It's 1 o'clock and Time for Lunch

A quiet village square just outside Rouen was the venue for lunch. In true french style we loaded up with baguettes, cheese and ham and set about the feast with eagerness. Breakfast seemed such a long time ago.

Despite food getting another mention we would like to assure you that this ia not solely a gastronomic tour of France and Spain.

Paul is about to start browing the 'Nantes - Where to Eat' website.

Snooker break now at 81.

Making Good Progress

Just through the 100 miles for the day on fantastic open roads with almost zero traffic and a myriad of 'interesting' country smells.

You may have noticed a twenty minute stopover on the GPS tracker. This was next to a fantastic wooden windmill (see picture). We also took the opportunity to fill up on Red Bull and Jaffa Cakes.

Just two hundred and fifty more miles to go and seven more black cars to get us to our target of fifteen before we start the quest for a yellow.

'Bon anniversaire' to Chris's Mum and thanks to everyone sending text support.

Next Stop Abbeville

This is our world!

Chris at the wheel, sat nav programmed, fluffy dice and Barcelona Pork Banger for company.

It as a long and winding road and we have the hairdressers and a nice red MX5 for company.

The snooker break is up to 41 and we've only been on the road for an hour. It does help that we are following a red XR3i.

Hope the maps are updating our position. Text your messages to 0797 089 2513. Your support is very much appreciated.

And So It Begins

After a restful nights sleep (for Chris anyway) we partook of a hearty continental breakfast and were set up for the days journey.

Half an hour spent in awe of the other competitors wierd and wonderful contraptions, constructions and costumes and we were ready for the days challenge.

The task, and we have chosen to accept it, is to photograph cars with drivers in the style of a snooker game in the correct order to try and amass a 147 break.

Task in hand, and instructions about gentlemanly driving received, an almighty scrum developed for the car park exit.

And we're off.

Safely on French Soil

After an eventless crossing of 'Le Manche' we docked bang on schedule and after successfully avoiding the gendarmerie while devoid of the mandatory beam benders we made it to the Ibis.

It took little time to sniff out the meeting place at the John Bull pub in the most unappealing shopping centre since the Manchester Arndale.

Time to relax ahead of tomorrows 440 miles. A nice pint of Hoegarden and Moules Frites to follow. It's a hard life!

Over and out for tonight. Check back on us first thing in the morning where we intend to update here every couple of hours.

Seconds to Spare!

Phew.

Despite horrendous traffic along the front at Dover, we made it to check-in with 90 seconds to spare. Who says we don't have good timing?

We're now sat on the ferry awaiting departure, which is more than can be said for our friends from Southport in team Cut & Shampuma who broke down on the M40. Fortunately they are back on the road and will be on a later ferry.

The 330 miles down here took us 8 hours (with a 30 minute stop at MapAction) and we managed an incredible 34.4 mpg in the green goddess.

Most of the maps are still intact and we are looking forward to a dry rest of the trip.

VIP Welcome from the MapAction Team

Somewhat behind schedule due to the weather up north we eventually arrived at MapAction HQ in glorious sunshine to a VIP welcome. The team had been closely monitoring our progress on the tracking site and were waiting at the gate on our arrival.

After a photo shoot with the local press, a very welcome cup of coffee and a brief tour of the setup we are now back on the road and bound for Dover.

If you feel like sending us a text message then feel free to do so on 07970 892513.

Bugs in On-Car Navigation

Not only have we had to suffer near stationary traffic on the M6, but the relentless rain has played havoc with the on-car navigation.

The problems manifested themselves at 65mph just before Sandbach services with part of France being lost to the elements.

An emergency pit-stop and large amounts of marine tape have hopefully resolved the problem.

Bad Start as the M6 Slows Us Down

The journey has hit it's first snag. The glorious early summer weather has ground the M6 to a halt just north of the M62.

We are moving, but only just.

Already the hairdressers, in the Escort in front of us, are starting to panic about us missing the 4.25 ferry. You can hear it in their voice on the 'Pound Stretcher' walkie-talkie.

They're Off

The masses gathered outside Southport Mission HQ the wave off the green goddess.

Just 1,400 miles to go, lets just hope that the rain stops before we turn into papier mache.

Don't forget that you can follow us all the way by pressing the big button to the right of this article.

Test Track Time

We are not talking Gambon, Hammerhead or Followthrough nor do we need the services of Messrs. Clarkson, Hammond, May or even The Stig. Instead we are very grateful to our friends at Salford Electronic Consultants Ltd. In addition to providing corporate sponsorship they have kindly loaned us a vehicle tracking unit. This has now been installed into the car and, if all goes to plan, should allow you to follow our progress as we snake our way towards Barcelona.

