20th Anniversary UK RoadTrip : Dragon's Lair II, the return!

[DarthNuno]

After all these years of collecting arcade games (+25 years), finding the ones I absolutely wanted to own but also getting many from the what I call the "nice to have" list, I didn't think I'll once again get the road to drive so far for getting an additional cabinet!
So what cabinet is still missing in my 'collection' (although I do not collect arcade games anymore strictly speaking)? And what do I mean by driving so far?
Well, this time -and for the very first time- I'm going to take my car and leave the European Union, to go outside the Schengen area...I'm going to United Kingdom!


[click picture]

Sure, this is not the first time I'm doing a road trip to UK, but this gonna be the first one I'll do after the Brexit, so technically I'll the first time outside European Union!  but the fact is... it's gonna be my...

20th UK Road Trip Anniversary

It's time to remind myself of all these trips to England over the past 20 years...

1. Dragon's Lair 2, Star Wars cockpit (2005)
2. Space Ace (2006)
3. Rolling Thunder (2007)
4. Space Harrier (2007)
5. Daytona USA (2007)
6. Computer Space (2007)
7. Guitar Freaks (2007)
8. APB (2007)
9. Battlezone (2007)
10. Galaga, Spy Hunter, Radarscope, Zaxxon, Super Bug (2007)
11. Return of the Jedi (2008)
12. Pac Man Jr, Gyruss (2008)
13. Ms Pac Man (2008)
14. Burger Time (2009)
15. Ghosts'n'Goblins, Moon Patrol (2009)
16. Darth Maul and Han Solo life size (2010)
17. Wacko (2011)
18. Starhawk, Condor [DUKE OF LANCASTER raid!) (2012)
19. Firefox cockpit (2014)

What can I say by looking at this list?

- 2007 was a crazy year! (8 UK road trips)
- my last UK road trip was done 10 years ago
- 19 is not a good number

So what could be the game that would deserve another 'massive' road trip?    Well...

A few years ago, for various reasons I went through a phase of disinterest of this hobby. I think a lot of old collectors have gone through this phase. I have favoured other activities and decided to slow down everything arcade related. I had the opportunity to sell some of my games. I don't regret selling these games, apart from two or three titles.. and Dragon's Lair 2 is one of them. On a positive note, my Dragon's Lair 2 went to a very good person/well know collector.

So when I see the ad from Darren 'Dazza' for the sale of a Dragon's Lair 2, I said to myself :

- Here's an opportunity to get back a Dragon's Lair 2 cabinet, and so having back in my game room the full "Bluth Trilogy" cabinets (Dragon's Lair + Dragon's Lair 2 + Space Ace)


(picture of my "Bluth Trilogy" row of cabs before selling my DL2...)

- I'll hit the 20th UK road trip in my counter
- I'll have a nice project to work on (as you'll see, there'll be a lot of work!)
- I'll meet Darren again (and possibly Jason 'FinnyUK'), 18 years after the legendary Dragon's Lair Euro Fans Meeting


(click on picture for the meeting report)

In no time I immediately get in touch with Darren, asking him more details. Unfortunately, as the cabinet is not located at his place, I had to figure out its condition with only these pictures :







For sure a non working one, damaged and missing parts... but I'm totally fine with that, deal done! 
And to be fair, I'm more buying my 20th UK road trip than buying a cabinet (just kidding... or not?) 

The number "20"... how crazy is that? ->

- I'll do this 20th UK road trip 20 years (or so) later after my first UK road trip
- For this 20th UK road trip, I'll pick up the same game I got during my first UK road trip : a Dragon's Lair 2  the circle is complete!

...when the stars align! 

Sunday 7th of July 2024... one day before departure

Going to UK since the Brexit happened is not as easy...
A visa is required to travel to UK. Mine is still available, thanks for my last trip to Las Vegas a couple of months ago.
I expect to have problems at customs if I bring back some merchandises... especially with such items like a vintage arcade cabinet, sometime quite difficult to describe to a customs officer.
So I got with me a bill of sale that describes the 'item' (non working, incomplete, for parts,...), with the price, and also a bank account statement that shows the same amount. This should satisfy customs officiers in the event of in-depth investigations.
Finally, I also got a Dragon's Lair 2 arcade flyer to picture the game if the Customs officers really do not know what I'm talking about!  I also *may have*  a special plan with that flyer... 
Oh, a part of the deal with Darren was also to bring him a couple of Belgian beers 



