The Joy of Driving Unusual Cars: David and Sandra's Rally Tales
It's me, Mark Stone and this weeks Backseat Driver Podcast, I join David and Sandra Williams, and delve into the extraordinary world of charity car rallies, elucidating their passion for driving unconventional vehicles across Europe to raise funds for noble causes.
The couple recounts their experiences with a variety of unique automobiles, including their eye-catching pink Audi A4 and the creatively modified Jaguar XJ, which not only serve as vessels for their charitable endeavors but also as sources of joy and amusement for onlookers.
Through their adventurous spirit, they have successfully participated in approximately ten rallies, amassing an impressive £25,000 for charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support and Pancreatic Cancer UK.
___
Visit our sponsors
Bridge House Farmhouse Tea Rooms
Mentioned in this episode:
Tarox Brakes
Sponsored by TAROX Brakes Engineered in Italy. Tested on track. Trusted on the street. TAROX performance brake kits deliver progressive feel, zero fade, and serious stopping power — all with show-stopping looks. 🔧 tarox.co.uk – Precision Braking Since 1976.
SAS Autos
For over 20 years, Specialised Automotive Services has provided high-quality, affordable automotive maintenance and repairs. Featured in Lancashire Life and a recipient of their Auto Services Award, the company specialises in vintage and classic car restoration, auto electrical work, and general repairs. https://sas-autos.co.uk
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Yes, it's me, Mike Stone, and this is the Backseat Driver podcast.
Speaker B:It's the fastest, it's the friendliest, and it's for all the family.
Speaker B:The gas shocks 116 Trophy and 120 Coupe cup are the fastest growing race series in the UK, taking in six one hour races and eight sprints at all the top circuits.
Speaker B:Visit 116triportun Trophy.com to find out more and get yourself behind the wheel.
Speaker B:From a pot of tea to TT motorbikes, from a classic English breakfast to a full serving of classic cars, Bridge House Tearooms is the northwest premier classic car meeting location for coys, bikes, tractors and owner's clubs.
Speaker B: -: Speaker B:Two weeks ago, at an event, a classic car event or interesting car event, I encountered an Audi A4 that was a pinky red colour with big white logos and stripes down its side.
Speaker B:Grease lightning, an engine air intake made from an old dust bin and a plywood spoiler on the back.
Speaker B:Not exactly standard fare.
Speaker B:But today's guests on the Backseat Driver will explain why.
Speaker B:And it's David and Sandra Williams who enjoy driving unusual cars long distances to raise money for charity.
Speaker B:David and Sandra, welcome to the Backseat Driver.
Speaker A:Hi, good morning.
Speaker A:Hello, everybody.
Speaker B:How did all this come about?
Speaker B:I mean, because besides the Audi which decided to give up the Ghost, somewhere down in Spain you have a rutted Jaguar XJ and a variety of other interesting cars knocking about the place.
Speaker B:How did all this come about?
Speaker A:Probably a lapse in concentration at some point because I do like my Jaguars.
Speaker A:I like standard ones.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:But I saw an event advertise for raising for money for charity.
Speaker A:The event was called Screwball Rally where you had to get a cheap car, drive it around Europe in costume whilst raising monies for charity.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So Sandra had actually expressed an interest in and actually thought it'd be really nice to do this.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:But apparently I got that wrong.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So I, I literally booked on the event and then Sandra phoned me up, calling me silly names, probably polite version.
Speaker A:And yeah, she didn't fancy camping whilst driving around Europe while dressed up.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:But that's what we did.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's what we did.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:But you've been doing it ever since, haven't you?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:We've done probably about 10 rallies to date around mainland Europe.
Speaker A:We've raised probably in the region of 25, 000 pounds for two.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Really popular charities, which are the charities.
Speaker B:You tend to do it for.
Speaker D:Macmillan Cancer Support.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:But this year for the first time, we did it for Pancreatic Cancer uk.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:As, as a request of somebody that wanted us to do that.
Speaker D:So this year to date we've raised £3,000.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And I conclude you've no problems getting people to sponsor you because, I mean, they won't be funny at the end of the day.
Speaker B:They're serious, but they're not serious events aren't.
Speaker A:No, the, the, the, the fun, the fun, the cars, the way that we do them up, the way we dress while we're doing them, it makes people smile.
Speaker A:Other people that take part in the event, they're just there to have a nice time.
Speaker A:It's very good, a very good social life.
Speaker A:Really.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean a lot of the people we meet, we meet throughout the year.
Speaker A:We also have some serious cars which are standard, but the most eye catching ones or ones that people want to talk about are the likes of the Audi, which we did as a grease lightning thing while dressed as Danny and Sandy.
Speaker A:As you do and.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So companies generally will put their hands in the pocket and sponsors a few pounds towards it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Individuals will donate money.
Speaker A:Sandra organizes quite a few events as well, which you, you can tell people.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:No organized fun days, family fun days, always have a raffle on the bar at the local club, buy raffle tickets.
Speaker D:But I have made the decision that after 10 years, this next year I am not asking people to put their hands in their pockets.
Speaker D:It's just you, you're feeding off the same people and while they're.
Speaker D:They're generous there again, look.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:So I've just, I've told everybody once the pancreatic cancer one's closed, the.
Speaker D:I'm not raising money for 12 months and they all breathe the same relief.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Now the car you use in the main is the Jaguar xj, isn't it?
Speaker B:Which is sat outside and not being funny to look at, it looks like it's on its last legs.
Speaker B:But it isn't, is it?
Speaker A:No, it's a ratted Jaguar xjr.
Speaker A:It looks rusty, but it's actually a painted on effect.
Speaker A:A lot of the parts on it have been borrowed, should we say, from other vehicles?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And bought a minimal amount of cost to ourselves to give it probably a Mad Max sort of theme.
