After a relatively painless trip through UK immigration, and a happy reunion with our hold baggage (no further damage this time thankfully!) we proceed, vouchers in-hand to the SAS Radisson, where we hand in our excess bags at the bell desk and take bmi up on it's offer of Coffee and Croissant in the lounge. In happier days, at the start of the bmi transatlantic service, the Radisson's interpretation of this voucher was very broad, with it generally giving you admission to the full breakfast buffet, however, in these more trying times, you get exactly what it says on the voucher: 1 cup coffee (tea if pressed) drinking for the use of, one (1) croissant, and one copy of the FT, reading for the use of - all present and correct Sir!

Willard checks in at the Radisson health club, for a quick refershing shower (though the showers would benefit from some deep-cleaning sadly - I prefer to be the only thing alive in my shower stall thank-you!) and a half-hour laze by the pool before we embark on our journey home. But, as we're getting ready to leave, we get a call from and old friend of Willard, Brian, the bmi station manager for Manchester, and we just have to go and thank him for all the happy years of transatlantic service he's presided over.

So, after we discuss the realities of life after long-haul with Brian, Willard takes a Photo opportunity with some of the great people who have made the bmi long-haul service the chart topper that it was, and who hope, like Willard and I do, that the big birds will return to MAN before too long! From the left we have Michelle, Brian and Lyndsey from the bmi Manchester ground team. That's then end of Gold (Life) Member but Willard the Bear will return, in "Fly Another Day".