Airport delay in UK!

by Barb
(St Thomas, Ontario, Canada)

Many years ago when my daughter, Sarah, was just 7 months old, my husband and I had gone to England to visit our families and taken our two children with us.

When we were flying home from Manchester Airport we heard that there was a Baggage Handlers strike looming and that our pilot had flown our plane to Liverpool Airport, about one hour distant, before the strike spread and the whole airport was shut down. He had left without the passengers and the luggage but we were all herded onto buses and taken to Liverpool.

There was about a 6 hour delay before take off and while we waited and also during the 6 hour flight back to Canada the Stewardesses frequently asked me "Are you sure we can't get you anything for your baby?" I kept saying "No, we're fine". My daughter had everything she needed and my diaper bag consisted of three or four diapers and one change of clothes - not much really, but it was all we needed.

We also had to stay in Toronto for an additional 24 hours until our luggage arrived on a later flight, before our 12 hour drive back to our home.

I wondered how the other mothers and babies on the flight were coping with the delay, the need for more formula, the need to keep their full bottles cool, the inconvenience of it all - while we serenely weathered the delays and changes of airport.

Like you, I have nursed my babies on boats, planes, on our farm tractor (not while it was moving), down a Nickel mine in northern Ontario, behind the falls at Niagara Falls and wherever and whenever my baby was hungry.

Keep up the good work - I love your site!