This is the Italy/Elettronolo version of the cabinet. The same model I sold years ago.
This cabinet version of Dragon's Lair 2 seems slightly different in term of shape/size than the others cabinets versions (US or UK).
I use to check the cabinet dimensions on the flyer of the game, but obviously no flyer was released for the Italy/Elettronolo version? Can someone confirm?
But it should fits. I'm getting some tools in case of disassembling :



Monday 8th of July 2024... the D day

It's very early ... 5h00am ... it's summer, and the sun is already starting to rise
 


First leg of this tour is the travel from my home (in South Belgium) to Le Shuttle (euro tunnel terminal) at Calais (France) 



For my road tripper' statistic   



Official departure time -> 5h16am (4h16am UK time)

For this Journey, I'm accompanied by a new mascot, created by my son 



Do you smell that? Road Trip, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of road trip in the morning.



The Arc Majeur 



Arc Majeur is 60 metres high, 75 metres wide and weighs 200 tonnes. It's the world's largest public work of art made of Corten steel, a material often also used in architecture which combines corrosion resistance, tensile strength and a pleasingly warm appearance. The red-brown patina that develops on its surface is waterproof and does not seep through materials, unlike standard rust. Both parts of the arc are made of 20-metre-long steel segments (three on the larger side, two on the smaller side) that have been fused together with surgical precision. The construction process took into account both the condition of the soil at its final location, vibration caused by heavy traffic and the potential for extreme climatic changes, for example, 200 km/h winds. The base of the sculpture extends to a depth of three metres into the soil. Thus Arc Majeur embodies both a brilliant artistic idea and the highest level of 21st-century technological and scientific know-how (source)

Oh... something really cool will happens in few seconds... 



Ready?



Yeaaaah!!! 



OK, it was more fun to watch in the days of mechanical meters  ...



And what about this Wanlin AC Restaurant located on the E411 motorway, that has witnessed many of my adventures... oh wait, they removed the "AC Restaurant" giant logo on it? All that remains is the frame...everything is disappearing nowadays! 



Leaving Belgium to arrive in the north of France...



We are almost there.... Channel Tunnel sign in sight 



The first entrance :



Nothing to do... the terminal recognizes my license plate...I'm right on time... your recompense is ...no additional charge!   



The first border control. Let's start with the French customs officers...no question or so....



... and then the UK customs officers, with the usual question : who are you? where you go? purpose of the visit? any special merchandises ? Alcohols ?
I explain to them that I'm visiting a friend, possibly visiting a tourist site...and probably will be come back with an arcade machine...
"An arcade machine" said the officer? Yes... I give him the flyer of the cabinet in order to help him to picture it.
The customs officer took the fllyer in his hand and passed it to one of his colleagues who was checking another car.
1 minute later, his colleagues come to me. He gives me back the flyer and says: "I played this game when I was a kid... have a safe trip" 

A couple of minutes to wait before boarding...



During the wait, I'm still thinking about the entire 'scope' of this Journey    The famous flyer I showed the customs officers ... 



Boarding time, head of to LE SHUTTLE...



Ths SHUTTLE that I know very well now, having already taken it ...19 times in nineteen years.  



Le Shuttle trench ..."Stay on target"...



At this point, we are about 75 meters (246 feet) below sea level! 



Let there be light...



...and there was light!



Welcome in UK 



And let me celebrate my triumphant arrival with an appropriate song played... by myself 



(and do not hesitate to have a look/subscribe to my YT guitar channel right here)

[DarthNuno]

Next leg of this roadtrip, going from Folkestone to Chatham.
Cool it's only 57km to drive from here 



M20... Here I'am again 



Although riding on the left side of the road is not that difficult, I still have to be careful, I am not as young and I don't have as much reflex and attention as I did on my first trips here in UK...





And so, only 40 minutes later after my arrival in UK, I'm already on location.   



The cabinet has been stored in this place. It's a company specializes in providing fencing services (such as the supply and installation of fencing panels, security gates, and others fencing products...)

I'm entering the courtyard, and I see the cabinet 



As expected I'll have lot of work to do one that one... 



They say that dust preserves well. Sometimes yes, but not for everything...



Darren 'Dazza' has just arrived. He is the owner of the cabinet, but this is the first time he see his DL2 cabinet for real  So he's also very curious to see what's behind the dust...



Long story short, Darren bought this game 15 years ago, but didn't have room to store it. So FinnyUK (yes, the famous Jason  ) find this location for him. So the cabinet was directly delivery from the previous seller to this place.
By all these years, Darren almost forgot he had this game here, until recently. The game has to move now. He doesn't plan to restore it... so here I am 
Loading time... Will it fit in the car?



