I'd be lost without...

I'd be lost without my satnav.

Well this is a lie. This weekend I have proved I can survive without the aid of that particular gadget.

I bought a nav unit and its first real test was this weekend, an extended weekend in Devon. It's an area I know reasonably well but I knew that the traffic could be testing and thought it might be useful.

Well it didn't help me avoid any of the traffic on the way down, so my journey down on Thursday was a bad six hours.

On the Friday I used the nav while we went to Teignmouth to a park and lunch followed by the best ice cream in the world (sold at the Beachcomber on Teignmouth sea front), then through Shaldon for some raspberry picking in Netherton. After this, I put the satnav away.

Friday evening was a dash to get the children fed, washed and in bed as quickly as possible which proved difficult because they want to mess around and play with their cousins. I was on a mission though and left the children in bed, being read to in time to meet a school friend that I hadn't seen for 22 years.

After we'd helped to piece together one another's memories and catch up on a lot that has happened in the intervening years, we picked Dave up from the train station. Three beers for Dave later we dropped Debbie back at her house and we headed back to my brother's house.

The next morning I wanted the satnav. I looked everywhere, and I mean everywhere. I explained that this always happens to me; I lose stuff and then it just turns up.

Dave looked everywhere. Later in the day Ian (my brother) looked everywhere. I knew where it should have been - under the driver seat. I looked there during the day about 15 times. Dave and Ian both checked there and the rest of the car.

I was furious; angry with myself. We called the fruit picking place in Netherton - nothing. I sent Debbie a message - nothing. I called the police (and got an answerphone) - nothing.

The next day we still hadn't found it. We discussed house insurance, credit card purchase protection and I lost it.

We arrived home and unpacked. I was looking for the telephone number for the credit card people and Dave walked in with the satnav unit.

It had been under the driver seat. Exactly where I'd put it and exactly where we'd all looked lots of times.