Wednesday 27 May 2009
POST REMOVING & PHOTOS
I will be removing the posts shortly about the actual things we got up to as it is not to every ones taste who attends the rally and I don't want to get kicked out for next year before I have registered. But I will add we only battled with willing adversaries. I also lost a memory card for the camera so I awaiting photos from other competitors.
The Final Day
Up early and out to meet the guys for another convoy and I am sure more fun. I know we have been the topic of discussion for a few cars as an obvious target so I am glad we are stocked up. Find everyone down at the car and the 4 guys have discovered the fish, which is suitably stinking and that sets the tone for the day, oh and they did get their morning calls. Also joining in the drive is an Escort xr3i convertible, superb car. Couple of Farriers and a good laugh as we had met in with them in Nantes, the guys were concerned about my ammo dump and kept trying to nick some but couldn't get into the car, they also didn't have time to go and buy some, advantage the coo!! So off we head and Alan is still feeling the effects of his funny drink last night and is trying to catch some shut eye, it is not going to well for him because the guys had got hold of some eggs and let the fun begin. The eggs are going all over them but the real hit is the chocolate pudding, they also got Alan with a water bomb so we upped the anti and really off-loaded alot on them, pelting them at every opportunity to the point they flashed us down for a truce and into a lay-by. We were at the side of a round about with the truce called and they guys all stepped out of their convertibles, they were covered, seriously covered and couldn't see out either after a few bags of flour had been dropped to drive through as well. So we opened up a few sandwiches and had a break, the Pope joined us and had a chat, but cleared off when we weren't looking fearing the worst I think, then the army guys and starsky and hutch came by, they got a direct hit on one of the 4kof team but I was going round the roundabout myself at the time and missed them completely but even better avoided letting them get me. Time to even up the cars so into a supermarket, I thought it was only fair, how stupid and naive of me. Everyone went in and as we came out one of the guys had spread dog food all over our car grill and windscreen also adding some smeared brie to the mirrors, this was a nightmare to try and get off so back into the supermarket for a scraper. I didn't realise that when I was in the supermarket another truce had been called, so I came out and (before I tell you I need you to know that 4kof had a rule of Whatever goes in car, stops in car! They could throw nothing out and it was a tip in their of egg, pudding, beer, just anything) tipped a jar of mussels and it juice all over the car seats and put some dog food in as well. True to their word, like everything else it stayed inside. Ok now off into Andorra and up over the Pyrenees a true test of the car, still in convoy and behaving a bit now as border police can be quite strict as well we start on our ascent. All seems to be going well, and the 3 cars are ok, seen non abandoned bangers yet and we are getting close to the top, we pass a pug205 with its bonnet up but single lane and our lack of knowledge we kept going, they were not in the rally, the 4kof team decided to drop back and help them, something to do with them being 3 rather good looking woman having nothing to do with it I am sure, our convoy is now 2. But seeing others in the distance. We got through the borders no problem but with a few funny looks, saw a couple of teams out having a snowball fight and a Range Rover driving as hard as it could into a snow drift and just making it's way out. Some guys were BBQing at the side of the road as well but the funniest thing were the team who ripped off their sunroof and were snow boarding on it down the hill, superb imagination. We pressed on though and were making good time, took a minute after the Spanish border to make the transition on the cow to a bull, adding its new things to the back but forgetting to remove the udders I had actually managed to create the first transsexual cow. Now moving towards Barcelona we thought we would get the last moments of Sat Nav to set us on our way to the hotel. This proved useless and asking people at every roundabout was working a lot better. So pulling up at our hotel right beside the World Trade Centre in Barcelona Marina we parked right at the front door beside a Porsche, got our egg stained, yogurt smelling bodies out of the car and handed the keys to the valet, his face was priceless.