But first there was the need to test the unit. Chris connected up the tracker at the same "secret" location used when affixing the maps to car and invited SEC Ltd to remotely activate the device and describe where they thought the beemer banger was hiding. Within a few minutes they were not only able to provide the correct house address but were also able to say whereabouts within the property the car was secreted. Clever stuff.

SEC are now in the process of configuring a simple map-based interface that will show our minute by minute progress over the next few days. The sneak preview below shows the results of a simple test carried out last night.


As well as providing added interest to our sponors and supporters, the use of the device on the run will provide a valuable testbed for SEC's low power gps/gsm vehicle tracking units. If you want to know more please click on the Salford Electronics logo on the right of this page.

We will publish the link to the proto-type "banger"tracking website before we set off on Thursday morning - so please check back here.

Barcelona. Here We Come!

At last. Time to unveil the Burly Bald Blokes Beemer Banger in all her rally-prepared glory. After a frustrating weekend of dodging heavy rain showers to apply the final logos we managed to find a break in the weather to take a couple of snaps.


Our very grateful thanks go to The XYZ Digital Map Company for the supply of the maps. These were all printed to size to suit the various panels.

That's Doubly Grand!

Thanks to your amazing generosity, we have today charged through the two thousand pounds raised mark for our chosen charity 'MapAction'.

If you add in the offline donations, and the gift aid on your donations, it gives us a running total of £2,009.62. The push continues to get us up towards the £3,000 target that we set ourselves back in 2008 when Chris came up with this hair-brained plan. Hopefully we'll make it before we set off next thursday.

Mapaction have redeveoped their web-site and it is well worth a look to explain the essential work that they undertake in disaster zones around the world. You donations can really make a difference to hundreds or even thousands of lives.

Thanks again, and please keep donating, and asking everyone you know to support us. All of your donation, plus the gift-aid, goes directly to the charity.

Salford GIS Develop New "On-Car Navigation" System

Spy cameras over the weekend snapped what appears to be a new development in On-Car Navigation systems. At a secret location in Southport two characters were seen applying maps to the exterior of an old BMW. However, shortly after this photograph was taken, sources advise us that the car was driven off at high-speed (a BMW 518 at high-speed, you're having a laugh?) to a secure covered compound, where development work could continue unhindered (and in the dry!!!!).

Paul and Chris were unavailable for comment this evening, but word on the grapevine is that the new system will be unveiled before the end of the week.

Initial speculation that the system would be limited to UK coverage only has since been quashed by the release, this evening, of a series of official photographs. These latest pictures confirm that the new navigation system provides international coverage. However, the developers seem keen to keep the car under wraps until the official launch.

Experts who have since studied the above photographs are of the opinion that development work is in the final stages of completion and that the pictures indicate that the car is being prepared for the application of a waterproofing coat of cellulose lacquer. Lets hope that whoever has the task of applying this lacquer coating has taken the necessary precaution of working in a well-ventilated environment - failure to do so could result in the operator churning out spoof news articles in the mistaken belief that he had become an investigative reporter.

The Beemer Takes to the Road

"What news on the Beemer Banger?" I hear you asking. Less than two weeks to go before departure and no mention of the star of the show for quite some time. Well here she is at her first official engagement - a meeting of the West Lancs MG Owners Club (photo by club member Andrew Dickenson).

Thanks to the sterling efforts of "Dr" Keith Banks, who has generously donated his time and all required parts, the car has a clean bill of health and is now fully rally-prepared. Well almost - there are still the cosmetics to attend to but more about that later. As far as the mechanical bits go the car has new rear brakes, windscreen wipers, fan-belts and bulbs where necessary. It has also had a full oil service, wheel balancing AND the silencer has been "fixed". For those medically informed shall we say it's had a silencectomy and leave it at that? It sounds fantastic and she is running very well. Thanks Keith.

A vote of thanks is also due to WLMGOC member Martin Pagett of Lynbrook Insurance who has arranged classic car insurance for the beemer. Yes, as a 16 year-old car it counts as a classic - and so it should. Martin's car is the red E-Type Jaguar on the right in the far background. We had hoped he may be prepared to do a swap but for some reason seemed reluctant!

"Why the West Lancs MG Owners Club?". Well Chris is a member and so too is next-door neighbour Nigel, who with fellow co-driver Ray, has also entered a team into the Banger Run. Their banger - more of a hairdressers car really - is pictured alongside Paul and Chris's green beast. Nigel and Ray (or should that be Toni & Guy?) are raising money for Derian House Childrens Hospice in Lancashire.

Other members of the WLMGOC are intending to give us a send off on 21st May by escorting us from Southport to the motorway. But before then comes the task of decorating our banger - weather-permitting the official map-sticking ceremony takes place this weekend. Watch this space for an update and photos.....