Today is Tuesday. The DeLorean  is still in the garage at home. I have to go to work, and that is a pity. I’m in the train on my way to Amsterdam today, building this website. I haven’t had the time yet to clean the DeLorean, but I’ll try to do that tomorrow in the morning. Since the weather-forecast predicts lots of showers, in Ireland and the Netherlands, I think it’s useless to wash it. So I’ll just do the windows and wheels. Tomorrow we will leave around noon for IJmuiden.

Location : Netherlands, IJmuiden

Sky : Cloudy and rain.

Temp : 12-15 C

Today is the first official day in the Eurofest 2006 program. We got up at 7.30 this morning, and went for a real Irish breakfast in the Europa hotel. Irish bacon is the best, but we didn’t eat the beans in tomato-sauce and sausages.

 

At 9 we gathered at the back of the hotel and drove off to the Odyssey Arena for the worlds first auto test. Everybody who wanted to enter the competition had to drive around a test track on the parking lot. At the end of the ride the DeLorean had to be exactly inside a square box, painted on the tarmac. A lot of men and only one woman entered the competition. And guess who that was..... We don’t know who won yet, but the best times will be published here later on. The scores were announced on Sunday in Lagan Valley island centre.

 

At 11.00 AM we left the parking lot for a scenic drive through the Titanic quarter and then we went out of Belfast to Hillsborough castle. The castle is best described as a holiday resort for celebrities and british royalty. One of the guides told us, we just missed Charles and Camilla. They were there for a short holiday. Also Bill Clinton, Tony Blaire and of course George Bush are among the regular guests. We got a castle tour, but unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside.

 

Around 1.00 PM we went on our way to the Lagan Valley Island Centre in Lisburn, a suburb of Belfast. We had a reception there with a free lunch (although they ran out of sandwiches after a very short time). In the main lobby there are some artifacts from the DeLorean factory, as well as a real size statue of John Z. This is better then Madame Tussaud, guys !!. One of the factory workers, George Craine, showed a video from the factory and told stories. Robert Lamrock was host. He introduced us to key players in the DeLorean parts business today. After that the product fair was held. It was all DeLorean (Europe). There were lots of parts and T-shirts on sale. The fair took about an hour. After that, everybody went back to the hotel, to get ready for our dinner in Belfast city hall.

Tonight we were invited into city hall for a banquet. City hall is a couple of blocks away from the Europa hotel. The dining hall is in a great entourage and we flet like celebreties. Dinner was super, and we got a lot of nice speeches, one of the major of Belfast and of course from Robert Lamrock

Today is the big day. All cars are going back to the place they were once made, the Montupet factory in Dunmurry, Belfast. Breakfast was as good as yesterday, and again we lined up the cars behind the hotel. The police escort was better than yesterday, and also traffic was not too bad. We gathered on a parking lot opposite of the main entrance of the plant.

 

George Craine was going to be our factory tour guide. He led us through the plant, and showed us the where the various production stages used to be. Every part of the factory had it’s own tea room, so that the workers didn’t have to walk all the way through the plant to the cafeteria. George also told us, there were 2 pieces of DMCL (the official name for the Delorean factory) still around. One was the large Demag crane in one of the halls, the others were 3 plant pots in front of the factory. Eventually we came to one end of the building, near the test track, where the car was tested before it left the factory. The two gates where the cars left the factory were still there, but one was blocked by a storage rack. You could also see the filled up gap, where the test bank used to sit. After the test, the cars left the building and were driven around the test track for about half an hour, to see if everything worked fine.

 

We thanked Gerorge and went back to the parking-lot. We drove to the line-up for the test track. We were each allowed to drive 4 laps. It was really a fun thing to do. The test track is one of the remaining original artifacts of the Delorean factory. For me driving the test track was the ultimate goal of this meeting. Every DeLorean drove it’s first miles on this piece of tarmac. We drove our four laps and enjoyed every one of them. Then made pictures of my DeLorean in front of one of the gates, where the cars used to leave the factory. We even drove them inside, put them on the spot where the test bank used to be. Just when we had the car inside, the daily Irish shower passed by.

Saturday-evening we were all invited for the gala dinner in the Lagan Valley Island Centre in Lisburn. We went there by bus, so everybody could have a few drinks. We had a great dinner, and after that it was time for the speeches. The major of Lisburn spoke, as well as Brendan mackin, Senior shop Stewart from the DMCL factory. He spoke about the Gold DeLoreans. In the meantime we could buy tickets for the evening raffle. All suppliers donated DeLorean memorabilia. We could buy lottery tickets to win the prizes. Also, Robert auctioned some very rare original DeLorean artifacts, a John Z. buisinesscard, a letter from a 12 year old boy to John Z. , asking for a brochure and a concept brochure for future DeLorean models.