Oh god a good shower and space, superb. But no time to rest as we mucked around on the way here too much and the check-in time is 8pm at an Irish pub in Barcelona. We get a taxi there, now 4 of us as Anne and Suzanne have now flown over for a couple of days. We checked in and met a whole lot of happy people who had all made it (I think there were 5 teams who's cars didn't make it over). Allan and I were given our voting slip which was to decide the overall winner of the event, the criteria they were looking for was car, personality, helpful, basically entering into the spirit of things as the Bangers should be. Allan and I thought long and hard and it really could have been any of 6 that we had spent time with but we cast our vote. Later in the evening the results were announced and in the 3rd was Pope my Ride, 2nd was 4 Sheiks and the winner Comeonthecoo. Ha Ha, we had won the bloody thing. Not what we set out to do but gratefully and thankfully received. Angus college getting some credit as anyone who was just there for a quiet drive might have voted on car only credentials where I think we had an edge (plus a team of helpers who did it) although I still loved the Pope mobile, Lightening McQueen, and the Army Car. But what was nice was the amount of people who said to us afterwards that it was not all about the car and that Allan and I had been a right good laugh and they had enjoyed our company. Suzanne even confirmed this to me, well saying that I am ok in small doses but they don't have to live with me. Not sure what she meant, but Anne and her were tired so they headed off to the hotel and we stayed to do our final stint of being last from the bar. In this time there were noises of the cow coming home as it had been so reliable, the pope mentioned to Allan his wasn't a good drive, or a fast enough drive and would be willing to bring the cow home.
Oh god a good shower and space, superb. But no time to rest as we mucked around on the way here too much and the check-in time is 8pm at an Irish pub in Barcelona. We get a taxi there, now 4 of us as Anne and Suzanne have now flown over for a couple of days. We checked in and met a whole lot of happy people who had all made it (I think there were 5 teams who's cars didn't make it over). Allan and I were given our voting slip which was to decide the overall winner of the event, the criteria they were looking for was car, personality, helpful, basically entering into the spirit of things as the Bangers should be. Allan and I thought long and hard and it really could have been any of 6 that we had spent time with but we cast our vote. Later in the evening the results were announced and in the 3rd was Pope my Ride, 2nd was 4 Sheiks and the winner Comeonthecoo. Ha Ha, we had won the bloody thing. Not what we set out to do but gratefully and thankfully received. Angus college getting some credit as anyone who was just there for a quiet drive might have voted on car only credentials where I think we had an edge (plus a team of helpers who did it) although I still loved the Pope mobile, Lightening McQueen, and the Army Car. But what was nice was the amount of people who said to us afterwards that it was not all about the car and that Allan and I had been a right good laugh and they had enjoyed our company. Suzanne even confirmed this to me, well saying that I am ok in small doses but they don't have to live with me. Not sure what she meant, but Anne and her were tired so they headed off to the hotel and we stayed to do our final stint of being last from the bar. In this time there were noises of the cow coming home as it had been so reliable, the pope mentioned to Allan his wasn't a good drive, or a fast enough drive and would be willing to bring the cow home.
Nantes to Toulouse
Toulouse it is next and after being handed the challenge Alan and I agreed not to bother today as we were planning other things. 4 guys called 4kof in an Escort Cabriolet asked to convoy with us which we had no problem with, well no problem other than we didn't know how to get out of the town. So we headed off and after about 4 u-turns and some fraid tempers between driver and navigator we made the motor way and on the road we went. Seeing lots of other team cars this time as well at the start and feeling disappointed we had no armory and it seemed neither did anyone else. Ok, sign post for Cognac, that is it a Cognac in Cognac and time to get armed. So the cow and 4kof went into a supermarket, necked a cognac each and started to buy up some eggs and tomatoes etc with the agreement of the other team that we would not pelt each other.
As we headed down the road we were a little concerned as to the heat of our engine so decided to lift the bonnet and let it cool for 10mins, chatting with the other team we decided to get going and one of them kindly dropped our bonnet for us. 10miles down the road we were hotter than before and couldn't understand why but had better stop, really concerned we lifted the bonnet to find what can only be described as a cheese omelette cooked onto our engine the B******s, ok that was it game on! But Alan and I were laughing about it for a while down the road.
