January 2009
4th - Started to pack the car today as no time during coming week, and leaving Thursday morning. Despite discarding some items, still so much to go in but cannot leave the Spitfire ale behind! Entry numbers now stuck on, see new photos.
December 2008
Eastbourne St John Ambulance donated a whole load of bandages and dressings for me to take to a clinic/hospital in Mali, thanks for that Jean, they will be appreciated I'm sure.
November 2008
Had car serviced by Little London Garage, Heathfield. They also made a sump guard for me free of charge and supplied the odd filter. Thanks John and the boys, help is much appreciated.
Visited Faversham to see the lovely Merril and Louise at Shepherd Neame. Took some pics and then they treated us to lunch. Had a great time and some more goodies also, girls - you're the best. And we just love SPITFIRE ale!
September 2008
Passed MOT thanks to stirling work from Little London Garage, Heathfield. Just needed new rear suspension bushes, wouldn't have done to have those pack up in the desert!
Also visited Royal Air Maroc in London to change the air tickets we bought last August. No problem at all - just a £40 charge for not flying this February and new tickets now issued for 3/2/2009.
August 2008
Car in for it's MOT towards end of this month at Little London Garage Heathfield, East Sussex. Let's hope it passes without too much work to be done. Hopefully this will be her last MOT ever!
July 2008
Repainting the Marie Curie daffodil on the roof. This got virtually destroyed by last winters snow and frost so was looking pretty bad. Pics to follow when all finished.
May 2008
Confirmation of entry into January 2009 Challenge, so can start planning towards departure date. New Yahoo Group set up for challengers to meet and discuss.
April 2008
Application form now in for guaranteed entry into the January 2009 event. Just awaiting confirmation. Car still running!
March 2008
Unfortunately the winter (and spring) ravages of weather have played havoc with the Marie Curie daffodil painted on the roof of the car. Halfords supplied another can of Ford Daytona Yellow and as soon as the weather warms up, we'll respray the roof.
Julian, who organises the Challenge, has informed me that I have an enrty into the 2009 Challenge. So, all things being equal and providing there are no more little health problems, we'll be off to Mali on or around 9th January 2009. Great news. Hopefully the car will last another 9 months!!!
January 2008
Many thanks to Shepherd Neame who still donated the beer even though the trip was postponed. You are wonderful people and I guess we'll be asking for more for the new trip in January 2009.
December 2007
I would like to thank all those who had helped me get almost to the starting line, only to be thwarted at the last minute. But rest assured, once I am better we WILL be joining the next Challange and continuing our trip. WATCH THIS SPACE!!
On 3rd December Derek was taken into hospital with what he thought was just a spot on his backside. Unfortunately it turned out to be an extremely bad abscess, about 9 cm long, which meant an operation to try to get "to the bottom" of it. After being discharged Derek had to go back to hospital for 2 more operations and was finally sent home after 12 days.
Unfortunately he was banned from taking part in the Challenge as the Surgeon stated that it would be mid January at the earliest before the wound had healed. So all our preperation has been stopped and we will have an entry into either October 2008 or January 2009 Challenge.
November 2007
30th - Picked up Marie Curie sweatshirts and polo shirts today. Thanks to Lauren for arranging these for us.
25th - Picked up car from Matthew Sexton. It was an awesome sight, sitting in the drive with its new paint job. I couldn't believe my eyes as to how good it turned out. Just take a look at the Photos page and you'll see what I mean. Matthew, you're a STAR. Thanks so much. But I did get a few wierd looks when I drove it home.
24th - Had a great night in Birmingham meeting some of the other teams. It was good to see they were about as ready as we were!
22nd - Left the car with Matthew Sexton, who will be spraying the Marie Curie daffodils on it over the weekend whils I'm enjoying myself in Birmingham with some members of our Timbuktu Group - otherwise known as a last minute panic session to see who's done what and who's forgotten what!!
8th - Met with my artist, Matthew Sexton, who is going to paint daffodils (Marie Curie Cancer Care logo) all over the car to make it a bit more "jazzy". He's going to paint a large daffodil on the roof in case we get lost in the Sahara and need to be recognised from the air - hmmm.... sand = yellow .... daffodil = yellow!! Have to think about that. Also started to get together a first aid kit just in case.
Vinyl logos arrived, courtesy of Neil at Wealden Council Thanks Neil, they are fantastic.
October 2007 Should be interesting.
Visited the Sussex office of Marie Curie at Henfield and met Jane Green, their very enthuastic Community fundraiser who gave lots of support and promised t-shirts and sweatshirts. Left with 2 Marie Curie caps and a sense of purpose. What had seemed like a "jolly for the boys" now became a serious fund raising event. Spent the next few days getting logos from Shepherd Neame, Marie Curie and my Employers, Wealden Council. This is so we can get vinyl logos printed so we can promote all our sponsors.
1st - Off to London today to get return airline tickets at the Royal Air Maroc office in Bond Street. Bamako to Casablanca at 3.15 am (yes that early) then a 6-7 hour wait in Casablanca before catching a flight to London Heathrow. Lets hope the tickets are still available. Picked up tickets OK and booked seat numbers as well.
September 2007
Have run it for 1500 miles and no problems (touch wood). Does about 45 to the gallon so the 4500 miles to Mali won't use up too much diesel. Spoke to Shepherd Neame, Master Brewers of fine ales, to ask for some T-shirts and beer to advertise their wares and they kindly agreed to donate some wonderful SPITFIRE ale and T-shirts, polo shirts and beach towels providing we sent them some publicity shots. Being canny, the shirts arrived but the beer will come just before we go, I think they know us too well and thought we'd drink it all before setting off. As if.......
August 2007
Put the car in for an MOT and discovered a leaking rear brake cylinder (wondered why the brakes weren't much good) and a torn steering rack gaiter. So forked out £127 for repairs and a new MOT till August 2008. And believe it or not, the thing actually stops now! Decided to use the car as day to day transport to see if anything else would need fixing. Had the air conditioning regassed for £20 so should be cool in the Sahara sun. Apart from that, nothing seems to be wrong. And it sounds like a tractor.
July 2007
Now nice and tanned from holiday we set to deciding on the car. At our age comfort was paramount so that ruled our a Metro, Fiat Panda and anything small. The rules, which are allowed to be broken, say the car should not cost more than £100 and repairs not more than £15. However looking on Ebay and in the local papers, seeing the rubbish available for this price, we decide to splash out and buy a diesel ,French made car for more than the £100. So more long nights were spent on Ebay and scouring the local Friday Ad. We eventually found a 1994 Peugeot 405 GTX TD in Herstmonceux, just a couple of miles up the road from where Derek works. A test drive confirmed it was a good runner and had only (ONLY!!) done 113,000 miles - nothing for a Peugeut diesel engine of this age. And it was MOT'd until October 2007. So we finally became the proud owners after some hectic last minute bidding and paid our £380 two days later. The insurance cost a fortune and then we had to tax it. a week later. Luckily 6 months tax takes us up to the end of January so handed over £99 to the DVLA and became road legal. As the MOT ran out in late December we decided to re-MOT it in August as if further repairs were to arise a couple of weeks before we were to leave would have been a real problem, and just before Christmas as well!
June 2007
Am on my way to Southern France for a beach holiday when confirmation arrives that we're in Group 5 leaving on 11th January next year. Now the panic really sets in - what are we going to go in, do we have to have any jabs, is our Arabic up to scratch, will we do a Mark Thatcher and get lost in the Sahara. And if we make it, how will we get back.
April 2007
Sent off entry form and entry fee after persuading Rowan, my brother in law, to put up with me for at least 3 weeks on a road trip to Africa. Well, if he could share a tent on Mount Kilimanjaro with my brother and his habits for a week, I'm sure he could put up with me for 3.