Now loaded...and yeah I can close the trunk of the car. This is very good news because it will allow me to go serenely to a very special location



Fortunately I wasn't accompanied by a co-driver for this trip... He would certainly have broken his back sitting in the front     



How cool it was to chat with Darren. We remembered the good memories of the famous Dragon's Lair Euro Fans meeting, back in ...2006! My god how time flies 


[click on the picture to see the report]



Dazza @ EuroDL meeting, after defeating the dragon... back in 2006

So Here we are after having -rather easily- loaded the cab'  



Like a trophy, I have to proudly show this DL2 marquee because I have a little surprise for this... even if it is dirty to the bone and slightly cracked   



It was really nice to meet you again, Darren. 



Too bad I couldn't rest any longer... because... mmwellll...



Decision made! This road trip cannot end with a simple return at home!
Dang, this is my 20th Anniversary UK Road Trip... related to Dragon's Lair... and did you see that advertising for Dragon's Lair I'm holding my in hand?
A Dragon's Lair 2 in the middle of Stonehenge!
And Stonehenge is located UK! Hell yes... but... how far from here?



In terms of distance, Stonehenge is approx 200km from here, but due to some works on the roads, WAZE gives me an estimate of 2h50min of travel time. 
What the hell, I can't miss the opportunity to make a great picture and "to bless" this cabinet in a sacred place! Its sacred place!   ... and of course to visit this legendary site for the first time as a simple tourist   

[DarthNuno]

Leg 3 of this celebration road trip : an unexpected journey 

it's 11h57 UK times... let's go to Stonehenge 



...in the way to Stonehenge.... well this road trip started 9 hours ago, and I still didn't eat or drink something... it's maybe the right time here?



Although I stopped in this motorway services area...



...I can't eat or drink anything : I'm too excited by the challenge of this mission but also a worried about the timing of this additional "Stonehenge" mission!
It will take endurance to complete this road trip...and I'm not 30 anymore... I already feel that I'm going to 'pay' dearly for this road trip  I'm talking about my health 
So, I just take the time to pee and I leave...



Oh yeah baby... I'm arriving at THE destination  ...



I'm parked... I already can feel here the spirit of the druids 



So, what is Stonehenge precisely? Here's what Wikipedia says   

Stonehenge is a prehistoric megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, two miles (3 km) west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones. Inside is a ring of smaller bluestones. Inside these are free-standing trilithons, two bulkier vertical sarsens joined by one lintel. The whole monument, now ruinous, is aligned towards the sunrise on the summer solstice and sunset on the winter solstice. The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred tumuli (burial mounds).

Archaeologists believe that Stonehenge was constructed in several phases from around 3100 BC to 1600 BC, with the circle of large sarsen stones placed between 2600 BC and 2400 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the bluestones were given their current positions between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC.
One of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom, Stonehenge is regarded as a British cultural icon.It has been a legally protected scheduled monument since 1882,[1] when the Ancient Monuments Protection Act was passed in the UK. The site and its surroundings were added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage; the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.

Stonehenge could have been a burial ground from its earliest beginnings.Deposits containing human bone date from as early as 3000 BC, when the ditch and bank were first dug, and continued for at least another 500 years.
[source=Wikipedia]

Now, here's what I say about Stonehenge   



Let's buy a ticket...



I'm sure the druids are with me today   after paying for my entrance ticket, I forget my smartphone on the edge of the ticket office.
One minute later, someone runs after me and tells me that I forgot my phone! This whole story could have ended here (I'm using my smartphone to take pictures)...

Let's walk into the exhibition...







The megalithic structure is not accessible by walk. A shuttle buses run every few minutes between the Visitor Centre and the Stones.

So here I am on the bus, obviously among a group of Asians.



In my backpack, some objects that will be 'enchanted' by this place   



A couple of minutes later, the bus stops.
Left a small walk.. about 200 meters away from the stones.
During that last walk, I'm observing this tourist who seems more interested by a bird 



It doesn't matter, everyone has its own reasons for being here. What should I say about mine? 

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Stonehenge
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Stonehenge forever

For days I wondered about it : Should I'm catching the cabinet and come back immediately? Or do I push to Stonehenge...and drastically extend the journey  ?
I'm going? I'm not going? Now I'm here and I don't regret it, this place is magical! 



As you can see, I couldn't more happy. I forget that I'm very far from home and that the return may be very difficult 



Now let's go with the geek pictures... I'm here for that! 

The 'appropriated' fyler   





Flyer + marquee combo   



As I am alone on this adventure, I have to ask other people to take pictures of me. They must think I'm crazy! 
And especially for this photo where two tourists had to help me   



GOTCHA (c)Atari Stonehenge!



