April 2nd-3rd. Club Triumph Historic Counties Rally.

This weekend saw the annual running of the CT Historic Counties Rally. This is a 'Scatter Rally' where various counties and points of interest have to be passed through to gain points. (and photographic evidence has to be provided!) I was determined to complete it this year as last year issues regarding vehicle breakdowns and severe lack of sleep saw us retiring half way through the second part due to sheer knackeredness!
Regular co-driver, navigator, farting rival and long term bestest mate Dave Saunders wasn't available, so fellow Triumph estate lover Peter Jackson was my company for this one. After leaving my house in Essex, I picked Peter up from Cambridgeshire and we then made the long trek up to the start at Barnoldswick in Lancashire.
The rally started at 6pm with a speed test around some traffic cones and I got off to a flying start by getting the big saloon sideways big time (and almost losing it big time!) and unfortunately hitting two cones! (two lost points!) We then started to plot our route which took us into West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and finally the halfway point at 1.30am Sunday Morning in Shropshire.
The second half saw us head into the county of Powys, (Mid wales) and avoiding the teenage binge drinkers falling all over the road in Welshpool provided some good entertainment as well!
We then  headed back towards Birmingham only to find the M6 closed and so had to divert through Wolverhampton where we picked up the M5, then M42 & M40. The counties of Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire were collected on the M40 while Hertfordshire and Essex was collected on the M25. The final county of Suffolk was gained on the A12 up to the finishing location in Woodbridge at around 10am.
Luckily, Peter's wife drive down to Ipswich to take him off my hands, so I was able to make the short journey back to my house where I promptly had a shower and then fell asleep on the sofa for three hours! (Not sleeping the night before does that to you!) Once again the Rally car performed absolutely flawlessly and was a pleasure to drive. Roll on the Scottish highlands rally in 9 weeks time!

The Wyevale Garden Centre publicity pic. This is because we were the first team to arrive in Suffolk.

(But not the winners I hasten to add!)