What else to do when fuel prices spiral upwards daily than take your friends on a long road trip? Odin and Chopper drove 325km to meet me, and continued 455km as passengers. Atom Bomb had been on night shift and decided to meet us there and ride back. It being a holiday weekend, traffic was heavy. Plenty of time for stories, gossip and plans. I recounted recently hitting the back of my head with a wooden training mace whilst trying to copy the IRON SHEIK’s Persian club challenge. This, like many other mishaps kept us entertained.
Our destination: Hostile Strength, run by Martin Lennox, is strongman paradise. Historic heavy kit used for famous world records and everything for this generation to chase them lives here. It was our venue for an episode of the PAA Warzone Road Warrior League. In October, the points winner of all the events will take home the 2026 belt.
The Dragon prevailed over all opposition gaining 15 pins for each arm. He came to help referee but got enthused & decided to enter. Previous winner of this event Claymore also came to referee. Martin had a surprise for him– a 100kg circus dumbbell with a 60mm handle that had been recently obtained. No one had yet managed to lift it – could our giant referee? Yes, he could. There’s talk of a 120kg arriving soon – will he lift that? We shall see.
The action was intense. Hostile is my favourite trip of the year. Next morning over breakfast Atom Bomb was incredulous when I mentioned the plan before returning – a short tournament between the four of us (1 pull each arm) to determine the King of the Road. It’s become something of a tradition on such trips in one form or another. His reaction was less than favourable, Odin and Chopper found this hilarious. It took some cajoling to get him at least to drive the bus whilst we fought it out on a predetermined route on the deserted estate. He didn’t make emergency stops in like I have in the past, though the roundabouts did provide some extra challenge.
Chopper won (we named him King of the Road,) Odin won Silver, I came last. Suitably amused we made our way home. Atom Bomb demanded cider to get over the trauma – we found the only service station in Scotland not to have any despite a vague belief that “even churches sell cider in Scotland.” We got some later and he tried to sleep whilst we continued our usual banter and stories. “For someone with a good memory you forget you’ve told me that seventeen times” he noted at one point, trying to block it all out.
Between us all there were moments of quiet reflection – the landscape of Scotland is worth that. There was wild speculation about spaceships, thoughts of what lie in the deep oceans and a revelation: Chopper inadvertently admitted he is the “Phantom braker of the M4” – or at least one of them – there may be more. It’s an urban motorway legend of at least 20 years standing that a joker randomly drives along the motorway and without warning brakes sharply. The butterfly effect follows that several kilometres further on traffic comes to a standstill.
A pressing question is will Atom Bomb travel with us again? We have plans for a few weeks. He said he’ll likely take his own vehicle.
See you down the road.
