> This article is a bit of a work-in-progress, I'll add photos later ... be patient please, I'm not a great writer...
My Arcade Adventure began around 4pm on Friday the 3rd of February 2017. I drove to St Albans in the United Kingdom to pick up a 7.5T HGV, it's not my first time (by a long shot!) but it's just as exciting every single time. Funnily enough, this particular HGV is one I've hired before ~ so we have arcade history together (which is nice!) Now time to get this show on the road...
First off I have to drive the lorry back to Northampton which is completely the opposite direction to what I want to go in ~ North instead of South towards Folkestone for the tunnel. Unfortunately I have to stop off at my storage facility first and sign a contract for a brand new unit as I'm more or less out of space in all the others ~ as I’m rushing there I totally wish that I’d sorted this out the day before, it’s a massive inconvenience and there’s no way I can sort it out on my return, it’ll be well after they close on the Sunday evening ~ I’ve planned this all out meticulously but there are always some lose ends… Then the first set back, there’s an accident on the motorway and it’s already quite clogged from rush hour ~ it starts to look like I’ll miss the office opening hours for the storage unit! I phone them in a panic, maybe there’s something they can do … Thankfully the storage unit manager is an AMAZING guy! I miss the 6pm closing time by a good 35 minutes and the manager offers to stay behind for me even though it's a Friday night and there’s a good amount of paperwork that needs filing. I’m very grateful!
Once that’s all sorted I head back home to pick up a machine to be delivered which I have in my garage. It takes me a good while to get the cab out, it's extremely heavy and behind a Frogger (which is very hard to move as there's nothing to grab onto; “Why Sega, why?!”) ... and this takes me far longer than it should
It’s now getting VERY late and I’m massively behind schedule.
Not hanging around I then finally begin the drive South only I have to stop off at another of my storage facilities as I've two more machines to be delivered. Disaster strikes ... I can't find one of the machines! I'm searching all the units for it hunting high and low and then OH NO! I've discovered another machine that's supposed to be delivered, one I'd completely forgotten I'd picked up! It's a Jukebox and it's not completely huge but sadly, I'd done all my planning based on having a certain number of machines in the lorry ~ this is potentially going to make things very difficult, hopefully I’ve over compensated for the size of the machines ... Anyways, I spend far too long searching for the missing machine only to find that I've put it right at the back of one of the units, I can only just see it!!! This is a disaster as well as I really need to get back out on the road again. Well there’s little choice and I have to do this, so I start shifting machines ~ I have to move out an Atari 720, Neo Geo Lordsvale cabaret, Pac-Land and Track and Field in order to get to it ... and then move them all back in again. By now I'm getting pretty tired and had skipped dinner thinking I'd stop on the way; it’s far, far too late now and there’s simply no chance of stopping at all ~ the whole way down to Paris else I’m potentially going to be late…
But at least I’m all loaded up now and although it's now very late ... 9:30pm or so ... I can finally begin the long drive down to Folkestone. It's at times like this, you start questioning yourself, "why didn't I leave earlier?", "why didn't I get the cabs ready before I left?", "why am I stuck in traffic now it’s so late?!!” It's not a pleasant journey down even though it’s late, there’s a lot of Friday evening traffic on the motorway and several roadworks where I come to a complete standstill. I don't end up boarding the Eurotunnel until 2am ~ this is going to be a very very long night.
The freight version of the Eurotunnel is very different to the passenger version, it’s quite something to see. Rather than have everyone stay in their vehicles everyone is picked up in a bus and driven to a front carriage where we’re all crammed in together with a couple of (usually) broken toilets and some weird and expensive snack machines. The reason for this is that the train is not enclosed like the passenger version, it’s just an open metal framework structure that you drive into and everything is completely exposed. It’s quite a sight to see the thing and terrifying the first time you do it as the metal kerbs are very tight driving on and there’s very little in the way of anyone or anything telling you what you’re supposed to be doing once you’re parked up. Anyways, the very first thing I do on arrival into Calais when manoeuvring off the last carriage is to glance at my passenger side wing mirror, which … is now gone! It’s just not there anymore! All I see is the upper blind spot mirror and the insides of the main part, the rest of it is probably laying in the channel tunnel somewhere! This is a bit of a blow as I never normally bother to take out the extra insurance … and well, I need that damn mirror!!! This is going to make things a little more tricky than usual.
So far every time I've gone down to Paris in an HGV (which is restricted to 55mph/ 90kmh) I've ended up driving straight through the night, and every single time I say to myself that I'm never going to do it again. Next time, if there is a next time, I feel that even more preparation is required!… I drive all the way down only stopping for fuel just before Charles De Gaulle, and arriving just after 8am at the warehouse (Europe being an hour ahead) ~ I try and get some sleep but it's a cold February morning and it’s soon absolutely freezing in the HGV, I do manage maybe half an hour or so, and am awoken by Valentin tapping on the window at 9am sharp! It's good to see him and we have a nice chat inside the HGV ~ I must have sounded incomprehensible, my brain isn't quite in gear for a lot of the conversation. I really need waking up and very soon the warehouse owner turns up, so we get straight to work there are a lot of machines to move!
