Here is Jan’s report about the event at the time:

“We tested Sven (our £300 Volvo) with a three and a half mile run to the seaside – most of the components still seemed to work so we should be set for a 1,000 mile hack through the Alps – no worries!      

 

We leave on the 21st July with our lovely 52 plate Volvo (who speaks to us on right hand corners, because the steering has a glitch) and our best friend Kevin Bush to tackle the rally challenges set by the organisers each day. The event is conducted with the greatest stupidity of course – themed fancy dress is compulsory, as are water pistols and car decoration (ours has our sponsors stickers and a 6ft inflatable shark on the roof).  We have chosen characters from Toy Story for some of our Fancy Dress – Woody with Mr and Mrs Potato Head.  Anything else would just have been silly.

 

France is beautiful and despite a torrential thunder storm over the hills, the trip through Champagne to Reims and then Dijon is beautiful. One of the challenges that day involves going into a supermarket and finding goods that spell out Monte Carlo. After we have taken the picture of us next to the items, me, being a good girl, want to put everything back in its rightful place – not the lads, they leg it and leave me stranded in the supermarket! (after all what are friends for!)

 

The next day dressed in motorbike leather onesies (we are all bikers), we travel across the Alps via the St Bernard Pass and into Italy, eventually ending up in Turin (what a wonderful city). The next day it’s off to Monte Carlo dressed as the Potato Heads and Woody….

On arrival at the Mediterranean, we finally reach out destination, the Casino at Monte Carlo and after a night of celebration, George and I abandon Sven and Kevin in Nice when we have finished the rally.   He heads home with Sven on an epic 36 hour journey from Nice to Calais with only £10 in his pocket (this provides an interesting form of negotiation with the Payage man when the barriers don’t accept cards!) while some of the other participants go to the local crusher.   George and I travel back by train via Italy, Austria, Germany and Belgium to make sure we get as much life lived as we can.

 

Friends Colleagues and family are very generous and at the final count it looks like we have raised around £5500 for this fantastic charity.