UPDATE: We only went and did it! Starting at Watford at about 9pm, on to Oxted and then Popham for the 2am start, we headed off to Exeter by way of Land's End. The trip took a night, a day and another day, and we finished in one piece. More to the point, so did the car. Hooray! We covered about 900 miles, most of which seemed to be well off the beaten track, and successfully negotiated seven out of the 10 hill-start special stages. Pretty good for beginners without a handbrake. Thanks to all our fab sponsors on and offline – particularly Ford and BMW, along with Skoda and Rolls-Royce – and we're really pleased to have raised the cash for the GBF.

So me and Bradders - fellow Guild committee member and freelancer Sarah Bradley - came up with this cunning plan to raise funds for the Guild of Motoring Writers Benevolent Fund (www.gomw.co.uk). You might never have heard of it and with the best will in the world, you can hope not to hear from the team. They step in unprompted to help Guild members in dire straits. And that includes Charlotte, who found herself unexpectedly off work for six months. The Fund stepped straight into the breach, saved the day and deserve all the funding they can get.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?
The Land's End Centenary Run, organised by the venerable Motor Cycling Club to celebrate 100 years of the endurance trial. It's a challenging drive which includes tackling all sorts of interesting historic hills. The MCC is re-creating much of the original Land's End Trial route as exercised by our forebears. For more about the club, visit www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Friday 30th May 2008: Popham (A303/M3 junction) start  02.00; Littledown (near Shaftesbury) 03.20; Taunton services 07.00; Doverhay (near Porlock) 09.20; Station Lane (Lynton) 09.40; Barton Steep (N. Devon) 10.00; Orange (N. Devon) 11.20; Old Bluehills (N.Cornwall) 13.30; Lands End 15.00. Saturday 31st May 2008: Penzance 09.00; Hustyn (near Wadebridge) 11.15; Grey Mare (near Lostwithiel) 11.45; Ruses Mill (near Launceston) 12.45; Pepperdon (mid Devon) 14.45; Windout (mid Devon) 15.15; Exeter finish 15.45. (And no, they're not all pubs).

WHAT ARE WE DRIVING?
You'll like this. It's a 68bhp 2.3-litre 6cyl three-speed 1953 Ford Zephyr Mk1. There's even synchro on second and top. But it's not just any Ford Zephyr Mk1 - it's a replica of the 1953 Monte Carlo winner which belongs to Ford's own depository of beautifully maintained historic vehicles. This car is rumoured to contain parts of the original vehicle, salvaged after it met an untimely end. Those lovely people at Ford's heritage collection have let us loose and as she's a seasoned Consul motorist, Sarah is the perfect driver. So anyway this motor's a one-off. Not that we're worried about stacking it or anything. Noooo, no. We'll be fine. It'll be fine.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Sponsor us! We have to concentrate for ages and keep the car in one piece. We've never done a trial like this together so while we're prepared to get dog tired, dirty, achy and lost, all you have to do is sit at your desk and flex your credit card. Easy peasy. Then read all about our adventure in a future issue of Octane magazine!