I reverse the HGV back up and Valentin guides me into the bay then we get to work playing Tetris with loading the machines. It seems to be going quite well at first, but then another disaster ... the Jukebox really has pushed the space limit over the edge and there simply isn't enough room ... we discuss what to do for a while; we take cabs out, put them back in, move them round, turn them around, nope ... it really isn't gonna cut it! We do this LOTS and LOTS until Valentin suggests something smart ~ we get the warehouse guy to pick up a machine with a forklift and load it on top of some of the others. We try the Track and Field cocktail at first but nope, it's too tall (and surprisingly heavy). Then we try the Tron cabaret, which thankfully is perfect! It slides right in atop the machines in the middle and has plenty of room to clear the up and over door! I stress a little about getting it down again without a forklift but well, it's a cabaret so it's fairly light. Myself and Valentin secure it with some straps ~ it feels a little scary but it’s really not going anywhere now.
I set off to visit Zamoth at Coin-Op Legacy; he's kindly been storing a machine for a guy in the UK and I'm going to take it back for him. Myself and Valentin have allowed space for this extra machine but it’s only guesswork and I’m truly concerned about it fitting in okay after all the mishaps I’ve had so far… All my worries go away once I arrive though, it’s very good to see Zamoth and we chat for ages and tour round his new machines
I love visiting Coin-op Legacy so much!!! I wish I could spend longer here but unfortunately there was a nasty accident on the motorway getting here and it’s cost me dearly in time. Thankfully the rain starts to subside and we bring out the Defender cab to be delivered to the UK ~ my first amount of luck happens ~ it slides right in! Now onwards, I have some deliveries to make!
What with the cab Tetris, the motorway accident (and another getting out of Paris too ~ a car is on fire on the opposite carriageway) I’m now leaving VERY late for my first delivery. The Sat Nav tells me I’m going to be some two hours later than I anticipated, so I let Christophe know and drive straight up to Belgium with no time for any (long) stops. Once I'm finally out of Paris it's actually a really nice drive! Good to be driving in the daylight now and great to see some sunshine finally. Thankfully there's zero traffic after Paris ~ it's though everyone in France has gone to visit Paris for the weekend! I have to stop several times along the way for a quick coffee and fuel as I’m rather fatigued now and each stop helps me recharge myself somewhat… Even with all the stops, the two hours I was due to be over (which maybe was based more on traffic hold ups nearer my destination which probably cleared up before I reached them) disappear from my Sat Nav completely and I arrive pretty much when I originally said I would, although far more hungry and tired than planned! I make my first wrong turn and end up having a nice tour around where Christophe lives ~ it’s very beautiful here! Lots of castles and cobbled streets which are a little scary in the HGV especially with the Tron cabaret balanced atop the other machines (!) and I find the house just fine, although have to drive round the block a few times to get parked well in the narrow street (was a little nervous about pulling onto his driveway as it was especially dark and the HGV is rather long). It’s a good feeling delivering machines as there’s a wonderful sense of excitement for people when they get them. Christophe and his son are very excited! We lift the BurgerTime into his house and then have dinner with his family
This is so extremely kind and welcoming, I am so bowled over by their generosity. We have never met before and I am filthy from arcade dirt and diesel pumps and probably quite stinky as it’s been hard work! We chat and laugh and after some dessert, I have a tour of his lovely games room. As is always the case with trips like this, and unfortunately due to an early start on Sunday ~ I can’t stay too long. Although the offer of somewhere to sleep is extremely tempting, my tight schedule just doesn’t allow for it. And so I begin another long drive heading North…
With some amazing wholesome home-cooked food inside me the drive is long but easy, I stop around an hour from my destination at a truck stop ~ it’s after 2am now so I get some sleep, I’ll have to be on the road again by 6am… It’s an uncomfortable sleep, I actually woke up at 5am or so just out of sheer coldness … Christophe made me a packed lunch bag, which is so very thoughtful and I’m very glad of it right now, and devour it eagerly while I wait for the truck to warm up
And so back out on the road!
It’s still very dark and I’m so very close to my destination with only six miles to go when suddenly there’s an enormous BANG! The front passenger-side tyre has burst! This probably should be more terrifying but TBH, it’s happened to me before on a motorbike and this feels decidedly less “thrilling” (!) it’s followed by the thud-thud-thud-thud sound of the wheel and tyre battling to get any kind of grip on the road surface but just flapping around uncontrollably. I immediately pull onto the hard shoulder which is very difficult in such a heavy vehicle, I wrestle with the steering wheel to avoid it pulling to the left and trundle carefully to a controlled stop tapping the brakes gently ~ you can’t brake too fast else you lose control, and the slower you get the harder it tries to veer. So here I am … on a tight schedule and now stuck with my hazard lights flashing on the side of a motorway. This is not good … I phone the hire company, then the AA, then a European Assistance company ~ thankfully this is all fairly easy if a little on the expensive side (the hire company only pay for part of it), so now the hard part ~ I’d organised to pick up a very rare machine, literally the only known version in the world and I only had a tiny window of opportunity to pick it up. I’ve blown it… I curse my luck, why couldn’t this have happened after I picked it up!!! I’m tired and not thinking clearly … Why did this have to happen at all??? It’s a bit of a low point. I’d been heading to meet Marco, so I let him know what’s happened, I was supposed to be dropping off his machines before picking up my own.
