A Scally Review - Day 0

15/10 Thursday morning. So day 0 ends with a bang - literally!. The alarm goes off at 3am having had around 5hrs sleep, load the Golf up and pick Mat up at 4am for a 4.15am meet at Mcd's. We set off for Holyhead to get the 10.15 ferry to Dun Laoghaire. The weather's good and we have a nice run up to Holyhead, 4hrs 30 mins and 270 miles. The car's running great considering its only done 15 miles in the previous 4 months!!. We arrive at Holyhead and join the queue for the ferry, lanes are closed so no worries, time for breakfast. We spot the golden arches 5min walk up the road so we set off leaving the car in the queue. A double sausage mcmuffin, hash brown and OJ go down well so we walk back to the car to find it all alone, the lanes have opened and everyone has driven around us!!. We get through check-in and immediately find ourselves pulled into the security check area - do they honestly think that we are going to be carrying anything suspicious in a car covered in decals and hammerite numbers?!?. The security guy asks us if its our car - yes, if we packed our bags ourselves - yes, if we are carrying knives - yes but in the toolbox we didn't have to use!, and bizzarely if we are carrying fireworks!?!. Hilarious!!. We then get in the wrong lane for the ferry and have to jump the queue to get on, I'm convinced at this point that Sam is winding us up from on high. After just over 2hrs on the ferry we arrive in Ireland, we leave the ferry terminal and we are on our way. The route planner proves no good at all - Thanks AA!, thankfully we spot our first scally car - Team 66, 'the flaming stuttgarts', and with that the chase is on. We follow as quickly as possibly their Mercedes, its quick and we have to jump a red light to keep on their tail. Luckily they spot us as we get out of Dublin and with a quick flash of the hazards we start our 2 car convoy. A quick fuel stop, cream cakes, and we are on our way again reaching Belfast in good time. We find our hotel, check in and hit the bar - we need a beer!. Quick shower, then we head for the Crown Bar for registration. The pub is packed with fellow scalliers and the introductions commence, needing food we discuss where to go but standing outside with my beer it all goes horribly wrong. A wobble then BANG, blackout, ambulance and 3hrs in Belfast City Hospital A&E for a cut eye - Great. Now Belfast A&E is like a warzone on a Thursday night so god knows what its like on a weekend, thankfully I don't wait to find out. Back to the hotel @ 1am, no stitches, and a few hours sleep before a 6am start for our first Scally Rally. Mileage total - 400 miles.