LATEST UPDATE: We finished! That was a huge relief because of 120 starters only 74 managed to reach the finishing line. And some of those were only just in one piece! There were some very battered cars at the Newport Hilton but after all the Lombard is the hardest event of its type. We covered 175 miles of selectifs (special stages) in forests all over Wales and Forest of Dean, on racing circuits, at Three Counties showground and in Newport speedway and velodrome. We visited 31 locations, and travelled well over 1200 miles in total.
We were 29th so we achieved the dream of a top 30 finish. I wasn't sure beforehand how ambitious that was bearing in mind the lack of experience in the co-driver's seat, and the fact that Dave and I had only ever driven over Leyburn Moor twice in the car and never practised calling corners etc etc.
The Lombard Rally for a newbie is not so much a learning curve as a learning cliff! So much to grasp, and so much to do from the very word go of arriving at Gaydon. There were some errors, especially with the timing regulations which are so complex that even some of the very experienced navigators were having problems understanding them. We made a cock-upon Saturday night with our timing - I am still totally unclear about what we did wrong - and went from about 3300 points to 6800 on the way to and from Anglesey, which really upset our ranking, pushing us down from 34 to 40. Looking at our selectif times we should definitely have woken up on Sunday morning at 20 or so but this rallying thing is a constant learning experience, and you learn from your mistakes!
Luckily, Dave made very, very few mistakes and the car, once the stickers are removed, and it has had a very thorough pressure wash to remove half a ton of Welsh mud, will go back to being his vehicle to get to work and go shopping! Very little damage, although we trashed the sump guard monstrously in a huge gully but that's easily fixed. I got totally drenched when we went round a corner to find an enormous puddle and I had my window partly open to pass the clipboard out to get a passage control signature 1/4 mile further on. My map book was unreadable, with muddy water about half an inch deep on it so there was some frantic mopping up to be able to call the next few bends! Even Chas on the back seat got a soaking. Chas is the teddy who is extremely well-travelled - New Zealand, Morocco, etc - and well experienced in rallying.
The people we met were amazing, the camaraderie is really stunning, and the fact that 240 people plus 1200 volunteer marshals form a really tight-knit community within a mere 4 days has to be seen to be believed. There is a lot to learn from that.
A big thank you has to go firstly to Kenny and Andrea Owen for their passion and ambition for the Lombard which should see it continue into the future, to all the rest of the organising team, and a massive thank you to all the marshals who braved foul weather, freezing cold, slept in their cars, travelled miles etc to ensure that the event ran smoothly. At every checkpoint, chicane, and many other places, we were met with friendly faces, encouraging words, and slick professionalism. Also to the people of Wales who seem to have a huge enthusiasm for the rally, and from some of the stories we heard, went out of their way on many occasions to help keep competitors on the road, often against all odds. The number of people who turned out to wave us on was quite extraordinary and to the kids in the Little Britain village of Llanddewi-Brefi (where co-incidentally, Kenny made the original road signs that were all stolen when Little Britain became a hit), a special thank you - you are the next generation of rally drivers and fans. You made a lot of very tired crews smile running up the village to show us the right route, shouting and leaping about!
And finally, a big thank you to all who have sponsored us. We hope to hit the £1000 mark with a car treasure hunt, supper and quiz in the next few weeks in Upper Eden so if you can't attend that, feel free to make a donation here on the justgiving page to help us hit that target.
Well, actually, there is one more even important thank you. To Dave. For agreeing to this madcap idea in the first place, for prepping the car so well that we had not a single mechanical problem, for driving safely but speedily, and getting Chas and I home safely. Coming in the top 30 was a seemingly unrealistic dream five days ago but he has made it possible. On the very last stop line coming out of the last forest stage on Sunday, I said I'd get the entry form for 2008 that evening!! Dave seems to be as bitten by the endurance rallying bug as me, so watch this space........;o)
There are photos to come shortly. There is a podcast of a BBC radio interview I did on the way down to gaydon here http://cyberdoyle.podbean.com/2007/11/07/lins-on-radio-lancashire/
UPDATE: We are Car 83 and this shindig kicks off Thursday at 10am at Gaydon in Warwickshire. If we get a chance, we will text from the car to the Lombard website, so follow our progress, and c'mon, sponsor me pls. It's a good cause and even a quid makes a difference. I've collected a lot of quids from the offline crew!
