Tamworth Meet Part 2 - January 20, 1996
These are links to Emma's Tamworth 2 photos. All are in JPEG format. They are all single
downloadable image files exept here where you will find them
all as inline graphics on one page.
From: [email protected] (Roadwart)
Roadwarts' Log, Date 20/1/96, Time 07:30
Mike Oldfield starts blasting out "Tubular Bells II"
I instinctively reach for the remote control for the CD player, Blat a few
buttons & Mike calms down abit. I pull the duvet back over my head & snuggle
up to Sue who is still asleep. I return to my dream. Suddenly a word floats
through my mind. TAMWORTH. I pondered on this word & crashed my B2 Stealth
bomber into a canyon wall & reawaken with a start. The meet, thats what it
meant. I wake Sue, shower,dress & trot down the hallway to wake Flyer2 &Julie
(who I had collected the previous evening).
I then pottered about the house with my dog in tow, thinking that she was
coming too. Checked the car was ok for the journey (Tyres, water, tapes etc.)
& wandered back into the house. By this time, Sue was also up & making tea &
toast for us all. We polished off the toast, quickly slurped our tea & piled
into the car.
09:15
Off we go! Onto the A22 & head in the direction of the M23. Having said that,
I was so busy singing (read wailing) along to "Blockbuster" by Sweet, that I
missed the M23. Damn! Anyway, we get to the M25, only to find ourselves in the
middle of the widening scheme & restricted to 50 mph for about 6 miles.
Roadworks behind us, I let the speedo creep up to 85, slowing to 80 for the
occassional GATSO camera (just to be on the safe side) & onto the M1.
11:00 (ish)
Stop at some services for... erm... bodily services, tea, for Sue to regain
the feeling in her legs & to allow Fl2 to stretch his legs too, as he had
about 2" of legroom behind my seat.
11:30
Leave the services & decide that we will be a little late, about 15 mins or
so. Joined the A5 & immediately got stuck behind a truck going so slooow, I
was forced into 1st gear & watch the engine temp rise steadily until the fan
cut in (Phew!). Zapped past the truck & failed dismally at making up the lost
time. Arrived at Tamworth & tried to find a carpark. Sue then spotted the
cinema & I tried to find my way into the carpark. Found a space in the Multi-
storey, sorted out Sues chair & zipped along to the cinema.
12:45
Wandered into the cinema & saw a mottley bunch hanging around the amusements.
Sue recongnised Cma from her piccy on the web page, so over we went &
introduced ourselves & appologised for being late. I guessed the the geezer
with short, dark hair & ripped jeans was Friday, it was. We were then
introduced to Reke, Emma & Adam, Nick, Razzie & Razzies infamous gobstopper
(only joking). No sooner had we arrived, we were being whisked off to the
pizza place. We all piled in the door & waited to be seated. Cma recognised
the waitress & asked for a table for 11. There was some confusion over who was
sitting where, so I barged in with Sue in her wheelchair & sat down. Friday &
Reke had garlic mushrooms that were, for some reason we couldn't work out, not
suitable for vegetarians. Then the pizzas arrived & everyone tucked in except
Nick, who wasn't eating. Sue & I just had garlic bread with cheese, Julie had
something that looked like a huge pasty, but it was really a folded pizza
thingy.
14:00 (ish)
Food scoffed, it was off into the fresh air. The general concensus was to go
to the bowling alley & play Sega Rally ( as Friday wanted to get his own back
on Nick). We wove our way through the Saturday afternoon shoppers towards the
Bowling alley, stopping briefly for lottery tickets (by the way, did anyone
win?) & for everyone to moan at me for forgetting to turn Sue round to face
the group (Sorry sweetheart). Reke, Sue & myself had a chat about Rekes
car & how was it possible to get his 6ft or so frame into a car meant for
Japanese dwarves. Having arrived at the bowling alley, we decided it would be
prudent to check the lane availability. This bit of foresight on some-ones
part ( I can't remember who, but well done!) paid off, as the earliest we
could get 2 lanes was 5:30. With the lanes booked, the group started drifting
towards the stairs that led to the amusements upstairs. I helped Sue onto her
crutches, folded up the chair & Friday picked it up & ran up the mountain of
stairs. The rest of us followed at a more sedate pace, making sure Sue kept
her balance. We meandered into the arcade & were strangely drawn to the far
end. This is where the Sega Rally & Daytona machines were housed, urging us
all to take out second morgages. Many games were played, too many to count,
and there was much wailing & gnashing of teeth as I was continually piled into
the walls & banks by everyone including myself. Most games were won by Friday,
pleasing him immensly.
