Here's what I hope is a comprehensive set of arrangements for forming up the funeral cortege.
Thanks for the continued offers of support from so many. I'm sorry I haven't been responding personally, but hope you'll understand. Thankfully I have nearby friends and neighbours who are checking that I'm managing to hold myself together. Working on practical details like this is also keeping me going until Thursday by keeping me occupied. So stand by for a typically-Tim plan. I'm afraid I won't be in a fit state to choreograph you all on the day, so here's a written plan instead.
Driving Chris's Car
When I checked down the list on Saturday, I saw RichB and Ria would be attending together in one car, so this seemed the ideal way to get a Cougar driver to pilot Chris's car. I approached RichB who told me he will be honoured to do this. Ria will then drive Chris's sister, brother-in-law and niece in whichever Cougar RichB & Ria bring. This will be the second car in the cortege. The cortege will therefore be pure Cougar until the tail.
Meet Up - Shires Retail Park (aka Leamington Spa Retail Park)
As everyone has seen, it's CV34 6RH to put in sat navs. The trouble is both Google, and most sat navs, show this postcode centered on a place about 300m South of the retail park. But being a retail park, it's difficult to miss – as long as you take note of the fact that it was recently renamed and relabelled “Leamington Spa Retail Park” just to confuse everyone!
Final approach is taking Tachbrook Park Drive off a large roundabout on the A452, where you can't miss the park. Turn right at the next little roundabout to enter the park. Here's where things get tricky. With the Sainsbury's petrol station on your right, don't take the first left which goes only to Sainsbury's. But do take the next left which leads to all other parts. There then should be plenty of parking to the right of the first building you then see straight ahead of you at the point – an empty (ex Focus) one. Toilets can be found in Sainsbury's which you're then not far from. If you miss the second left, the entry road bends round sharply to the right to take you back to the roundabaout you came in on to try again.
I suggest leaving the retail park at 14:15 since parking up for the start of the cotrege may take a while.
Retail Park to Start of Cortege
It is important to be lined up facing the right direction for when the cortege forms, this route and suggestions should ensure that happens. It also avoids all bar two of the vicious speed humps around the area. That, unfortunately, is unavoidable. There are some shallower, central, ones too, but these are no problem.
At the exit of the retail park, turn left at the small roundabout and immediately get into the rightmost lane as you approach the large roundabout on the A452 only 50m further on. Take the 3rd exit off this roundabout, Queensway. After about half a mile, at traffic lights, turn left into Tachbrook Road and then first right, in 100m, into Tachbrook Street. Continue to the end of this street, and at the T junction turn left into Brunswick Street. Beware the 2 speed bumps here. You now want the 2nd right, in 150m, into Aylesford Street, a turn that's easy to miss. The course of the road turns sharp right at a cross roads into Grove place, then sharp left into Shrubland Street. Do not park in Grove Street, as you won't be able to notice when the cortege starts off. But as soon as you enter Shrubland Street, take any parking either side of it along here, without turning round, remain facing East. Two or three cars may also be able to park in the tiny stub of East Grove on the left, ensure you park facing Shrubland St. Remaining cars continue along Shrubland St, finding parking, until the main line of the road turns right, by a corner shop. Before it turns there will be parking for a few cars straight ahead in the remaining stub of Shrubland Street and to the left in a small stub of Eagle Street. The main line of the road turns right into Eagle Street, and there should be parking on both sides along here. Don't turn round, keep facing South along Eagle Street. Any cars which have still not found parking, take the 2nd right into Llewellyn Road. Here there should be sufficient space for any remaining cars. Again, don't turn round, keep facing West along Llewellyn Road. This is also the best place for non-Cougars to park, so they can be at the end.
This is a residential area, with a certain amount of through traffic too, so take care not to block it, or the hearse won't be able to get in.
Route of Cortege
The following route has been planned together with the Funeral Directors as the most practical for keeping the cortege together, and also to avoid some of the most severe speed humps.
The hearse will arrive at 14:45 travelling East along Shrubland Street. It will stop outside Chris and Tim's house then leave with Chris's car, driven by RichB following immediately behind the hearse, then RichB/Ria's Cougar driven by Ria and containing Chris's sister, brother-in-law and neice following that. The parked Cougars behind it in Shrubland Street should then join, then others should join on the end as the cortege passes.
