Weather: mostly sunny
I arose at the distinctly unearthly hour of 5.00, and was downstairs checking out just after 5.30. I then waited around with some other people for the driver of the 5.45 shuttle to arrive.
The driver appeared a little late and we boarded the shuttle, again with a full load of passengers. We arrived at the airport just after 6.00, and joined the queue at the check-in desk, a little longer than I expected so early in the morning.
Following check-in I made my way over to the departure gate, then wandered off in search of breakfast, first confirming that my meal voucher could be spent at the airport and not just the hotel. I was able to get plenty for my eight dollars, and after eating some saved the rest for later.
The flight aboard a Boeing 767 left on time at 8.00, and passed quietly. I watched a couple of films, the first being a remake of ``The Time Machine'' starring Guy Pearce and directed by a great-grandson of H.G. Wells -- very different to the 1960 version. The second was the animated feature ``Monsters, Inc.'', suitable in-flight entertainment with little demand on braincells.
We made good time to London and arrived a little before 8.00pm BST. I reclaimed my case relatively quickly, passed through the red channel at Customs for a change in order to confirm that there was no need to pay duty on my spare camera body, and made it out a few minutes too late to catch the 20.30 bus back to Oxford. I made a couple of quick calls while waiting and consumed a pastry left over from breakfast, then boarded the 21.00 bus.
This reached Oxford just over an hour later, and I headed across Gloucester Green from the coach station to the nearby taxi rank. Being a Saturday night it was busy and taxis in demand, but I did not have long to wait. I arrived home around 11.00, around 14 hours later than I should have done, pleased that save for one or two minor problems I had had an absolutely superb trip.