Time passes (playing yet more rally & daytona)....
17:15
We all wander down to the bowling alley & await our lanes. With the lanes
free, we then proceeded to cause havoc at the pay desk as the money was in
dribs & drabs. Armed with some well groovey shoes (NOT!), I fought a battle
with Sues chair & 2 poxy steps down to the bowling area. Bowling balls where
bowled, skidded, hurled & flung down the 2 lanes at a frightening pace. Reke,
Adam, Emma, Nick & I must have had a detrimental effect on our lane, as the
pin setting machine froze on numerous occassions. Razzie appeared to be at a
disadvantage as he appeared to be left-handed & most of his bowls seemed to go
accross the lane rather than straight down it. Adam had a decidedly erm...
"unique" way of bowling that worked surprisingly well. With all balls
launched, We all traipsed back upstairs for yet more motoring mayhem. Reke had
a go on the R360 & then has the piss ripped out of him by Friday about only
shooting 22 enemy. Friday, for some reason, did not show Reke how it should be
done. By this time we had fragmented into small groups, playing varous games &
just sitting around chatting.
20:30 (ish)
Pennyless, we leave the arcade & wander back towards the carpark. Everybody
seems to be thinking about leaving, So various goodbyes are said & we wander
back into the carpark to get our cars. Friday, Emma & Adam charge off up the
ramp towards Fri's car, as we search for the lift. we find it, *locked*. We
find another lift, also locked. So off we set, up the car ramps, passing the
others on the way. Car found, we set about piling in. As I unlock the boot,
Friday comes steaming past & there is a beeping of a car horn, which does not
deminish in volume as the white Fiat disappear from view. Its now I realise
its my own alarm going off! I must have zapped it twice & rearmed it, D'OH!
Car sorted, we set off for the journey home. We find a sign saying: Left A5
Nuneaton. Right: A5 Nuneaton. (= I go left, travel about 2 miles & horror of
horrors, the oil light came on. (Damn, I knew I'd forgotten something). I
pulled into the first layby to check the dipstick. It was clean! "Oh no!" I
thought, then noticed we were on an incline. Jumped back into the car & headed
foor the first garage I could find. At the top of the slope, the light went
off & I started to breathe a little easier. Sue & Julie then pointed out that
we were in fact going the wrong way! Turned round & found Tamworth services. I
then checked the oil again, still clean, so in goes a litre of oil & off we go
again, stopping at the Toddington Services for refreshments. I then had a
"discussion" with FL2 about speed cameras taking away the element of chance
with speeding. Just to prove the point, I drove though the 50mph limit at 65
(Oooh, you rebel :) ).
01:30 Sunday morning
Arrive, safe & sound, at my humble abode & have problems parking the car. We
all troop in & FL2 & Julie trundle off to bed.
01:40
I am interupted from checking mail by FL2 asking if I could mail Cma coz he
couldn't find his specs.
01: 45
Mailing done, I am accosted by FL2 again. This time asking me to mail Cma
again, thsi time to tell her not to bother about his specs, as he had found
them, on the window sill, where he had put them when he walked in.
01:50
Crawl into bed, drink tea & watch some TV with Sue, before drifting off to
sleep after a great day.
Here endeth the (long, sorry peeps) Road Report.
Disclaimer: All events are as perceived by Sue & myself, not as a group.
PS. whens the next one?