Now the driving entailed one of us hanging out the car flicking eggs at the other car as the driver tried to dodge their best efforts and if u got a good egg on the windscreen of their open top car it all swamped in and when the wipers went on it brought the rest in, we were also a bit faster uphill so could avoid them getting in front to much, but they got their fair share of hits on our car. In the passing we also took out The army car and Starsky and Hutch on the way, we were making a name for ourselves and having a laugh. Arriving into Toulouse we found a hotel only to discover it was the wrong one, still in convoy now of 4 we needed a little space behind us so Allan reversed into the Escort guys by accident obviously, which in turn made them slam into our considerably larger and more powerful Jeep. Allan then slipped reverse (again by mistake I am sure)moving them, Starsky and Hutch and also the Honda, good effort.
After dropping our stuff off and having a shower their was only one thing left to do before going for a drink, ammo. I went to spar of all places and purchased a load of eggs, yogurts, tomatoes, chocolate puddings, frozen fish fillets and a Black Forrest Gateaux. I took them to the cow to sit over night getting suitably warm and then took the fish fillets and managed to slide them between the lining and the cover of the Escorts soft top, also pouring some fish oil over the roof. Couple of 5.30am alarm calls made for their rooms and my work was done for the day.
We met at a pub called the melting pot and started chatting with most of the teams, some we had met and others this was our first meeting them, Allan had an adverse effect to a Yegermeister or something sounding like that and I am hoping to get copies of the pictures but apart from that it was a quiet night, well drinking and chatting plenty but no trickery, it seems the rules of that are to be only when with your banger. So after Allan had serenaded the bar with some buskers accordion we headed off for some rest before the final leg of our journey.
As we headed down the road we were a little concerned as to the heat of our engine so decided to lift the bonnet and let it cool for 10mins, chatting with the other team we decided to get going and one of them kindly dropped our bonnet for us. 10miles down the road we were hotter than before and couldn't understand why but had better stop, really concerned we lifted the bonnet to find what can only be described as a cheese omelette cooked onto our engine the B******s, ok that was it game on! But Alan and I were laughing about it for a while down the road.
Now the driving entailed one of us hanging out the car flicking eggs at the other car as the driver tried to dodge their best efforts and if u got a good egg on the windscreen of their open top car it all swamped in and when the wipers went on it brought the rest in, we were also a bit faster uphill so could avoid them getting in front to much, but they got their fair share of hits on our car. In the passing we also took out The army car and Starsky and Hutch on the way, we were making a name for ourselves and having a laugh. Arriving into Toulouse we found a hotel only to discover it was the wrong one, still in convoy now of 4 we needed a little space behind us so Allan reversed into the Escort guys by accident obviously, which in turn made them slam into our considerably larger and more powerful Jeep. Allan then slipped reverse (again by mistake I am sure)moving them, Starsky and Hutch and also the Honda, good effort.
After dropping our stuff off and having a shower their was only one thing left to do before going for a drink, ammo. I went to spar of all places and purchased a load of eggs, yogurts, tomatoes, chocolate puddings, frozen fish fillets and a Black Forrest Gateaux. I took them to the cow to sit over night getting suitably warm and then took the fish fillets and managed to slide them between the lining and the cover of the Escorts soft top, also pouring some fish oil over the roof. Couple of 5.30am alarm calls made for their rooms and my work was done for the day.
We met at a pub called the melting pot and started chatting with most of the teams, some we had met and others this was our first meeting them, Allan had an adverse effect to a Yegermeister or something sounding like that and I am hoping to get copies of the pictures but apart from that it was a quiet night, well drinking and chatting plenty but no trickery, it seems the rules of that are to be only when with your banger. So after Allan had serenaded the bar with some buskers accordion we headed off for some rest before the final leg of our journey.
