Round Ireland With A Fridge

Round Ireland with a Fridge
Written and read by Tony Hawks 

Published by: Random House Audiobooks

Price: £13.99  Audio CD

"I hereby bet Tony Hawks the sum of One Hundred Pounds that he cannot hitchhike round the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge, within one calendar month."

Tony Hawks is genuinely hilarious. I’ll admit only having a vague knowledge of him before this Audio, but his often belly shaking humour has me looking out for more! He narrates with various Irish, English and South African accents that are spot on, and although this isn’t a travel book as such, you do get a feel for the characters he meets along the way.

The story begins in Ireland at an International Song Competition in which Tony’s song, ‘Tea with Batman and Robin’ won the ‘Best for Entertainment’ award. Returning with his Irish friends he’s amazed to see a hitch-hiker trying to thumb a lift, with a fridge in tow! The scene didn’t faze his mates – and years later, after a boozy night out in Brighton, he bets he can do the same!

So, £100 is bet, and Tony travels from Dublin to Donegal, from Sligo through Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Wicklow, then back to Dublin in a month with his rusty (sorry, trusty) companion.

Jokes aside, a lot of Hawks’ success is due to the fact that he contacted the Gerry Ryan Breakfast Radio Show on his arrival. Of course, the story was too good an opportunity to miss, and soon Hawks was speaking to the show everyday, updating the whole of Ireland on his progress. This means that people were looking out for him – and lifts were not impossible to come by. He doesn’t go into detail on how he gets the small fridge and trolley into the various vehicles – but it seems to fit inside all pick him up.

Laugh out loud highlights of this Audio have to be taking the fridge surfing in Strandhill, and a night making love (or trying to make love) in a Kennel!

The fridge becomes more of a hit with the Irish than Tony i think, as it's signed on by locals, Christened and even accompanies him on some of his nights out drinking. (not to mention standing, sentinel at the Kennel door!)

Want more of Tony Hawks?

A Piano in the Pyrenees