Well, the simple answer is for charity
Early in 1995 at committee meeting of Guildford Motor Club details appeared of an event called the All Car Run. This seemed like a good event to give the Mini a run in. The object was to drive to Castle Coombe race circuit, it wasn’t a simple case of starting from home and ending up there in the shortest route, but depending on the age of the car being driven that determined the number of miles you had to cover. The Mini being first registered in 1994 meant we had to do 200 miles. To raise money for the charity, The Stroke Association, we also had to attempt to get sponsorship and aim to raise at least £1 per mile. To prove that we would do the required mileage we would be given a route card which we would have stamped at BP petrol stations en route. On completing the run we were promised a drive round the race track.
Having committed to do the event, and put my entry in, it was early September before we heard any more about the run. A large envelope appeared containing the all important sponsorship forms, stickers for the car, a booklet detailing all the BP stations in the UK, a form to be completed detailing our intended route and other miscellany.
My first job was to decide the route we would take. Fortunately I have a copy of Microsoft’s Autoroute which considerably aided the planning. My first intention was to head west towards Salisbury and then on to Honition in Devon and the head back to Castle Coombe that would have meant leaving at least by 6am to arrive at the finish by midday. Once having decided the route I had to plot the BP stations we were going to use, doing the 200 miles meant we had to stop at least eight. Here my initial route fell down, none of the stations we would have passed early in the route would have been open! So it was back to the route planning software. The route we finally decided upon was going via Alton, Midhurst, Worthing, Havant, Winchester, Salisbury, Marlborough, and Chippenham, which totalled just around 210 miles and this time we would not need to leave until 7am, a slightly more civilised time, and the petrol stations early in the route would be open as well! So I submitted this route, the organisers also asked for a photograph of the car being used so I duly enclosed a picture.
It was now done to collecting sponsorship, family, friends, Motor Club members and work colleagues were all approached. I also decided to write to a number of businesses to see if they were interested in sponsoring us as well. What I offered was for a donation to The Stoke Association I would place their logo on the car for the event. Whichford Rover in Basingstoke, were the Mini is serviced were the only company was kind enough to send me some stickers and the all important cheque. In total we have been promised £250. Personally, I think I could have raised more if I hadn’t been so busy at work!
The day before the event the mini was washed and checked over, the event stickers were placed on the car, as well as those from Whichford Rover and of course some from Guildford Motor Club! Saturday morning dawned cold, clear and bright, and we got under way just after 7am, to head for our first petrol station, at Bucks Horn Oak just a mile away from home! I had to explain to the attendant that I wanted him to sign and stamp my route card, and all this was being done in aid of charity. Mind you, I don’t think he was really awake as we arrived there very shortly after he had opened. I seemed to have to go through the same routine at the garages in Midhurst, Petworth and Pulborough. The listing of garages had a brief address and the road the station was located on, to find the BP garage in Petworth we had to take a slight detour of about three miles in the wrong direction to find this station.
Until we reached Worthing, about 60 miles into the journey, we were obviously driving in an Easterly direction, and the skies being clear we had the sun in our eyes for this part of the journey. The roads up to this point had been really very free of traffic and we had been able to make good time arriving in Worthing at about 8.30am. The BP station was easy to find as it was on the A24 into the town, and it was the road we were using. I walked into the station with my route card and the attendant was readied himself with his stamp, I guessed he had had other entrants through, He said that one other car had been through, a Jaguar XJS. We left the garage and heading onto the A27 west to Havant. The road started to get busier particularly around all the round-abouts in Chichester, we continued onto Havant.
Here we turned off the A27 into Havant and towards Bedhampton for out next BP petrol station. This time we actually filled the Mini up with petrol as well as getting the route card stamped. It was then onto the M27 for 19 miles and then to turn onto the M3 upto Winchester. By the time we reached Winchester it was about 9.45, and it quite busy with shoppers, and we seemed to wait what seemed like an eternity at any traffic lights which showed red. The petrol station was on the road out of Winchester, here the attendant was most interested in where we had come from. He explained he used to live in Farnham and what a nice area it was etc. He added that earlier he had been visited by a number of MG’s who were doing the run also.