The route from the house will be to turn right into Eagle Street, 2nd right into Llewellyn Road, then at the T junction with Brunswick Street, right into Brunswick Street, over a vicious speed hump, and an immediately left into Tachbrook Street. At the end of Tachbrook St there is a T junction with Tachbrook Road (B4087). Turn left into Tachbrook Road. Approaching the traffic lights, take the left hand lane to go straight on. Having gone over the traffic lights, get into the right hand lane for the next set of traffic lights where the cortege will turn right into Harrison Road. This is part of Spa Park industrial estate, fairly new, so may not be on maps. At the T junction at the end of Harrison Road the cortege will turn right into Juno Drive, then as it approaches the T junction with Queensway, the hearse will draw to a halt for a couple of minutes to allow the cortege to reform in this quiet industrial estate, as some may have been separated at the traffic lights and turns.
There are now no more traffic lights (apart from at a pedestrian crossing). The cortege will set off again, and turn left into Queensway. About half a mile later it comes to the large roundabout with the A452 (near Shire / Leamington Spa Retail Park) where it takes the 2nd exit into Europa Way (A452). This junction will be the most difficult, since traffic on the roundabout may break into the cortege. At the next roundabout, continue straight on (3rd exit) still Europa Way (A452). The crematorium is now signposted at each turn. At the roundabout at the end of Europa Way turn left (1st exit) into Banbury Road, still the A452. After about 1 mile this crosses the M40 at J13 and is redesignated B4100. Very shortly after that take the right turn into B4087 signposted “crematorium”. After about half a mile the entrance to the crematorium is on the left. It's CV33 9QP if you've got that badly lost.
The Service and Afterwards to the Leopard
In the chapel, there will be no other members of Chris's family besides the 4 of us mentioned so far, so don't hang back.
When we leave, Chris's car, driven by RichB will lead, with Ria following, passengers as before. The route will be to turn right out of the crematorium into the B4087. This crosses the B4100 by turning right at the T junction with it, and then immediately left off the B4100. The road passes through the village of Bishops Tachbrook, with the Leopard on the left as the village ends, CV33 9RN.
The Leopard has a large car park. We will be in the restaurant part of the Leopard which doubles as a function room, where there will be a snack buffet. I hope everone who attends the service can make this too.
Thanks for the continued offers of support from so many. I'm sorry I haven't been responding personally, but hope you'll understand. Thankfully I have nearby friends and neighbours who are checking that I'm managing to hold myself together. Working on practical details like this is also keeping me going until Thursday by keeping me occupied. So stand by for a typically-Tim plan. I'm afraid I won't be in a fit state to choreograph you all on the day, so here's a written plan instead.
Driving Chris's Car
When I checked down the list on Saturday, I saw RichB and Ria would be attending together in one car, so this seemed the ideal way to get a Cougar driver to pilot Chris's car. I approached RichB who told me he will be honoured to do this. Ria will then drive Chris's sister, brother-in-law and niece in whichever Cougar RichB & Ria bring. This will be the second car in the cortege. The cortege will therefore be pure Cougar until the tail.
Meet Up - Shires Retail Park (aka Leamington Spa Retail Park)
As everyone has seen, it's CV34 6RH to put in sat navs. The trouble is both Google, and most sat navs, show this postcode centered on a place about 300m South of the retail park. But being a retail park, it's difficult to miss – as long as you take note of the fact that it was recently renamed and relabelled “Leamington Spa Retail Park” just to confuse everyone!
Final approach is taking Tachbrook Park Drive off a large roundabout on the A452, where you can't miss the park. Turn right at the next little roundabout to enter the park. Here's where things get tricky. With the Sainsbury's petrol station on your right, don't take the first left which goes only to Sainsbury's. But do take the next left which leads to all other parts. There then should be plenty of parking to the right of the first building you then see straight ahead of you at the point – an empty (ex Focus) one. Toilets can be found in Sainsbury's which you're then not far from. If you miss the second left, the entry road bends round sharply to the right to take you back to the roundabaout you came in on to try again.
I suggest leaving the retail park at 14:15 since parking up for the start of the cotrege may take a while.
Retail Park to Start of Cortege
It is important to be lined up facing the right direction for when the cortege forms, this route and suggestions should ensure that happens. It also avoids all bar two of the vicious speed humps around the area. That, unfortunately, is unavoidable. There are some shallower, central, ones too, but these are no problem.
