FOLLOW THAT BED! …Worlds Wackiest Racers Experience

This is the video of me trying all of the vehicles listed below

I’m not sure how many of you watched Wacky Races as a child, but I used to love it! If you don’t remember the cars or the storyline, I’m sure most people will recognise some of the Characters like Dick Dastardly and Mutley

For those who don’t know it, (err hello, what planet are you from?) Wacky Races was a 1960s American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. The series, inspired by the 1965 slapstick comedy film The Great Race. It features 11 different cars racing against each other in various road rallies throughout North America, with each driver hoping to win the title of the “World’s Wackiest Racer.”  This was the introduction to the cars and their racers…

I think every girl wanted to be Penelope Pitstop with her pink compact kitten car (or maybe that was just me).  Any way, about a year ago, a good friend of mine went on this experience and I vividly remember her posting a picture of a wacky 4 poster bed with the slogan “Just going to race a 4-poster bed around Wapping!”  …Clearly it caught my attention.  When I asked her what she was talking about she referred me to a website called iWoot where I found the experience for about £130… It was since come down to less than £100.  Being the savvy shopper that I am however; I looked around and found the same experience cheaper with Go Vouchers who almost always run special offers, and are my favourite experience shop for this very reason… At the moment, they have a 30% off running which means you can bag the experience for £70.

Admittedly, the video does make the experience look much cooler, as they don’t have to wear naff racing suits, and they got to drive on the road in all the vehicles, as opposed to a race track with a bunch of other experience junkies, but it was still a brilliant day.

I followed my Satnav to Northampton, but it wasn’t precise… Never mind, at just the right time, we were passed by 8 people travelling in a bed going in the opposite direction! HAHA! BRILLIANT!  I am pretty sure it will be the only time in my life where my children and I ever get to chorus the phrase

FOLLOW THAT BED!

We turned around and followed it, only to be faced with the same bed going back in the opposite direction! …Cue an eruption of giggles from all three of my children as we turned around and proceeded to follow 8 people in a bed to Northampton Stock Car Racing track… The staff were absolutely lovely, and the atmosphere was great.  I was placed in a group, and we were given a briefing and watched a video about the vehicles we were going to experience. Then we had to suit up in naff oversized race suits, similar to the ones you get when go-karting.

The vehicles I got to ride in and drive really are testament to the madness of British engineers like Edd China, who is responsible for most of the creations… I missed out on getting a ride in the bathroom suite, which they featured in the promo video on the day shown here:

But I managed to enjoy pure unadulterated silliness in all of the following vehicles:

The Worlds Fastest Shed.  I’m not sure how much competition there is for this title, but I’m sure there can’t be too many road-legal sheds around.  It’s top speed is 49mph, and it even hold the title for ‘Shed of the Year’ Award, which they seemed very amused about.

World’s fastest Garden Shed

The World’s Hottest Desk – This is a conference desk complete with office chairs, computers, telephone and water-cooler!

Worlds Hottest Desk

Emma at the Hot Desk

Stock Car – A professional stunt driver took us on a thrilling ride to show us S turns and experience Drifting.  The sound of squealing rubber was enough to convince me that they mud wreck a ton of tyres doing this!

The Del Boy Rally – For this, we were grouped into two teams of three, two pushing our team’s Reliant Robin through a totally bonkers dirt/asphalt course, and one steering, before rotating the duty… The batteries had been disconnected to ensure no cheating, and totally wobble-tastic!

Del Boy Rally

The World’s Fastest Furniture – an iconic leopard-skin print 87mph Sofa… This is the machine that started the madness. It has appeared on Top Gear, in a pop video, in TV adverts and recently driving Arthur Smith around Edinburgh on The Culture Show, and now you will have place of honour in the coolest machine on the road.

Me on the Casual Lofa

The Double Decker Cruise – This wacky invention was featured on Top Gear  and was the only vehicle we got to drive; though I use that term loosely.  We were paired up and took it in turns to have a go in the top and then the bottom car…  It was two cars, one on the roof of the other! The driver in the top car controls the steering, and the driver in the bottom car controls the pedals – totally barking mad! I was paired up with a man who was a complete nut job, and decided to ‘play chicken’ with me by accelerating so fast that I had to either over take or crash into the car in front.  It was pretty unnerving, particularly as the cars feel very unstable and prone to rolling.  Funny though!

Emma and the Double Decker Car

Double Decker Car

The Fast Asleep Bed Tour – This was the highlight of the day for me, as it was hilarious to head out onto public roads at speed, safely tucked up under the duvet and watch the expressions of drivers in passing cars as they were passed by 8 people in a bed being driven by a chauffeur in a night cap!

Out and about in the World’s Fastest Road Legal Bed

Our Chauffeur in his PJs and night cap

3-2-1 BUNGEE!

Emma

Zip-Lining from the top of Red Mountain, Nevada

Emma Learns Aerobatic Flying in a Stunt Plane

Emma

Emma Learns to Fly a Helicopter

Zorbing at Devil’s Dyke

Indoor Sky-Diving with my kids