On the road to Salisbury we decided to stop at a Little Chef or was it a Happy Eater, for a cup of coffee and a bun. We felt we had earned the break seeing as we had been on the go since just after seven. We located the petrol station on the outskirts of the town and again got route card stamped. Taking the road to Marlborough out of Salisbury, we encountered a number of signs saying the road ahead was closed. Now these signs were taken with a " pinch of salt" as in many of our journeys we see such signs only to find they have been left by workmen to decorate the landscape and in fact the road remains open. In this case our assumption was wrong! We had about a five mile detour to rejoin original road. On leaving Salisbury we seemed to get stuck behind every vehicle doing about 30mph, and no places to overtake. On entering Marlborough we encountered the only traffic jam of the day. Those of you who are familiar with the town will know that the main street is very wide with parking on both sides of the road as well as down the middle, the queue seemed to be caused by people driving round in circles trying to find a parking space when it became free.
Once out of the Marlborough mayhem we had another 20 or so miles to go Chippenham for our final route check, this was a quick blast down the A4. With our route card stamped at Chippenham we were able to follow the signs to Castle Coombe.
We arrived at Castle Coombe at 12.25, there were already many other cars there and plenty of activity of the track as well. Having parked the car, we brought a program for the event only to discover the picture we had sent in with our entry has been included in the program, then we had to go and register our arrival. This seemed to take an age as the organisers appeared to be doing two things at once, registering those who had completed the run and organising rides with the star drivers/cars. We just wanted to register how much we had raised in sponsorship and get a ticket to have a drive round the circuit. Our circuit run was not due till just before 2pm. So having already met up with Annette, Michael and Annette’s mother, who had come along a more direct route, we went off for some lunch. We had one of the best quality meals at a UK race circuit we’ve ever had.
Waiting to go out on the track.Our turn came to drive out onto the circuit, we were in a group with several MG’s, Morgans, Renault 19 and to be quite honest I can’t remember what else. We filtered out on to the circuit , John had the video running to record our exploits. We seemed to hold our own with most cars through the corners but were occasionally left behind down the straights! In what seemed like no time at all the chequered flag was out and that meant the end of our circuit session.
After our run round, the star drives resumed - people attending the day could be driven round the circuit after making a donation. The cars available for these drives were quite varied, they included an Aston Martin Vantage, Dodge Viper, various versions of the Porsche 911 in varying stages of tune from standard road to full race, a Lister Storm, C and D type Jaguars, an ex works Mini Cooper, various MG’s, Morgans and many others. The were being driven by the likes of John Surtees, Barrie Williams, Paddy Hopkirk, Simon Taylor, Peter Morgan and Tiff Needell.
I decided that another run on the circuit was worth asking for, so I asked and was told another session was due around 3.30 and we could go in that if we wanted. So we duly queued up, and were let loose on the circuit again. This time the was some "slow" cars out a Rolls Royce and Bentley to name but two. If I were truthful they were being driven with at least four people in them at a very sedate pace. We overtook them both twice, diving through corners very tight to the apex! Again the flag came out quickly and we had to call it a day.
Once off the track, John and I decided it was time to head home. We left Castle Coombe for home at about 4pm knowing we could take the most direct route home. Rather than going down M4 to Reading we opted to use the A4 to Newbury and then to Basingstoke, much less tiring than the Motorway, and more fun in the Mini! An hour and three quarters later we were back in Dockenfield. A much quicker and shorter route!!
A good day out for a worthwhile cause, hopefully to be repeated next year.
Finally, a word of thanks to John Wilkins for navigating on the day, all individuals who sponsored us and Whichford Rover for their generous donation. As I said earlier we raised over £250 just part of the £28,000 which was raised in total by the event.