A NEU member is going to Ukraine on a trip to express solidarity. Below is the first instalment of that members diary from the trip. Views expressed are that of the member etc…

DEPARTURE

And so the journey began. Sleepy eyed and not sure if I was still dreaming, the alarm woke me up at 5am. I’m still not 100% sure times so early in the morning really exist. I am too old now to stay up past midnight and as I retired due to ill health, the need to be up before rush hour has long since ended!

A shower helped me start to wake, and a quick coffee before heading downstairs for breakfast. I am told the hotel restaurant window overlooks Manchester Airport but in the dark, I can only just make out the shape of a plane and see the few buildings that have their lights on.

To the airport. I think Manchester Airport is trying to save the planet by cutting down its electricity bill as all the moving walkways on the sky bridge linking the terminals and the hotel together are turned off. Or as it is before 6am, maybe they are on a reverse Economy 7 tariff? Probably Andy Burnham has been having a chat with Ed Miliband. We will never know.

Next having to find terminal 3 and where Ryanair fly from, yes you guessed it, I nearly had to walk into the next town to the terminal. Ryanair never fail to find the cheapest spot to fly to or from.

A quick pass-through security where everyone was held up by a family with two small children that had not read any notices about having liquids etc in plastic bags or electric items ready to scan separately. Some people don’t realise how self-centred they are when being inconsiderate, thinking about themselves in their little bubble! Please don’t let them be on the same flight. as their youngest was screaming in their pushchair, red faced and nose dribbling! Mother trying to argue she should be allowed to keep her bottle of Calpol, which was over the 100ml limit and which they had no prescription for. The security staff held firm and said there was a Boots in departures and if the child was that unwell possibly it shouldn’t fly.

At the gate, the NEU group found each other. More on that after the flight and the car journey. Boarding was easy. 90% of the flight had paid for priority boarding. I am sure Ryanair will soon come up with a new idea of super priority boarding at an even higher price.

Then we were off. Flight time to Krakow Poland about 2.5 hours. Was I lucky not to be sat near the screaming child? Of course not. They were sat on the same row on the opposite side of the plane. As soon as the doors shut, the screaming started. The parents made no attempt to calm them down. Must be trying some kind of ignore them and hope they get the hint method.

The flight otherwise was uneventful, until the child thought we should hear her vocal range again! Never been so glad to go down a different passport route than the rest of the European Union. At last, I have found a benefit to Brexit!!