 

Then it was time for the prize winners. All the first prizes went to the Dutch contestants. Fastest car was from Edgar and the nicest car was Michiels. Then Robert spoke about John DeLorean making sketches to design a pen. The original sketches were in one of the City hall displays. Robert surprised us, by telling he had sent the design to a pen manufacturer, who created a pen after Johns design. We were all given one at the end of the evening.

 

At the end of the evening we all get on the bus. Our bus is so full, the driver turns off the lights in the bus. He doesn’t want to be caught by the police. He is so nervous, he starts singing old Irish folk songs (never knew that Whiskey in the Jarr is an Irish song). We try to help him by singing “ New York”, but he is not a Sinatra fan and doesn’t stop singing until the bus arrives at the hotel.

We got up this morning at 7.30 AM. The night before was exhausting, and I took a very loooong shower. The meeting doesn’t ask much of your physical condition, but stil is very intense. Seeing all these places after all these years  of hoping you’ll ever get there makes a great impression. After that, we checked out of our room and went to the restaurant for our last Irish breakfast. We already took the bags from the room, and went to the parking garage to get the DeLorean.

 

We left at 9.00 AM sharp (that’s a first), and that was a good thing too. The drive to the Antrim coast takes about one and a half hour. First we went to the Royal Court hotel. We get lost, so we got there just in time for coffee. Robert gave away two more prizes, one for making the longest trip to Belfast (that was for Australia) and of for the longest drive (it went to Adrian Roth, who drove all the way from the Bodensee in Germany). We quickly drank our coffee, and went on the way to the Giants causeway.

 

The road from the hotel to the Causeway goes along the coast. The view is spectacular. So is the Causeway. We all park together on a lawn. And I meet Neal Barclay again. He is an ex employee of the DMCL factory. And he is very passionate about his Job. If you move down you can read how he feels about the DMCL closing back in 82. I wrote my own comment to that event too. Time is running out quickly, and I barely get to see the Causeway myself. The Giants Causeway is formed due to volcanic activity. The name is a good choice. You need to be a giant to walk up the blocks quickly. I take a few quick pictures. One DeLorean was allowed to drive up to the site. I walk back to the car, and we move on to the last attraction of the meeting, Bushmill distillery.

 

The Distillery is the oldest licensed distillery in the world. They got the license in 1604, but whiskey is made there much longer. We see a movie about the production process, and do a distillery tour. Due to the whiskey vapors, we’re not allowed to take pictures. Even cellphones have to be turned off, to prevent sparks igniting the whiskey vapour (in one part of the production process the alcohol percentage is up to 84 %). After that we are allowed to taste the whiskey, but I have to drive later on. So I’ll just have a sprite. After that we say goodbye to all our new DeLorean friends on the parking lot of the distillery. We HAVE to GO !!!!!!!!!

 

The members of the Dutch DeLorean club all leave togther, for the trip home. We drive back to Belfast and take the HSS (High Speed Seacat) to Scotland.

 

Then we drive from Stranraer to Dumfries, Scotland. On the way we enjoy the beautifil scenery Scotalnd has to offer. We arrive late at the Friars Carse Hotel, an old english castle. There, all but 2 members of the DeLorean club Netherlands will spend the night here. They kept the kitchen open for us, so we can still eat. And after a few drinks, it’s off to bed.

 

Then we drive off towards Hadrians wall. But first we take the scenic route through Scotland. I know I use the words “Fantastic”, “Great”and similar words a lot, but then again I am very impressed with all the thing I’ve seen. The scenery is super, the roads are curvy and go up and down. But they are perfect for driving a DeLorean.

 

When we stop to have lunch, the owner of the Greenhead Hotel already knows we had a meeting in Belfast. His cafe is too small for the entire club, and he offers us a large room in the back. In the meantime I talk to one of the visitors about our trip to Belfast. They love my story. So you see, although the DeLorean story has no happy ending, especially not for the English people, the DeLorean is still a very wanted guest.

 

After our lunch, we drive all the way to Newcastle, where we board the ferry home. That evening we look at the pictures that I took of our journey. We dine in the restaurant, and hope the food stays in. The sea is a little rougher than on the trip over here.

 

Here ends our story about the Eurofest 2006. I hope you’ve enjoyed my report and the pictures. feel free to contact me if you want to, especially if you are a former DeLorean employee. We really need you. deLorean owners love to hear stories from the factory. And some of us have questions, that only you can answer.