The ultimate picture would be to bring the full size cabinet close to the stones, but the topology and safety of the site obviously do not allow you to approach by car, or even to do anything right close to the stones. However, I *think* it would have been possible if I had prepared this journey soon enough, in order to talk with the right people. It is obviously possible during certain events to get as close as possible to the stones... too late for me now...but maybe one day, someone crazier than I will do it? 

Bye bye Stonehenge, and thank you for bringing a little magic on my DL2...



Before leaving, I'm visiting the shop... A little something for my kids   



Last check before departure... cabinet still here? Check!



The most interesting part of this trip is over. Now there is the long way back home...
Next step, going back to "Le Shuttle" @ Folkestone



Approx 250km / 2h50min from here If I'm lucky... 



It's gonna be hard, but like every UK roadtrip I did (except the '10th anniversary' one where we went to an hotel), my motto still is the same :  



  

[DarthNuno]

On the way back, some queues 





The first signs of the Channel Tunnel...



Finally! 



I'm a little bit late on my schedule... the moment of truth...



OK I'm late, but fortunately no extra cost to catch the next train 



It's 19h31UK time, and remember... I didn't eat or drink anything since the very beginning of this Journey (started 15 hours ago)....
So maybe something interesting here, before boarding?



Nope, interesting places are closed... and guess what ? I'm not hungry... I pass...

Two last steps before boarding : the customs

UK side...



Passport checked. No inspection... you're clear! 

French side...



Passport checked. No inspection... you're clear! 

How cool is that, huh?  I didn't expect things went so easy with the customs since the Brexit.. cool 

Now patiently waiting for the boarding....



Final approach for boarding...



So this is! I'm about to enter Le Shuttle for the twentieth time ( 20 x Calais -> Folkestone + 20 x Folkestone -> Calais)
I can proudly write the twentieth line on the train   



Come on Nuno, for this anniversary, you deserve a celebration logo   



I love how my car looks like, dirty and used, after a fight... like a good old X-Wing! 





Just arrived in France... but still a long way to home... 4 hours to drive 



Bye bye Le Shuttle...'till the next time? Who knows?



I'm really tired, but I have to stay focused for this last leg of this journey 



Ok, need to drink/eat something now, just to keep me focus...



...this story started more than 18 hours ago...





At least!  Nothing can't beat cinnamon cake   


(too bad I didn't film how I ate it... in a pure Alex 'Arcade Archive' style  )

Back to the road, warrior! But it's hard now...



...so tired...



In the forest, close to my home, an unexpected witness to my madness... this fox   



And... back to home .... finally! In one peace. Tired but happy 



Statistics of this World Slavery Tour Road Trip' :

Trip : Belgium > France> UK (outside Europe  ) > France > Belgium
Total length : 20h55min - 1285 km on road, 100km under water (Eurotunnel)

Conclusion?


 



Nah, come on! Extremely happy doing this. Nothing can't beat doing a pure old school road trip' to catch an iconic cab'  This DL2 cabinet will have now a really cool story to go with.... 

Oh wait, this cabinet needs now a lot of work... the fun continues... 

[K1ngarth3r]

I would be exhausted doing that trip all in one day. I don't know how you managed it, especially without food/drink for so long.

It was great to read through it and look at the pictures. The cabinet looks great and I'm sure it'll look even better after you've restored it. Looking forward to seeing the progress.

[DarthNuno]

I would be exhausted doing that trip all in one day. I don't know how you managed it, especially without food/drink for so long.

I think it's the adrenaline... it keeps me going. But its also the stress of the schedule. Not especially the channel tunnel because practically you can arrive anytime with your ticket (but if you come more than 2 hours too early or too late to your booked time, you'll to pay extra fee and take the risk there's no place available).
Until the very last moment, I wasn't sure if I would go to Stonehenge. 
First, I had to be able to close the trunk once the cab loaded. And then, I couldn't have any delay on the road. Fortunately, both conditions were met 
That is also the reason why I unfortunately didn't spend too much time with Darren after loading the cabinet because I knew going to Stonehenge will be an other adventure. Long story short, decision was made after loading the cab' 

[Andreas_AUT]

Nice roadtrip and cool game!

[kroustibat]

Nice to see a new Roardtrip report like the good old times ! Thanks Nuno !

And better , that announce a restoration

[Belike]

Congrats for your 20th Roadtrip, it was a hell of a ride!
That Stonehenge scene rocks!

[Digimon]

great story and great roadtrip.

We should deliver more roadtrips stories (I am to lazy to write them. but the next will be posted.)