Be Excellent To Each Other

Hello!

I haven't been around much but I've come begging.

As I may have mentioned before, on 5 October I’m doing a 2,000 mile drive round the UK over 48 hours in a 45 year old car (which has already done 250,000 miles!) to raise funds for Children with Cancer.

The Round Britain Reliability Run, which is organised by Club Triumph and takes place every other year, was first run in 1966 and is still unchanged in its objective which is to drive around Britain in a vintage Triumph (although I guess in 1966 they weren't that vintage), covering nearly 2,000 miles, visiting 18 pre-arranged control stops in 48 hours (with no overnight stops) without breaking down. Quite a feat for an old British-made car…

Since 1990 the RBRR has been run on a charitable basis with each team seeking to raise sponsorship for various national charities. This year the Club’s chosen charity is Children with Cancer, formerly known as Children with Leukaemia, and the Club’s objective is to raise at least £50,000. The 2010 RBRR raised £51,000 for the charity Mind and the Club hopes that the 2012 RBRR will manage to exceed this amount.

Each team taking part, which must have at least two members, meets all costs of participation in the event themselves so that all funds raised will go directly to Children with Cancer.

My father and I have managed to obtain a place on the 2012 RBRR and will be using my father’s 1967 Triumph TR4A. Lewis Senior is only the third owner of the car, which has covered over 250,000 miles and still has its original engine. He’s had the car for 4 years and I’m hoping he’s kept it well maintained! I’ll have my RAC card handy just in case.

THE MIGHTY STEED:



Our Virgin giving site:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/the.jaffas

Anything that you can give will be gratefully received (no matter how small).

Many thanks

Chris

Well done mate, good for you and an excellent cause. I'll chuck some quiddage into the pot in a bit (give me a kick if I don't).

Ace old car, that.

edit - donated

Donated. And this thread reminded me that I hadn't pitched in for TheVision's charity thing too, so done that one too.

48 hours with only two drivers and no overnights? That's a challenge, isn't it? A bit dangerous, even?

Glad I wasn't the only one that thought that!

We laugh in the face of danger!

Also, dad's fitted some new MX-5 seats in it which should be okay to snooze in. And, having children who were not that long ago babies, I'm used to long periods without sleep. RAAAR. NO. SLEEP. TIL DIDCOT.

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who has donated so much already! Those who haven't, THINK OF THE KIDDIES.

You're sick.

Those who haven't already thought of the kiddies:

THINK OF THE FUCKING KIDDIES.

(fucking was an adjective there, not a verb)

I'll donate if you come to the cottage.

I cannae come to the cottage, Curio. You'll have to deposit your "donation" with Craster in my absence.

Ahem.

Break a crankshaft, Jaffas!

MASSIVE BUMP.

I'm doing this shit next weekend, and after having been to the drivers' meeting last Sunday, it appears I have a 10 in 100 chance of making it round, and a 1 in 100 chance of not making it back at all. Sponsor me up, you cheaps fucks.

I should mention that the petrol cost ALONE is circa £500 so make this shit worthwhile, maggots.

Right, my last effort at touching you all up for cash for a very worthy cause.

I'm currently bricking myself. I'm round at dad's place, and we're getting our stuff together. We're setting off to get to the start point in about an hour. 2 1/2 hours to get to Enfield, then some sitting around until we start at 6. Many photos will be taken, and a big post of fun will be up here on Monday.

G'luck, buddy!

Best of luck!

You'll be sick of playing 'I Spy' by the end of it!

Enfield? Christ, at least you'll be motivated to get going. Good luck!

Kissyfur?

I hope he's not Thelma and Louised it.

Hello!

Went pretty well, all told. We got over to Enfield for 4pm or so, had a couple of hours sitting around and repacking the car, and then set off at 6pm in the rain. I managed to take a wrong turn at the first stop and lost about 20 minutes, and we were then running slightly late through most of the run. The various control stops are only officially open for a one hour period so you have to keep to a fairly tight timescale. We made it round, though, although we came close to stopping for a couple of hours sleep on Saturday night after an exhausting drive through some alleged A roads in Wales. We settled for extra coffee and then each got some kip on the M5/A30 run down to Lands End. Some people had to stop for stuff like welding and new drive shafts, but then they were driving shitty cars which clearly hadn’t been looked after particuarly.

The drive back down through Scotland was epic – bright sunshine driving past the lochs and ben nevis and that.

I think 98 cars started, 8 didn’t finish due to car problems, and one ended up in a tree.

The TR4A ran really well all the way round; the only fault was the fag lighter element went! We stayed in a hotel near the finish on Sunday night, got all set to drive home on Monday morning and the bloody car wouldn't start. Thankfully it was a simple fix (new condenser in the distributor – get me, I know all about the ignition system now).

Thanks to everyone who donated – it’s much appreciated, and for a very worthy cause. It made the trip worthwhile!

The MIGHTY STEED in action:

Well done mate.

Good work, soldier!

Good work mate! Nice one.

Congrats!