The only practical flight being 8:20am Gatwick/Bologna, I thought sh!te, I'll have to get up at Welton o'clock.
Discovered online check-in, lets you get there at 7:35. Consulted TomTom: home-Gatwick 2h22mins, Northampton, M1, M25, etc., then remembered I'd left some info I needed at work, (Huntingdon).
Still TomTom says 1h53min H'don/Gatwick via Dartford, add 35mins to get to work...leave home at 4:35 should be OK....
It never works out how you planned, backs off drive about 4:45, shold be able to make that up alright....
When SatNav finally discovers where it's starting from it helpfully confirms 177 miles to go, ETA 8:19
Started driving with a little less restraint, whilst checking my mental calculations. Get onto A14 & apply some thrust, whislt pondering dilema. Only 1 speed camera between Thrapston & H'don.... Decide to forget nipping into office for info....
Section from H'don to M11 has average speed cameras, so go for 71 TomTom MPH & guesstimate making up the average every time I get stuck behind a truck. Reached M11 about 5:10, 130 miles to go, 2h20mins left including parking time - should just about be possible, but TomTom says ETA 8:04
New dilema, no idea about cameras in this area, stick to about 75, still desperately trying to find a solution, when salvation arrives in the shape of SuperRep, driving the world's fastest car, a de-badged 520D someone else is paying for.....
Sure enough intrepid pilot blasts past me, so I'm thinking, keep 2-300 yards behind and if he gets nabbed, I've got time to slow down, replace halo, make tut tutting noises, sorted.
The next half hour would have been amusing if it weren't for the deadline, a masterful demostration of bullying traffic out of the way, tail gating, undertaking, the full nine yards....
Just before Stansted, did the mental calc. again, 5:33, 101 miles to go, 2h left, ought to be just possible, but TomTom insists ETA 8:00.
Finally dawned on me, SatNav's still on BST Eased off, kicking myself, thinking ruined me average mpg etc..
Bl00dy busy at Dartford, for 6:30 ish, still 30m to go, 50mins or so. Good. Until Clacket Lane Services & 5 miles of stop/go.
Finally arrived, got into terminal about 7:20, dumps baggage, flight is delayed.....
Around 11:30, flight is cancelled
You have to go through Arrivals, Passport Control, Baggage reclaim, to wind up back in car park nearly 5 hours after you arrived and pay £9.50 for the priviledge.
Had to stop half way up the M11, cos I couldn't keep my eyes open
A really worthwhile day
How was yours 
One consolation, despite my um enthusiasm, Pug was showing 43.5 mpg average on the last leg home
Also it was impressively smooth, quiet, stable etc. when roused
