Thank you for all your good luck comments.
We got to Dublin around 3am. Couldn't really go above 50mph all the way though but we did it.
Our replacement ferry wasn't until 9.15pm Friday night and the office didn't open up 5.30am so we made ourselves comfy in the car and got a couple of hours sleep.
A5 5.30 we begged to get on the 8.20am sailing but we're told it was full but to come back and speak to the manager at 7am as she may be able to move things about.
At 7am Brad chatted with the manager and I refilled the car with water.
Thankfully she was able to help and she put us on the 8.20am ferry. As we'd booked the executive lounge we got to board first and literally drove straight on to the ship after checking in.
Three haters later we arrive we'd had brekkie and enjoyed a choppy trip across the Irish Sea and docked at Holyhead.
We drove to Birmingham and arrived at 4pm and took the car straights to my dad's mechanic friend.
"You drove it?" he said.
"Yeah, apart from the knocking it's been fine."
"Right."
"What do you think is wrong with it?"
"Well whatever it is driving it didn't help."
"Oh."
"You hear that knocking noise?"
"Yeah."
"That's a piston trying to break through you engine."
"Is that bad?"
"It's not good."
Then he did that thing where he sucked air through his teeth. That noise always make me shudder.
We left soon after that hearing him mumble something about a new engine and my dad talking about stealing one!
Right, Brad's parents don't know we're here so after I've had a poo we're going to go and surprise them.
TTFN x