At the exit of the retail park, turn left at the small roundabout and immediately get into the rightmost lane as you approach the large roundabout on the A452 only 50m further on. Take the 3rd exit off this roundabout, Queensway. After about half a mile, at traffic lights, turn left into Tachbrook Road and then first right, in 100m, into Tachbrook Street. Continue to the end of this street, and at the T junction turn left into Brunswick Street. Beware the 2 speed bumps here. You now want the 2nd right, in 150m, into Aylesford Street, a turn that's easy to miss. The course of the road turns sharp right at a cross roads into Grove place, then sharp left into Shrubland Street. Do not park in Grove Street, as you won't be able to notice when the cortege starts off. But as soon as you enter Shrubland Street, take any parking either side of it along here, without turning round, remain facing East. Two or three cars may also be able to park in the tiny stub of East Grove on the left, ensure you park facing Shrubland St. Remaining cars continue along Shrubland St, finding parking, until the main line of the road turns right, by a corner shop. Before it turns there will be parking for a few cars straight ahead in the remaining stub of Shrubland Street and to the left in a small stub of Eagle Street. The main line of the road turns right into Eagle Street, and there should be parking on both sides along here. Don't turn round, keep facing South along Eagle Street. Any cars which have still not found parking, take the 2nd right into Llewellyn Road. Here there should be sufficient space for any remaining cars. Again, don't turn round, keep facing West along Llewellyn Road. This is also the best place for non-Cougars to park, so they can be at the end.
This is a residential area, with a certain amount of through traffic too, so take care not to block it, or the hearse won't be able to get in.
Route of Cortege
The following route has been planned together with the Funeral Directors as the most practical for keeping the cortege together, and also to avoid some of the most severe speed humps.
The hearse will arrive at 14:45 travelling East along Shrubland Street. It will stop outside Chris and Tim's house then leave with Chris's car, driven by RichB following immediately behind the hearse, then RichB/Ria's Cougar driven by Ria and containing Chris's sister, brother-in-law and neice following that. The parked Cougars behind it in Shrubland Street should then join, then others should join on the end as the cortege passes.
The route from the house will be to turn right into Eagle Street, 2nd right into Llewellyn Road, then at the T junction with Brunswick Street, right into Brunswick Street, over a vicious speed hump, and an immediately left into Tachbrook Street. At the end of Tachbrook St there is a T junction with Tachbrook Road (B4087). Turn left into Tachbrook Road. Approaching the traffic lights, take the left hand lane to go straight on. Having gone over the traffic lights, get into the right hand lane for the next set of traffic lights where the cortege will turn right into Harrison Road. This is part of Spa Park industrial estate, fairly new, so may not be on maps. At the T junction at the end of Harrison Road the cortege will turn right into Juno Drive, then as it approaches the T junction with Queensway, the hearse will draw to a halt for a couple of minutes to allow the cortege to reform in this quiet industrial estate, as some may have been separated at the traffic lights and turns.
There are now no more traffic lights (apart from at a pedestrian crossing). The cortege will set off again, and turn left into Queensway. About half a mile later it comes to the large roundabout with the A452 (near Shire / Leamington Spa Retail Park) where it takes the 2nd exit into Europa Way (A452). This junction will be the most difficult, since traffic on the roundabout may break into the cortege. At the next roundabout, continue straight on (3rd exit) still Europa Way (A452). The crematorium is now signposted at each turn. At the roundabout at the end of Europa Way turn left (1st exit) into Banbury Road, still the A452. After about 1 mile this crosses the M40 at J13 and is redesignated B4100. Very shortly after that take the right turn into B4087 signposted “crematorium”. After about half a mile the entrance to the crematorium is on the left. It's CV33 9QP if you've got that badly lost.
The Service and Afterwards to the Leopard
In the chapel, there will be no other members of Chris's family besides the 4 of us mentioned so far, so don't hang back.
When we leave, Chris's car, driven by RichB will lead, with Ria following, passengers as before. The route will be to turn right out of the crematorium into the B4087. This crosses the B4100 by turning right at the T junction with it, and then immediately left off the B4100. The road passes through the village of Bishops Tachbrook, with the Leopard on the left as the village ends, CV33 9RN.
The Leopard has a large car park. We will be in the restaurant part of the Leopard which doubles as a function room, where there will be a snack buffet. I hope everone who attends the service can make this too.
) so I will give this a recy tomorrow so you all know whats what etc. 
