Gumball 2005 story

This years Gumball was a totally different experience from last year. I knew from the attention we got in Waterloo Place that it would get more exposure and more people would show an interest, but I didn’t expect to be signing autographs for people and have grown men asking to have there picture taken with me. What’s all that about?

We left London around 7pm and after taking a wrong turn and heading the completely wrong direction (we were on the Kings road in Chelsea, you must remember we are Northerners) we finally made it to the M20. People were on every bridge cheering us on which encouraged the Gumballers to go fast. We were just laughing at seeing Chaz and Dave get pulled by the OB that we failed to see the police car at our side gesturing us to pull over. The policeman’s comments were along the lines of ‘I was doing 140 mph and you were pulling away from me!”. As it happens we got clocked at 123mph, and would you believe we were half a mile from the slip road for the Chunnel. However, we did manage to get some gumball stickers on the police car.

What greeted us in Belgium I can only describe as unbelievable. It was 2-3am and the streets were lined with thousands of people taking pictures and asking for autographs. We struggled to get through to the checkpoint due to the amount of people on the streets and around the Chateaux. Once there we had a quick bite, a call of nature, then back on the road. We took it easy through Belgium as word was out that the police here would come down hard if caught speeding. Once in Germany and it was plain sailing.

Got to Prague around lunchtime where we sank a few well earned beers. After an hours kip and a bite to eat it was out to sample the nightlife of Prague. Ourselves, Chaz and Dave in the 911 (car 40) and Bill and Gary in the Cateram 7 found a lovely club with a few pretty women vying for our attention. Here we stayed for a couple of hours. When we left the streets were crammed with people (Sparta Prague had just won the league) and our taxi was nearly bounced off the road by hundreds of supporters. Got back to the hotel and hit the bar. The next morning word was out that the OB were pulling up every Gumballer at the end of the one way street and breathlising them with on the spot fines if over the limit. It was time to taken evasive Gumball action!! Once at the exit of the carpark I got Paul to go to the other end on the one way street to stop the traffic and we made our get away the wrong way up the street. Vienna bound!!

The journey to Viennna was great. However, both ourselves and Chaz and Dave got pulled for speeding at the same time. To our delight they got fined 300 Euros and us a mere 35 Euros. Quality! We were greeted in Vienna with similar scenes to that of Begium. It took us over an hour just to get through the thousands of people to get to the palace for lunch. A quick break then on to Budapest. We got to th Hungoring race track mid afternoon and took the oportunity to go round the track etc. After a few hours we headed for the hotel in the centre of Budapest. Here there was a party and dinner organised in the Turkish baths which we declined and just had dinner in the hotel with Chaz and Dave (car 40) Ant and Pete (BMW D3) and Moz and Rob in the Carrera GT.

Early morning and back on the road headed for the Krka National Park in Croatia. Amusingly, border control did’nt want to see our passports here, instead wheel spins and doughnuts were the order of the day and we were only too happy to oblige. A spot of lunch at the National Park (another buffet) then proceeded to Dubrovnik taking in the breathtaking scenes of the Dalmation coast. Here we hooked up with Jodie and Aiden in there Murcielago, Moz and Rob in the Carrera GT and Ant and Pete in the BMW D3 and we kept the same convoy for the remainder of the week. Some hair raising driving then took place along these mountain roads.

7pm and into Dubrovnik town square where a now familiar sight of crowds of people greeted us. Had a few beers and a buffet (again!). 9pm then off to the overnight ferry headed for Bari. A chance to wind down, have a few beers before hesding off to our bunk beds. Awoke the next morning at dawn to find the battery flat on the Ferrari. After sorting out our cameras and getting a jump start from the Diesel Boys we were on the road to Sicily. On the way there were, what seemed like, hundreds of miles of roadworks. Nightmare! we failed to get over 100kmh most of the way to the next ferry crossing.

Once in Sicily we could boot it again and at one point, when we lost half our convoy, we took the oporunity to do some doughnuts in a layby while the others caught up. I’m sure you can see the footage on www.antandpete.co.uk. We arrived at the hotel Timeo arond 4.30pm which gave us chance to chill by the pool and grab a couple of beers. The hotel was fantastic which backed onto a Roman Ampitheatre and had Mount Etna as a backdrop. Later that evening we used Moz’s Italian roots and knowledge to find us a quality fish restaurant - I don’t think any one of us could’ve faced another buffet.

Back on the road the next morning headed for Rome. Once on the mainland we again battled the roadworks and then hit heavy rain. This took one or two drivers by surprise, non moreso than the Ozzies in car 92 in their 355. They aqua planed and wrote off the front and back of the car after hitting the crash barrier. Fortunatly, both driver and co-pilot were okay. I was later to hear that exactly the same happened to Moz and Rob in the Carrera GT. However, they managed to get back on the road with the help of some gaffer tape.

Arrived in Rome at 8pm. Had a row with the OB outside the hotel. A**ehole! Had a shower then went to McDonalds for some tea (still not up to another buffet). Drank into the night and got to bed around 5am. We had a late start in the morning and our convoy were the last to leave Rome. Nod’s played up to the crowds and decided to do some doughnuts in the roundabout outside the hotel. What he did’nt notice was the policeman directing traffic about 15 yards away. Sorry officer!!!

The previous night our convoy had decided to abort the checkpoint in florence and again, followed Moz’s Italian knowledge and went for some lunch in Tuscany. Here we sampled the fine Chianti’s of the region and a selection of local cuisine. A few more doughnuts in this sleepy village square then another 400 miles to Monaco for the grand finale.

We arrived late into Monaco and tried to get to Casino Square. No chance!! The police here were having none of it. In the end we just got ushered into a car park then onto the tender for the Gumball ship. No grand finale whatsoever. Once on the Gumball ship we found, to our complete shock, that they had ran out of beer - it was 11.30pm for gods sake. Well, there was only one thing for it - the fizz. Sank a few bottle of the stuff and got to bed around 4am.

The next day we chilled and awaited our 80ft boat that we had chartered. Had some lunch in the marina at Port Vielle then took the boat out with some fellow Gumballers. We then got ourselves ready for the final party on the Gumball boat. The party was okay but livened up when Pete decides to let off the fire hose from the balcony above over the revellers on the dancefloor. An early morning followed another late night and it was time to say farewell to our fellow Gumballers. We, however, had the luxury of our boat for the following few days and managed to take it close to the tunnel to see the F1 fly by.

The next few days allowed us to catch our breath and gather our thoughts on the previous 7 days. Once again we had taken part in something, that for all it’s niggly, annoying traits, has to be one of the most fantastic experiences of a lifetime.

Roll on next year!

Dean