Everything happening at once

I'm not too sure about Murphy's Law, which I think is the one that says 'if something can go wrong it will go wrong', but I think there should be a new law of 'if something can happen, at least 3 other things will also happen on the same day'.

A case in point. Who would have thought that DFDS the ferry company would sell off their vessel the Princess of Scandanavia just as we are due to go to Goteborg (aka Gothenberg) for the festival of lights in November?

DFDS are cancelling the route completely which means that any trips to Sweden via ferry from Newcastle have to take place before the end of October. Equally who would have expected that the only week we are available to go to Sweden is the week before the ferry service ends, and that it clashes with a school field trip week.

This would not be quite so odd if it wasn't for the fact that normally (ie every other year up until now) 8 year old pupils were not permitted on the week long residential field trip. But as a special concession this year they are allowed to go. A fact which we only discovered last week when a letter came home inviting said 8 year old to go to the trip, causing much excitement and sibling rivalry.

On top of which it is also my birthday in the same week, and I had decided that all things being equal said daughter should go on the field trip! It is a special birthday (with an '0' in the year) when one is meant to make a fuss, although I hate the idea of organising my own birthday 'do' which means that it ain't gonna happen. Unless someone hires someone to organise it, so it definitely won't happen.

Now the dilemma is which of the three possible events takes precedence. As I see it my options are;
1.Book the trip to Goteborg and cancel the field trip (wrath of small child forever)
2.Change the trip to Norway or Holland on a different date (new opportunity to locate clashing events, but more of the year to choose from as not restricted on dates up to the end of October)
3.Get my money back (means no autumn holiday :-( and everyone is unhappy)

I will consult 'she who must be consulted' on option1 and refer to 'him upstairs' for options 2 and 3. Unless anything else happens we'll probably end up in Holland...but the way things are going it could be next year!