09-11-2008:
As we didn't finish the Rallly we didn't get a trophy but Paul Heal who was on our table and was also on the Tunisian Rallly with us won a huge trophy. |
 |
09-11-2008:
The presentation dinner. |
 |
09-11-2008:
The old teams from the 2001 World Cup Rally reminisce at the bar before the presentation dinner. |
 |
09-11-2008:
Checking in at the hotel back in Harrogate after our taxi ride. Dave is trying to organise a hire car to get home tomorrow. Everyone waiting at te noticeboard for the final results. |
  |
09-11-2008:
We developed an engine misfire just before starting the third Selectif. We started the Selectif but stopped halfway through and had to be towed out. We got going again and tried to make it back to Harrogate but couldn't make it and left the car at a pub in the Yorkshire Dales and got a taxi 50 back to Harrogate. |
 |
09-11-2008:
Dave in the car at the coffee stop waiting to go. |
 |
09-11-2008:
Second Selectif completed ok, just a short one at 3 miles. Coffee now at the Castle Hotel then restart at 11.18 for three more short Selectifs. Leaving the control after the coffee break. |
  |
09-11-2008:
Waiting at the first Selectif and it has just started to hail... Waiting at the start of the second Selectif. |
  |
09-11-2008:
Leaving Carlisle on our way back to Harrogate. Fell much better today after a good nights sleep. We are 10th now and the car behind is 7 minutes behind so if we just take it easy and finish we will stay 10th. |
  |
08-11-2008:
We got through the last two Selectifs ok and are now lining up for our due time at the final control of the day outside the hotel. A more leisurely start tomorrow at 8am finishing around 3pm. |
  |
08-11-2008:
We had a puncture on the first Selectif after the lunchhalt about a mile from the end but managed to continue and finish. We changed the wheel at the side of the road and got it replaced at service. We are now waiting for our due out time at service and then go to the dinner halt. |
  |
08-11-2008:
The Douglas Arms Hotel where we had lunch. Checked the results at the lunchhalt and we are now ninth overall thanks to Dave's fast driving and handbrake turns. |
  |
08-11-2008:
One of the two Selectifs before service and the lunchhalt was cancelled and unfortunately it was the best one of the two. At service we changed our two front tyres with the help of the RAC trolleyjack. The time control after leaving the lunchhalt. |
  |
08-11-2008:
Dave drove really well on the Colin Mcrae Selectif which was the longest of the rally. I am sure we must have moved up the leader board a few places as we have caught a few people. We are now waiting at a time control for our due time. The RAC helping other competitors at the service halt. |
  |
08-11-2008:
Waiting at selectif 2. |
 |
08-11-2008:
Start of Selectif 2. Sunshine! |
  |
08-11-2008:
Coffee break at the hotel. The rally is starting to take its toll... |
  |
08-11-2008:
Finished the first Selectif ok, very bumpy. On our way to the second. Finished all three Selectifs now and are at the coffee break. Dave drove really well on the last two and we nearly caught the car in front on both. |
  |
08-11-2008:
Breakfast at 6:00am for the start at 6:40am it is still dark so it doesnt even feel as though we have been to bed. It is just starting to get light as we stop to top off our fuel on the way to our first three Selectifs. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Filling up with fuel after the last two Selectifs just before getting back to the hotel in Glasgow. Dave drove really well on the last two Selectifs and so we hope we have made up some places. Finally made it to Parc Ferme at 29 minutes past midnight. Our start time tomorrow is 06:40am. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Back at Loch Fyne now for the third time, dinner this time (bacon roll!). Almost out on one very slippery corner but managed to recover. Our problems on the Selectifs have put us back to 18th but still a long way to go.go. Two more Selectifs tonight before getting back to Glasgow at 1:00am |
 |
07-11-2008:
It is absolutely pitch black as we line up and wait to start the Selectif. Dave waiting in the car. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Fuel and comfort stop and we also took off the spotlight covers and clean the headlights. Two more Selectifs completed and only minor problems finding the route: driving in the dark now between Selectifs. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Several RAC vans are helping with servicing and here at the lunchhalt, they have already helped is adjust our headlights. |
 |
07-11-2008:
Fish our for lunch at Loch Fyne as you would expect. The organisors have just added 30 minutes to the scheduled time and so we will now finish at just before 1am, but we still have to start again at 6am. |
 |
07-11-2008:
Last Selectif before lunch and was very wet and slippery. We have seen two more cars off on the last two Selectifs but they are in the Historic class. Back to Loch Fyne now for the lunch halt. |
 |
07-11-2008:
Another delay at Selectif start but at least its not raining (yet). Had a couple of minor delays in Selectif 5.2 - straight on at a muddy chicane but recovered and then went to go hairpin left when it was straight on but we didn't lose too much time. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Fueling up on route. A local newspaper reporter from the Dunoon Observer interviewed is in the garage and took some pictures so check their website: www.dunoon-observer.co.uk. |
