Shift Seven C119 Navy Saloon

Monday 30th July 2012

 I arrived at 7.20am. There was a large queue to check in with Fleet. Everyone being given radio chargers (not enough time between shifts for central recharging) and headsets (trying to keep inane radio chatter from the clients in the back). Learnt that shift time had been cut so was finishing at 2.30pm. Back to the mushroom and scrambled egg roll for breakfast. Sat at Navy table until 8.45am when we were sent to check out the cars and get SatNav into personal view. Then back to Navy table to await deployment. Despatcher told us that there were too many radio calls to deal with so team leaders would now let Control know when a bunch of cars was leaving somewhere. At 9.30am five drivers at my end of the table were tasked to go to Eton Dorney. The two most experienced had done 6 shifts but I got picked as leader. I called in at 9.45am to say the five of us were leaving, only for control to say everyone had to call in individually as it was otherwise too confusing. Left hand not taking to the right hand obviously.

Heard over the radio that two more navy cars were joining us at Eton Dorney. Thought the journey through central London would be a nightmare but was surprisingly easy. The Normal route along the embankment to Hyde Park Corner, then out through Knightsbridge, past Harrods to the A4, then M4 to Jnc 7 (Slough West). Very easy to find the T3 staging area. I was car no 19 in the queue. The Stager said yesterday they were short of cars, today they were awash. Had a cup of coffee and spent the next two hours stood outside in the sunshine chatting to the FSO and FDP types who were also there.

Were going to have a group photo taken when my mobile rang to call us back to finish our shift. The really nasty crash on the M4 had been cleared so we had a good run home despite me missing the turn off onto Park Lane and finding myself on Picadilly. Did the twiddle down Half Moon Street and Curzon Street to get back on track. Caused chaos at the Pudding Mill Lane VSA cos I didn't remove my radio. A female officer took so long to respond to squaddies shouts for a female searcher I had removed all radio bits and gone back through the screener before she arrived. Had Spaghetti Bolognese in the bar for dinner with a pint of cider. Lights out by 10.00pm.