From the highs of a shout-out on national radio to the lows of Pascal the Rascal snapping his timing belt, The Buddy Tour is proving as unexpected as expected!
The Buddy Fernandez duo of Lee Rowlett and Wes Venn managed over 800 miles in three days and nine stop-offs as they take their unique greeting card offering on the road before they had to slip into something more comfortable.
After setting off last Wednesday, their G-reg pocket rocket Bedford Rascal reached Cornwall then back up the country through Somerset, into Wales and up to Gloucestershire before conking out on Friday and being shipped back home by the AA – so the Buddy boys were forced to hire a modern, economical hatchback, complete with heated seats.
And the sad news on Pascal’s health came just the day after Absolute Radio’s Sarah Jayne Champion played New Order’s Road Trip then followed with a dedication to Lee and Wes, telling drivers to give them a wave as the red Rascal cruised the motorways.
Now on to day seven of their 10-day tour – which you can follow on Instagram (@buddycards) and Facebook (@buddyscards) – Lee and Wes have taken the Buddy experience up through Bury, Manchester, a quick side-trip to play the arcades in Blackpool, and on to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Alnwick, and Newcastle, and there’s still more to come before they settle back home in Bedfordshire.
So far they’ve notched up visits to 21 of their many and varied customers, including Jon at Attica in Swansea who somehow managed to place the first order before Buddy Fernandez were officially launched – and the boys even used their naughty greeting cards to charm the owners of the stables outside where Pascal’s timing belt gave up the ghost.
“They thought we were breaking in!” said Wes, “so we showed them our wares in the back of the van, which gave them a giggle.”
With a few days left of the tour, any retailers can put in a request for a visit on yep@buddyfernandez.com or call 07816 548820.
Top: The Buddy Boys, Lee Rowlett and Wes Venn in Pascal.