This year, the Lombard Rally takes place from 8th to 11th November, www.lombardrally.com, and is 4 gruelling days (and the odd night) of car rallying as it should be, around the Welsh forests and special stages. For some reason, pretty much unknown AFAIK to my driver Dave and myself, we are going to give it a go in a VW Golf Diesel. You should sponsor us! If you don't know me, Google me, and then add to your impressions: dipstick mother of twins with bright red hair and a 7 ton ex German Civil Defence wireless van amongst my historic vehicle collection. C'mon, a tenner. It has to be worth every penny to follow us on TV! Dave is an astoundingly good rally driver, and builds and drives rally Porsches in his day job. (Yes, of course I asked if we could do the Lombard in an historic Porsche. But not mine. No way! So, the Golf it is.) Why the Lombard? In the early 80s the Lombard was huge in our lives in the Dales. Firstly, the cars came through our patch on the way to Lightwater Valley stages or from/to Kielder to elsewhere, and as newly qualified drivers who (thought we..) knew the roads (and how to drive), it was a massive buzz overtaking the much talked about Metro 6R4 down Borwins from Hawes in Wensleydale, or taking the back road from Askrigg and beating the drivers into Worton from Bainbridge. (These were road stages so they were all bound by speed limits etc; we were just lunatics!) And drivers such as Colin Macrae lit rallying up for many who had had no previous interest, including TV producers methinks! Those Lombard drivers helped feed a passion in a teenage girl for motors that has yet to diminish! Hence this fundraising entry into the 2007 Lombard Rally. I had already decided to support the air ambulance helicopter - The Pride of Cumbria - before the recent tragic news about Colin. Now it seems more poignant. Dave has done rally tests with Jimmy too so our thoughts go to the family. The air ambulance is a life saving service for many, especially in rural areas, and, sadly, like many vital services in 21st century Britain, it relies on donations to save lives. Pretty much everyone heard about the Hamster's rescue. Many, many others, equally as important to their family and friends, have been saved by these choppers and their crews too. I am deeply grateful to Ken Owen and the Lombard organising team for making it an accessible and affordable event, (will someone help organise next year so he can finally get a spin in his beloved event?!) and all their hard work in making it enjoyable even before it starts. (shhhh!). I'm also pleased that the success of the Access to Broadband Campaign, of which I am a co-founder, should now mean that every single penny raised in sponsorship will go straight to the Great North Air Ambulance Service, and not on trying to ensure that the full entry fee is paid for the due date. For the only diesel currently entere I would like to add. (Extra sponsorship if you think we could win our class would be ace!) And most importantly, a massive thank you to my driver, Dave Wright, for agreeing to allow me to get in a car with him and have a crack at this long-held dream, as well as being a very good friend over the years. Obviously, I would have preferred to drive, but having now sat in the Golf with him, (errr.....once so far), I suspect my beliefs about my driving skills have been somewhat over-rated this last decade or two! Please sponsor us. The training day is 13th October (one of the crew's birthdays) and we will update you after that on our readiness, the latest on the car etc. It is a VW Golf D and it goes like s%*t off a shovel. Honest injun! And cos I'm female, I suppose you think the only other thing I know about it is the colour- green. And you might be right. Or maybe I've actually got half a clue what is under the bonnet, can wield a spanner, and, cos I'm female, regularly sport a lovely pair of overalls to match the car! Sponsor us please. The more the better as this is a one off. According to my kids, we'll be driving round in ever-decreasing circles anyway to the checkpoints....so we may provide decent entertainment value if nothing else. And that ambulance can save more people......that's the most important part of this. Dig deep, tell your mates.....
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Great North Air Ambulance Service will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
So please sponsor me now!
Many thanks for your support. Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online.
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Great North Air Ambulance Service will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
So please sponsor me now!
Many thanks for your support.