The only good thing to come of the puncture is that my time is now my own and I can spend a little longer with Marco. I always feel terrible about having to rush off so quickly so it’s a nice stop, and we chat and look round his machines. Plus it’s actually daylight for a change and a nice bright day too; we decide to start unloading to bring his machines into his storage unit. Then I open the HGV and remember the small issue of the Tron cabaret being now a little in the way! Thankfully Marco asks a guy for some help and he’s happy to, so after making some room the three of us slide the cab to it’s feet on the floor of the truck and it’s a huge relief for all of us once it touches down. There’s zero way I’d have been able to do this on my own, and I’m sure that even with two it would have been difficult, three people thankfully does it although it was still difficult enough! We continue to unload and Marco has a few things for me too
Once all strapped up and sorted out, it’s time to get back on the road again. I try contacting the guy about the other machine a few times but he did say he wouldn’t be available, so I’m not overly surprised when he doesn’t respond ~ he totally did say that he’d be on the road himself by now… And it’s fine, it’s just bad luck and not the end of the world ~ he’d mentioned that it’s possible to ship it, it’s just annoying that I was so damn close to him and with space in the truck too.
The weather varies a lot on this part of the journey and both me and the HGV are struggling a little it feels, I have to stop quite a lot for coffee and fuel. My eyelids are getting really heavy and at times I feel like I’m fighting to concentrate on the road. It begins to rain around Belgium and just before I pass back into France the sky opens and the rain is suddenly torrential… It’s so bad that I’m having trouble even seeing the lane markings on the road, strangely though … I’m almost a little thankful for this as it makes me a lot more focused and alert again, although the puncture is still pretty fresh in my memory and it occurs to me that it wouldn’t be very nice for that to happen right now what with the weather and the current extremely narrow hard shoulder on this part of the motorway. I stop less and less, and after what feels like an eternity I reach Calais again. It’s getting late so no time for any proper food again, although thankfully boarding the train doesn’t take anywhere near as long as it did on the way out (maybe because it’s a nice quiet Sunday evening?) and also for once, the first time, I don’t get stopped by border control and have to go through one of their scanners. Although the crossing is fairly short, I sleep through the entirety of it - I don’t even remember going underground!
Back in the UK and with another 45 minutes of sleep under my belt I drive back up to Northampton, I don’t have Monday off work so I absolutely need to unload tonight! It’s unavoidable really, and just bad timing with things that are going on at work, it really can’t be helped. It takes some three hours or so to get there, and it’s now just after 11pm. A big sigh and I get to work! Thankfully it’s dry here so I start unloading everything and as it’s so late (and really dark!) I just start stacking the machines along the wall inside the storage facility. This place is new to me and unfortunately I could only get larger units on the 3rd floor … so I have to load two machines into the lift at a time … I wish it wasn’t so late, this is extremely painful with so many cabs. The good news though is that the main unit is a perfect size across and can fit four cabs really nicely. I was expecting to have to lose a bunch of space but I do manage to fit all the cabs into one unit. There’s a little manoeuvring around to be done as there are a few cabs which are either not mine (the Defender), or sold/ potentially sold already so I make sure they’re easy to get to. I think I got home at just after 2am, annoyingly as well it took a little longer than usual as the main dual carriageway which connects my house with the storage units was completely closed for an entire junction and the detour wasn’t exactly HGV friendly… Still home and parked up now there’s only one more job to do before I can sleep, and that’s clear out the truck. I take zero care with this, and just slam everything everywhere inside the house … I’m so glad my girlfriend isn’t home, it’s not entirely disability friendly! Tired and dirty I finally get to sleep at 2:30am, it’s been a long trip and I have only two hours sleep before I have to get up and take the HGV back and then get to work. It’s a great two hours sleep though! Everything is done, away and finished ~ the last part, just taking the lorry back, is easy now and although it’s been possibly the hardest journey yet TBH I’d do it all over again. There’s nothing quite like getting on the road and meeting people who share a passion for our stupid hobby of collecting games the size of refrigerators. It might well defy belief to some people, the owner of a storage unit once said to me with quite seriousness “I hate to bring this up, but my boyfriend said ~ have you heard of MAME? You don’t need to have all these!”, but it’s our stupid hobby and I love it and the wonderful people that I meet along my travels.
Until the next time
