A very busy week!

Well this week didn’t turn out quite as expected! Sorry if you have been visiting the blog looking for an update.
Monday
Spent the first half of the day arranging with Chris at GCR to remedy several faults on the car – front discs, sun roof, windscreen washers,throttle cable etc. He was very helpful and responsive despite the fact he is up to his eyes at present. Car booked in Wednesday to fix the faults.
In the afternoon I went pilates to start getting my body up to the standard of the car! Theresa who puts me through my paces offered to give me some sponsorship – brilliant and just in time to get her name on the car.
Tuesday
Still trying to get my body up to speed! Went to the doctor’s surgery to get my 3 monthly hormone injection, which keeps me alive and mobile and guess what? The nurse offered to sponsor me – thanks Julie!
Wednesday
Dropped the Porker off with GCR first thing and then went on to Birmingham where I needed to get my annual x-ray scan. I like the use of annual as it implies that I will go every year – all this, when I am already supposed to be gone a year ago!
On way back called in to Coalville to collect the team clothing we will be wearing during the trip – how tasteful it all looks and how sensible we will feel wearing it! Can’t wait to see brother Jim’s reaction!
Then on to GCR to pick up the car – the auto electrician was still deep in the car sucking his teeth. He couldn’t isolate the sunroof problem in the available time so I am now hoping for cold misreable weather so I don’t miss it! The new front brakes and windscreen washers were done and Chris had found a spare throttle cable so all that was good. He gave me a sponsorship cheque for £200 which took my breath away as I wasn’t expecting it. What a lovely fellow.
In the evening I sat in with J for Jazz at Foxton as dep for my mate Stu Battle who is away in Dublin. John Timms who leads the band appealed to to the audience to give towards the event and he and John Irwin, the guitarist, then offered to donate and double their share of the take – I came out with nearly £100 – wonderful generosity from all concerned – thank you!
Thursday
Wife Jeanne had business planned in Liverpool today and tomorrow so we spent the morning loading up the car and set off at lunchtime. the car ran well and we arrived at The Adelphi Hotel in time to check in behind Lenny Henry. Although I had met him 20 years ago he didn’t seem to remember me – strange?
Friday
Jeanne finished about lunchtime and we made for the Scottish border arriving at our overnight stop at 6.30. A splendid dinner, including haggis, and off to bed early.
Saturday
Up early, beautiful day and up to Aberdeen. Arrived about lunchtime put Jeanne on plane home and went over to my brother’s house.
Spent the afternoon trying to sort out the means to put software on my computer which would allow me to upload pictures to this blog. I have now spent nearly £60 (no, wasted this amount) and it still won’t respond.At times like this I wish I had been bullied at school so I could understand computers. Knowing about rugby, girls and smoking is no use in this situation!
We will be up with the lark tomorrow as we have about 7-8 hours of driving to get us to Wick where we have an event briefing at 4.30. Then we will be off on Monday – yippee! Don’t know how easy keeping the blog up to date will be but I will do my best, so keep tuning in.
This is the car at GCR – a photo thanks to my niece Fiona .

Cape to cape

Sunday 22nd April

An excellent day out on the PCGB Cotswold rally with Martin Capenhurst navigating. A well organised event, great roads and good weather made it a joy to be out! the car behaved most of the time but the brakes are grabbing at front so it’s back to GCR tomorrow to see if they can be sorted. The club shop worked it’s usual magic and dragged us in to make suddenly necessary purchases of things we have lived without up until now – hmmm.

Visit the Nimlok site here
Visit the Macmillan site here

Cape to cape

Friday 20th April
Not a great day today. The car spent the day at GCR while Chris tried to get to the heart of the noise but sadly after several hours spent looking he couldn’t find the source of the problem. He put new discs on the rear and I collected the car in the evening. I will run with it on Sunday on the Cotswold Rally in the hope that we either have no further problems or it gets so bad we can find it before we leave for Scotland! on the way home, I called in at sponsors K Tee tyres at South Wigston to get them to repair a puncture on one of my rims – Mr Black the boss said they would do it for no charge – another nice person!
I also prepared a press release to go out to the media on Monday in the hope that it attracts more sponsors from the general public – I’m still keen to break the £2k barrier. Theresa Bell my pilates instructor at Bodyworks Leicester put me through my paces and then pledged £20 – what a star!
I will spend tomorrow doing various odd jobs on the car in readiness for Sunday’s rally.

“Cape to Cape” with Team nimlok Porsche

THURSDAY 19th APRIL
Well, the build-up is well underway but it is not without its setbacks!
The car which was serviced yesterday has decided to be difficult today and the transmission is delivering some very worrying noises. Back to GCR in Leicester where Chris will keep it until the fault is identified and fixed.
Before it went to Leicester it had a run out to our key sponsors, Nimlok, at Wellingborough where the very helpful Stu and the graphics team did an excellent and cheery job of applying the sponsorship decals. It certainly makes the car look different!
Then it was round to the front of the Nimlok building for a photo call with Steve and Mel from Nimlok and the mad Martin Capenhurst who is doing the PCGB Porsche Rally with me on Sunday – only now it looks as though we will be travelling in the 993, which will be great fun – thanks a lot Vince – a life saver! Thanks also to Tim Perutz – MD at Nimlok for all his help and support in recent weeks.
Still waiting to hear from lots of potential sponsors, who will now be too late to participate which is a shame all round – so far we have about £1900 so thanks to everyone who has contributed so willingly.
Thanks also to all at Caged Fish in Market Harboro for setting up this blog – a real help as it lets everyone involved, chart our progress throiugh regular bulletins. Don’t yet know just how regular but we’ll see how things go.