I thought I'd be really self indulgent and have me own thread...
Anyway, left Belfast about 5 pm on Saturday on the Ferry to head over to the mainland....
At one point the car was dying from freezing fog on the A69 and I'm sure if the place had a name it would of been 'Haunted Wood' or some such thing! I turned the radio on for some company and the headlights started flickering and the gauges on the dash started to flick back and forth wildly!
One of my mate sent me this text while it was doing it...
Thanks Alistair... I'll get my own back in Germany with you!
So we survived the Xfiles and Mulder didn't show so we kept going on this occasion but between road works and the bloody panda having fits and starts I made to to Scotch Corner by Midnight!
Next morning we where off bright and early...
Seen Chris Watson on the A1 and buzzed him at the sort of speeds that can get you on youtube!
Made it down to the Jet station near tescos to find that I'd just enough time to give Sylvia wash and after 5 min the whole of the panda community from here had turned up on the forecourt with our own Mini Meet.
After a bit of a confab we said we'd head round to tescos and I'd lead as I'd sexy sat nav woman telling me the way but she got a bit confused under the petrol station canopy and told me about my turn just after it... Thankfully Sam had a map he did the 'Follow me' symbol and we did the round Gainsborough' trip to the meet! The wonders of modern technology... It will get us to where we're going but we'll have no idea where that is!
All the troops where there and it was fun catching up with everyone and then stealing parts off their cars!
Yup as usual Sylvia has got her bonnet up and I'm fiddling!
Then Alan arrived in true style!
and we headed off on mass to the country run following Neil (Vin)
Where we couldn't seem to get the little square cars to line up in a straight row!
Alan and I doing our pose for the press release that I'm going to send out about the Istanbul trip...
I've got some video of Gina talking about her 'firm box action' in Sylvia somewhere that I'll post up shorty at the farm.... Don't ask, I really didn't want to! There was also the 'Trade Sylvia&Donuts for Gina' thing with Graham too but I was really lost on that!
After tea and buns I'd to head off to Cambridge where I'd to make up with 'Him indoors' as we'd not parted on good terms and he was at his DHL training course all week.... One huge meal in the 'Highwayman' with loads of wine later all was well again in the Magill household! lol!
Now, this is where it starts to get interesting...
Sylvia made it about 40 miles north of Cambridge before deciding that she'd had enough and needed a rest...
Right in the middle of the sodding A14/M6/M1 junction 16!!!!!
I'm sure I must of made the traffic news as these lot turned up shortly and closed off the roundabout to get Syliva to safety!
I'd left Fred behind in Ireland but when he heard that there might be trouble he'd got an Easyjet to Luton and I'd picked him up in Cambridge where he'd rented a 'Grande Punto' to get Alan to his training course....
He looks a bit nervous cause I'd told him that a good Fiat bear goes down with his Panda and he had to stay in the car on the outside lane of the A14 with no hazard lights due to the total electrical failure!
Anyway, after an hour and a half of shouting at the bloody woman at Britannia rescue who was convinced that I didn't live in the UK and me getting the junction totally wrong 'Lee' arrived in a truck but he forgot to bring his tool kit!
Fred was dispatched to forage for useful stuff and between a broken screw driver, some headlight wiring and the remains of a Mr Kipling cherry bakewell tart tin container we where up and running the 2 miles to Lee's place to get more permanent repairs...
20 minutes later we where back on the road and heading north...
By 4 am Fred and I had made it back home and where tucked up in bed together!
Like it's hard to believe that I can drive to L.A. in a panda without major disaster but 2 trips to the home counties (remember last year where Dave had to give up his exhaust???) have ended in tears, lol!
Jim
Anyway, left Belfast about 5 pm on Saturday on the Ferry to head over to the mainland....
At one point the car was dying from freezing fog on the A69 and I'm sure if the place had a name it would of been 'Haunted Wood' or some such thing! I turned the radio on for some company and the headlights started flickering and the gauges on the dash started to flick back and forth wildly!
One of my mate sent me this text while it was doing it...
Thanks Alistair... I'll get my own back in Germany with you!
So we survived the Xfiles and Mulder didn't show so we kept going on this occasion but between road works and the bloody panda having fits and starts I made to to Scotch Corner by Midnight!
Next morning we where off bright and early...
Seen Chris Watson on the A1 and buzzed him at the sort of speeds that can get you on youtube!
Made it down to the Jet station near tescos to find that I'd just enough time to give Sylvia wash and after 5 min the whole of the panda community from here had turned up on the forecourt with our own Mini Meet.
After a bit of a confab we said we'd head round to tescos and I'd lead as I'd sexy sat nav woman telling me the way but she got a bit confused under the petrol station canopy and told me about my turn just after it... Thankfully Sam had a map he did the 'Follow me' symbol and we did the round Gainsborough' trip to the meet! The wonders of modern technology... It will get us to where we're going but we'll have no idea where that is!
All the troops where there and it was fun catching up with everyone and then stealing parts off their cars!
Yup as usual Sylvia has got her bonnet up and I'm fiddling!
Then Alan arrived in true style!
and we headed off on mass to the country run following Neil (Vin)
Where we couldn't seem to get the little square cars to line up in a straight row!
Alan and I doing our pose for the press release that I'm going to send out about the Istanbul trip...
I've got some video of Gina talking about her 'firm box action' in Sylvia somewhere that I'll post up shorty at the farm.... Don't ask, I really didn't want to! There was also the 'Trade Sylvia&Donuts for Gina' thing with Graham too but I was really lost on that!
After tea and buns I'd to head off to Cambridge where I'd to make up with 'Him indoors' as we'd not parted on good terms and he was at his DHL training course all week.... One huge meal in the 'Highwayman' with loads of wine later all was well again in the Magill household! lol!
Now, this is where it starts to get interesting...
Sylvia made it about 40 miles north of Cambridge before deciding that she'd had enough and needed a rest...
Right in the middle of the sodding A14/M6/M1 junction 16!!!!!
I'm sure I must of made the traffic news as these lot turned up shortly and closed off the roundabout to get Syliva to safety!
I'd left Fred behind in Ireland but when he heard that there might be trouble he'd got an Easyjet to Luton and I'd picked him up in Cambridge where he'd rented a 'Grande Punto' to get Alan to his training course....
He looks a bit nervous cause I'd told him that a good Fiat bear goes down with his Panda and he had to stay in the car on the outside lane of the A14 with no hazard lights due to the total electrical failure!
Anyway, after an hour and a half of shouting at the bloody woman at Britannia rescue who was convinced that I didn't live in the UK and me getting the junction totally wrong 'Lee' arrived in a truck but he forgot to bring his tool kit!
Fred was dispatched to forage for useful stuff and between a broken screw driver, some headlight wiring and the remains of a Mr Kipling cherry bakewell tart tin container we where up and running the 2 miles to Lee's place to get more permanent repairs...
20 minutes later we where back on the road and heading north...
By 4 am Fred and I had made it back home and where tucked up in bed together!
Like it's hard to believe that I can drive to L.A. in a panda without major disaster but 2 trips to the home counties (remember last year where Dave had to give up his exhaust???) have ended in tears, lol!
Jim
Last edited:
