We broke the £2,000 barrier on our sponsorship yesterday - thanks so much to all who have sponsored us so far.
To those of you asking - yes, we will be taking cameras and video cameras and also trying to update the blog on a daily basis as we set off on our folly. If only our cars were as technologically advanced as we are.
Sunday 24 February 2008
Sunday 17 February 2008
Jag-tastic
I'm very pleased to report that the Jag passed its first test last night, and completed a 250 mile round trip to Salisbury without a hitch. We cruised comfortably at 80, doing a reasonable 25 mpg - not too bad for an old girl. On the way back, we even had a little Talk Radio just to help me stay awake - all this comfort makes for a very relaxing drive.
Friday 15 February 2008
More pub chats
Lads chatting in the pub is a dangerous thing. We never really grow out of our childish ideas, and now we have a bit of money in our pockets and a driving licence we are a liability to ourselves.
So what better way to continue the plans for the trip than another meeting in the pub? Spreadsheets, maps, timetables, detailed costings and itineraries. None of that rubbish - a pint of beer, a mouth, and an unrealistic notion of what's possible are all you need these days.
So Bob, Rich, Tim and Jon (four of the six) met up on Wednesday just to go over the general idea of what's in store. After all, a general idea is all we have at the moment. I wasn't there, but as I understand it we've assigned everyone jobs - route planning, booking the channel crossing, checking into visas/danger zones etc etc. On the subject of danger zones - one of the original ideas was to travel to Albania, but we recently heard stories about it been one of the most lawless places on planet Earth, so have struck it off our 'must go there' list.
News on the cars. The BMW, much to everyone's suprise, has sailed through MOT and is the clear contender to make it back in one piece. The Jag still has a few rattles and shakes to sort out, but is still cruising nicely. It's set for it's first 'long' trip to Winchester tomorrow evening. If I don't make it back from Winchester then we don't stand a cat in hell's chance of escaping the Albanians.
So what better way to continue the plans for the trip than another meeting in the pub? Spreadsheets, maps, timetables, detailed costings and itineraries. None of that rubbish - a pint of beer, a mouth, and an unrealistic notion of what's possible are all you need these days.
So Bob, Rich, Tim and Jon (four of the six) met up on Wednesday just to go over the general idea of what's in store. After all, a general idea is all we have at the moment. I wasn't there, but as I understand it we've assigned everyone jobs - route planning, booking the channel crossing, checking into visas/danger zones etc etc. On the subject of danger zones - one of the original ideas was to travel to Albania, but we recently heard stories about it been one of the most lawless places on planet Earth, so have struck it off our 'must go there' list.
News on the cars. The BMW, much to everyone's suprise, has sailed through MOT and is the clear contender to make it back in one piece. The Jag still has a few rattles and shakes to sort out, but is still cruising nicely. It's set for it's first 'long' trip to Winchester tomorrow evening. If I don't make it back from Winchester then we don't stand a cat in hell's chance of escaping the Albanians.
Shall I compare thee to a 1981 Chevy Day Van?
Let's be honest here - the original idea of this foolish escapade was simply a big lads' jolly, loosely inspired by Ewan McGregor's 'Long Way Down'. However, we are all pretending to be grown-ups now, and what better way to appear grown-up than to raise money for charity - Christie's in Manchester in our case.
For those who don't know, our very good friend Quentin was diagnosed with cancer in October 2006, and wasn't given a great deal of hope at the time. To cut a long story short (see 'Webb-blog' link to the right for the fantastic blog by his wife, Helen), he is now having treatment up at Christie's, and the outlook is nothing short of miraculous. So when Rich, his best man, suggested Christie's as a recipient for our fundraising, we could see no better cause, or one closer to our hearts.
Now, sadly, we have another patient which needs a miracle. A 1981 Chevy Day Van, as donated to the cause by Quent's friend Chris. Much like Quent, it has seen better years, and the diagnosis is not brilliant. Chris (our surgeon in this case) informs us that it hasn't had a good run in a year, the power steering is shot, and it needs complete re-wiring (among many, many other bits and bobs).
However, Chris has given it a once over, and there is some hope. We've rallied the troops and there is a slim chance that we can get it on the trip with us in April. I know Quent really wants this van on the road - and his record with slim chances has been pretty good to date. Watch this space, but don't get over-excited just yet.
For those who don't know, our very good friend Quentin was diagnosed with cancer in October 2006, and wasn't given a great deal of hope at the time. To cut a long story short (see 'Webb-blog' link to the right for the fantastic blog by his wife, Helen), he is now having treatment up at Christie's, and the outlook is nothing short of miraculous. So when Rich, his best man, suggested Christie's as a recipient for our fundraising, we could see no better cause, or one closer to our hearts.
Now, sadly, we have another patient which needs a miracle. A 1981 Chevy Day Van, as donated to the cause by Quent's friend Chris. Much like Quent, it has seen better years, and the diagnosis is not brilliant. Chris (our surgeon in this case) informs us that it hasn't had a good run in a year, the power steering is shot, and it needs complete re-wiring (among many, many other bits and bobs).
However, Chris has given it a once over, and there is some hope. We've rallied the troops and there is a slim chance that we can get it on the trip with us in April. I know Quent really wants this van on the road - and his record with slim chances has been pretty good to date. Watch this space, but don't get over-excited just yet.
Thursday 7 February 2008
No going back
Yikes - we've gone public. What started out as a bit of drunken chit chat in the pub is starting to take shape. And it needs to by the looks of things. The sponsorship we have received almost seems to have taken the form of betting- will we or won't we make it - and now we have something to prove. Thanks so much for donations so far.
So where are we now? Well the Jag is back on the road, with completely overhauled rear brakes, and we are just starting to enjoy driving around in the luxury of yesteryear - although I accidentally spun the back end out the other day, so we'll have to watch that. Still a few rattles and vibrations to sort out, but all in all it feels fairly solid. The major concern at the moment is the average of 13 MPG - over 2,500 miles that's going to work out at...er...a lot.
The BMW is going strong, and Rich seems to have fixed his headlamps with a bit of nifty wiring, some blu tack and part of a coat hanger. I think there'll be a lot of that when we start the trip. He's fixed the noise coming from the electric window. It doesn't buzz any more - but it doesn't work any more either.
The Chevy van? In a field somewhere near Reading we think.
Over the coming weeks, apart from tinkering with the transport, we need to start getting our route planned and start thinking about accommodation, supplies etc. (don't worry, none of this comes out of the sponsorship money). It's time to knuckle down and get a plan together - watch this space.
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