 |
07-11-2008:
Have now finished two Selectifs after the coffee stop. On the first one many crews went the wrong way Runclidibg us because the road markings and the book were wrong. We are hoping that this Selectif will be cancelled. The second one was ok but very slippery. We are now following another car round the Loch to the next Selectif. |
 |
07-11-2008:
Getting our OUT time at the Oyster Bar. Another delay at the Selectif start but I didn't get wet this time. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Following a Nissan Micra to the next Selectif. We almost had some sunshinel but its still raining! |
 |
07-11-2008:
Got through the first Selectif ok and are now waiting at the second. Got wet again getting an arrival time. Two cars had stopped on the first Selectif so we may have moved up two places. Morning coffee break at the original Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, having finished the famous Rest and be Thankful Selectif. Mxbt of the chicanes had been demolished by previous cars and so we best target time on this one. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Queuing up to leave Parc Ferme and then queuing at the first Selectif, it is now raining really hard and I had to get out to get an arrival time so I got wet. |
  |
07-11-2008:
Breakfast at 5.45am before we leave at 6.38am. Have just checked the results for the first day and in the thee night Selectifs we managed to pick'up an extra place and we are now 16th. |
  |
06-11-2008:
Eventually started the Kielder Selectif 55 minutes late, so we won't finish today now until midnight. We caught the car in front fairly early on and there seemed to be a car catching us but it disappeared later. One car had gone off into a ditch and was stuck there with headlights still on so it had just happened. We have just entered Scotland! We have now finished the final Selectif pod the day without incident and we seenoq at the last reststop in Moffat. Just a 67 mile run to Glasgow now arriving around 11pm, and then we do it all again tomorrow at 6.00am. |
  |
06-11-2008:
Interim results posted at the lunch halt and we are 17th after 5 Selectifs which is probably a little better than we expected. There are there or four cars only slightly ahead of us so we cam improve if we go well on the rest of the Selectifs tonight. There is a delay at the start of the Kielder Selectif and so Dave and I are checking the route in more detail. This Selectif is the longest of the day at 13 miles. |
  |
06-11-2008:
Queueing at the lunch halt for our due time (lunch at 4pm!). |
 |
06-11-2008:
Not a great picture but this is us going through Stanhope Ford, it was closed to traffic because of high water but the Rally cars still went through. |
  |
06-11-2008:
Lining up to leave the re-group, more Selectifs in 8 miles. Finished Selectifs 3.1 and 4.1. Dave is driving faster now as he gets used to the tyres. One more Selectif before the lunch halt.
|
  |
06-11-2008:
Arrived at the morning regroup ok which is just off the A1 near Scotch Corner. Just about have time for a cup of coffee before we leave again at 13:38. |
 |
06-11-2008:
Just finished the Boltby forest Selectif with plenty of handbrake turns. Tyres performing well. So far so good! Finished the first Selectif ok. Just a short one this time and we now have an hours drive to the next one, and as you can see it is raining! |
  |
06-11-2008:
Lining up at the ceremonial start in Harrogate.
|
 |
06-11-2008:
Just a few minutes to go now as we wait at Parc Ferme. We get 10 minutes to get to the car and arrive at the PF time control. |
  |
06-11-2008:
The morning of the start and we are all gathering for drivers briefing at 8am. We have a civilised start time today of 10.15am but we don't finish untill 11pm in Glasgow. |
  |
05-11-2008:
Documentation all checked and the best part was the meal vouchers we hot for each day! We are now attending the co-drivers briefing to try and pickup some extra tips and be reminded of the things l have forgotten. |
 |
05-11-2008:
We have now signed on and normally l would now be frantically marking maps but the organisors have not out marked maps this year so that has saved me a few hours work. We are now reviewing all of the paperwork before the co-drivers meeting at 5.00pm. |
 |
05-11-2008:
Scrutineering in an underground car park. We passed scrutineering ok and the car is now in park ferme. We are now walking to the hotel to sign on and do the documenation. |
  |
05-11-2008:
We have had all of our tyres marked by the officials and we are now on our way to noise check before scrutineering. Then queueing for noise check which includes environmental scrutineering (lights and horn).
|
  |
05-11-2008:
We are all waiting for scrutineering to open and fortunately there is a Sainsburys with a Starbucks nearby where we met with some old friends from the World Cup rallies.
|
 |
04-11-2008:
Checking the alignment of the spotlights outside the hotel. Only 2 spotlights allowed on this rally. |
 |
04-11-2008:
Ken goes over all of the documentation again at the hotel in preparation for signing on tomorrow. |
 |
04-11-2008:
Setting off from London on the way to Harrogate in Yorkshire. Scrutineering and documentation is tomorrow and the rally starts on Thursday morning. |
 |
04-11-2008:
On the road for final testing! |
 |
The
Lombard Rally 2008 