It's been a while so update time...

OK, so I havent been the most dilligent in the updates for a little while, but I've had a lot on so tough.  More donations = more updates people.

So what's happened I hear you cry? 

Well, most importantly and most recently, we know what leg 1 of the run consists of.  We are not leaving via Harwich or Newcastle which is a brilliant piece of news for us on a couple of counts.  Firstly if we left from Newcastle, that would have added an extra 700 or so miles onto the trip and at least a days travel to and from departure / finish.  If we left from Harwich, slightly better, but either of these 2 ports would have meant a ferry to exposed cold places with the only real route heading North to even colder and more exposed places.

It's not that Gruff and I are afraid of the cold normally, but as previously mentioned, the car has a heater with the similar heating power of an old man sucking a fishermans friend (Probably trademarked and opening myself to legal action) and blowing at you.  Also the car has a canvas roof, with no heat retaining powers at all, so that is a down side of a Spring rally through snow.

However, we are not going through the wilds of Scandanavia, we are departing from that much loved southern port of Dover.  Yup, thats right, we're off to Calais for leg 1 of the journey.  Thats all the route information that we are going to receive until Day 1 of the actual rally.  My best guess would be through France, towards Germany, quick play on the Nurburgring, on down towards Italy and back.  But that is pure speculation on my part so I could be very very wrong.

I received the email with contact details for P&O and an account number to confirm our booking so I did the obvious thing and used the phone number provided, got through to P&O, gave the lady the account number and said I would like to give her some money.  I would like to say right now that although a call center monkey, this female had a remarkably pleasant voice, you know, slightly posh with a hint of educated.  The sort of person you expect to have representing a large company that can handle complex corporate and individual queries.  No.  Posh but Thicky McThick.  Having given her a summary of travel times, booking reservation details, and an account number she ummed and advised no such arrangements were in place and she would transfer me to a colleague. 

After listening very pleasantly to hold music (on the premium rate phone line, using a mobile) for a few minutes, her supervisor came on the phone trying to help ME book a journey for over 100 cars.  OK, so I've patiently explained what the rally is, that it's being run by Scumrun Limited, all booked and arranged by Mr White, and I just want to pay for 1 car and 2 people.  This is a bit confusing to operator 2 (theoretically higher up the P&O food chain than operator 1), who has again very politely told me that no such arrangements are in place and if I was organising such a large group without an account I would need to pay for the entire entrants.  I have patience.  I have an understanding that people without hope, dreams aspirations or imagination work in call centers and adhere strictly to their script and any deviation sends them off work for several weeks with a case of stress.  I also have a mobile phone on a premium rate line trying to convince dumb & dumber that they can take my payment if they look in the right bit of the computer.  Then, with a flash of genius, number 2 has a fantastic idea...  Why don't I speak to Lisa in the department that arranges this sort of thing?

Brilliant.  Why dont they transfer me to the person who actually might know something, in the department that specialises in exactly what I'm trying to do?  Why has it taken this long for the cloud of stupidity to pass and give a bit of clarity?  Grrrrrrr.  On hold, listening to a bit of Swing Jazz, pleasant piece involving the word "sea" quite often, then a voice...  Erm, she's not available. 

They took my number and said someone would call back.  Normally I'm quite happy that number taken, query made, I'm going to get a call back.  This time, pretty sure Hamster brains over there would have eaten my number, looked at the sky and forgotten she was in a call center and I would hear no more so I mailed Ed @ Scumrun with a concise, polite summary.  He mailed straight back (copying in the P&O organiser) said should all be ok.  Within 2 minutes, Lisa phoned me back, apologised on behalf of the DENSA candidates that answered and took my booking advising cheerfully that there was no debit card booking fee.  If I had paid by credit card, I would have been charged £4.  If the halfwits had been able to take my booking then I wouldnt be looking at £12 worth of phone bill!!!!

Anyway, booked.  Dover - Calais at stupid O'Clock on the morning of the new royal wedding.  Groovy.

That's the most recent bit covered and I'm now trying to recall anything else of note over the last couple of weeks. 

We now have all 4 wheels the same colour (would have been 5 but I ran out of paint).  After quite a large amount of time trying, I managed to get the fourth wheel off.  This mystery shaped additional locking wheel nut was nothing of the sort.  Having smacked it, whacked it tried to wrench it, desperation sank in and I tried pitifully to reach in with some long nosed pliers in the last ditch hope of desperation that these pliers had a touch of Harry Potteresque magic charged inside of them.  Guess what.  It worked.  I have spent countless hours trying to get this strange sized fitment to release and it came off with a little "pop".  Turns out it was just a silver cap on there to make it look pretty.  Grumpy about it, but it's off, painted, inflated and ready to go back on. 

Other news, got an email from HSP and they're playing with the first run of graphics now, with full sponsor livery going on end December / start Jan.  This leads me neatly to my next subject, to those who have paid for advertising, I have contacted you all seperately advising receipts going out some days ago, I promise that these will be with you by the end of the week.

Think thats pretty much it for now, but if you need to get in touch with us about anything, please do so by:

emailing:  floppythrottle@live.co.uk

donate:  www.justgiving.com/floppythrottle

This updates blog hero:

No-one. 

Throw £2 or more in the just giving fund and you (or your company) might get the Blog Hero for next time round.  Or go for £20 and get your name on the car.  This blog is now getting between 600-700 hits per update so thats quite a bit of advertising simply by being mentioned guys and gals.

Catch you later.

Savage.