motorist.

It would be about an hour before I'd get a new tyre on the wheel, but the man running the shop and doing all the work could not have been nicer. The shop was unheated except for a tiny space heater behind the counter. He made coffee for me and for another guy sitting in the shop, and had me sit behind the counter by the heater (did I mention it was fucking freezing out in the intermittent snow?). The other guy... not sure what his deal was, he didn't seem like he worked there, nor like he was a customer, but he was clearly well known and was a bit of a character. I got the lowdown on a rather eventful trip he took to Brighton once.

Anyway, the incredibly sweet guy doing all the work would take breaks when he could no longer feel his fingers, but got me all sorted out. It cost about 1/3 of what I was expecting. So low I had to check twice that I hadn't misheard. When I was leaving, he asked me if I was from around there. Nope, east end, and I explained how I managed to find myself in his shop. "And you ended up here," he nodded, smiling and serenely satisfied, "it must be fate!" I don't know about that, but as I shook his hand I agreed in spirit -- an unexpectedly warm feeling from what should have been a miserably cold hassle.