Calais to Nantes
So off to Nantes it is, hungover but up and getting ready in the car park. All the cars are there and their are some really good ones and everyone is optimistic. We receive our challenge for the day which is to obtain a maximum snooker break with colours of cars in order on your camera. Allan is driving the first leg so I wrote the last blog and started snapping cars as I could when on the move. The drive is going well and we are seeing other cars but everyone is behaving and we are just moving along nicely.
Sat nav isn't charged and won't for some reason so this causes some concern but the roads seem well signed and we will not do to much that should hinder us today so I think. Going through a toll we spot another jeep cherokee with its bonnet up so we stop to offer help (not really thinking that we know sod all about cars) but they were just needing to cool the engine a little. Asked them their plans for lunch and they were heading into the next big town Caen, we said we were going to find a village on the beach before that and they said they would join us.
So our first convoy, 2 car all be it, Kim and Simon joined us for a quick lunch, well 2 bottles of wine and a nice starter maincourse sit down to be truthful. This was also driver change time so I got a glass, great! Off we set, next stop Nantes and started to belt down the road, Alan now in charge of navigation and photos, the navigation was going well but the wine had had an effect on his aim with the camera.
But a relatively straight forward drive down to Nantes and to be honest quite a quiet one with the challenge completed and a score of 155 on the camera (went for the free ball maximum break) we drove past the hotel to see others out greeting and cheering arrivals. We submitted our entry but were given a 147 break like the others and were entered into a tie-break question and alas we were a close 10 miles off guessing the organisers tripometer on his banger.
So up to the room and down to the bar, then out to find a pub in the city. We soon met in with 2 teams on the street and headed off to the nearest pub. There were about 5 or 6 other teams there and all said that it had been a nice but quite quiet drive down and they were wondering when the fun would start. Unfortunately as we went back to the hotel we found that the fun had started for some of the locals who had smashed in lightening Mcqueens window, spiked the radiator of the Thunderbirds Sherpa and were on top of my cow when Rich from the Army car disturbed them, so I got away lucky. Anyway we helped tidy up the cars a little and headed off to bed as another long day ahead tommorrow. Oh by the way, lovely countryside?.?
Sat nav isn't charged and won't for some reason so this causes some concern but the roads seem well signed and we will not do to much that should hinder us today so I think. Going through a toll we spot another jeep cherokee with its bonnet up so we stop to offer help (not really thinking that we know sod all about cars) but they were just needing to cool the engine a little. Asked them their plans for lunch and they were heading into the next big town Caen, we said we were going to find a village on the beach before that and they said they would join us.
So our first convoy, 2 car all be it, Kim and Simon joined us for a quick lunch, well 2 bottles of wine and a nice starter maincourse sit down to be truthful. This was also driver change time so I got a glass, great! Off we set, next stop Nantes and started to belt down the road, Alan now in charge of navigation and photos, the navigation was going well but the wine had had an effect on his aim with the camera.
But a relatively straight forward drive down to Nantes and to be honest quite a quiet one with the challenge completed and a score of 155 on the camera (went for the free ball maximum break) we drove past the hotel to see others out greeting and cheering arrivals. We submitted our entry but were given a 147 break like the others and were entered into a tie-break question and alas we were a close 10 miles off guessing the organisers tripometer on his banger.
So up to the room and down to the bar, then out to find a pub in the city. We soon met in with 2 teams on the street and headed off to the nearest pub. There were about 5 or 6 other teams there and all said that it had been a nice but quite quiet drive down and they were wondering when the fun would start. Unfortunately as we went back to the hotel we found that the fun had started for some of the locals who had smashed in lightening Mcqueens window, spiked the radiator of the Thunderbirds Sherpa and were on top of my cow when Rich from the Army car disturbed them, so I got away lucky. Anyway we helped tidy up the cars a little and headed off to bed as another long day ahead tommorrow. Oh by the way, lovely countryside?.?
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