Speaker A:In fact, we've used it as a Mad Max theme for a couple of rallies.
Speaker A:We've Used it as a zombie bride and groom theme.
Speaker A:We're covered in blood with an arm hanging out the boot and that.
Speaker A:Which raised quite a few eyebrows when we went to certain places.
Speaker D:And we get videoed a lot, don't we?
Speaker D:So you'll see cars, they'll race ahead of you and then slow down, but what they're doing is waiting for you then to overtake them.
Speaker D:So videoing us all the time, I mean it must be.
Speaker D:Well, it's sat on the drive over the last couple of months my car's been into the garage.
Speaker D:The guy that brought the hire car.
Speaker D:Can I take a picture please?
Speaker D:The guy that brought my car back.
Speaker D:Can I take a picture please?
Speaker B:Suppose you could say the roundabout way.
Speaker B:It's eye catching for all the wrong reasons.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:I mean to say it's, it's been, it's been ruined from what it was.
Speaker B:Because he was a pre production.
Speaker B:Was it a TWR car?
Speaker A:It was supplied by TWR of Coventry.
Speaker A:It's got some pre production parts on it.
Speaker A: the first XJRS registered in: Speaker A:One of my friends, Martin Joyce, was a designer for the supercharged Jaguar starting on the XJ 40s originally.
Speaker A:So there is a certain value in the car that it will, it will never be sold.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's an interesting car.
Speaker A:We'll never sell.
Speaker A:Makes people smile.
Speaker A:You will get an negative comment but to be honest, that's.
Speaker A:That's really part and parcel of anything.
Speaker A:Whatever vehicle you drive, somebody will, somebody will dislike it for their own reasons.
Speaker A:And really that is their.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker B:I mean, let's talk.
Speaker B:I mean there's a Mad Max style supercharger intake on the bonnet which actually doesn't feed a supercharger but it just looks good.
Speaker A:It does.
Speaker A:It's just that we put it on for an event and everybody said, well, why don't you leave it on?
Speaker A:We've have had one or two official people saying it shouldn't be there because it's obscure in your view.
Speaker A:Yeah, but nobody's ever told us to take it off, so it's staying put.
Speaker B:It's covered in rusty paint.
Speaker B:It's got bottle openers for door handles.
Speaker B:Spitfire, bigger bottle openers for door handles.
Speaker B:It's got side exit exhaust at the back.
Speaker B:I mean.
Speaker B:And it's got an S type R interior.
Speaker B:I mean it's definitely different, isn't it?
Speaker A:Oh, it definitely is.
Speaker A:I mean right down to the hand grenade for the gear change in that.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's it's different.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, there's some parts in the cars have been donated to us by other rally users, so there's badges from rallies that we've got on it.
Speaker A:We've got some badge numbers from cars that have done the events, usually other Jags, and they'll donate us the number off and they'll stick it on the car.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's a talking point.
Speaker A:Every.
Speaker A:Every.
Speaker A:Every part of the car has a little bit of a story behind it.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's functional.
Speaker A:Everything that's on it's functional.
Speaker A:It's just.
Speaker A:Just fun.
Speaker A:Yeah, just fun.
Speaker D:You just love it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:If we got.
Speaker A:If we go to a car show.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:People come and have a look at our car, not because it's the best, it's just because it's different and everybody wants to talk to you about it.
Speaker A:And as you probably realize, I don't mind talking a little bit.
Speaker B:So, I mean, you took it to one event, it was a supercharged Jaguar day, and they told you to park it around the bike.
Speaker A:Yeah, that was one of the first events we went to down at the heritage workshops and they couldn't believe that I'd been invited.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because.
Speaker A:So we did actually let them know that we were part of the display.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And strangely, an elderly gentleman with a lovely shiny Jaguar came to me and said, look at the state of your calf.
Speaker A:Did explain to us that.
Speaker A:Were you.
Speaker A:Well, yours is nice and shiny with rust and filler underneath the skin.
Speaker A:Yeah, mine's actually a solid car with painted on rust.
Speaker A:He wasn't very happy about that, that the point was made.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, now, beside, how did Jaguar orders tend to react?
Speaker B:Because, I mean, Jaguar owners in the main do tend to keep them shiny and reasonably looking standard.
Speaker A:Yes, they do.
Speaker D:You brush it.
Speaker A:I do wash it.
Speaker A:I polish the stainless steel wheel rims on it, polish the supercharger.
Speaker A:I clean inside some of the patina, which is a bit green around the edges.
Speaker A:Some of it is due to not being as cleaned as what it could be done.
Speaker A:But that's the fun.
Speaker D:The Jackie we're on is if I've stopped going to shows.
Speaker D:Because she'll sit either car with a book.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:Because you've just come to enjoy the sunshine and people never stop asking questions.
Speaker D:People there all the time.
Speaker D:And I just think, no.
Speaker D:So I stopped going, leaving with it.
Speaker B:Now to serve interest.
Speaker B:How many miles has he done?
Speaker A:It's coming up for 160,000 miles.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:We've covered.
Speaker A:Let's think about 35,000 miles in that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Predominantly the mileage has been done on charity car rallies around mainland Europe, either for Screwball Rally, which we've done a few times with the.
Speaker A:With Rat Cats, as the car's called.
Speaker A:And we've also been to Benidorm with British Bandies, which we actually helped to organize that rally as well.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's.
Speaker A:It gets about a bit.
Speaker A:Occasionally I'll use it for work and people come over and take photographs and it'll appear on social media and it'll either be sort of like, what the hell have they done with this?
Speaker A:Or it's not properly supercharged because it's got the W blower on the bonnet, but it has a proper supercharged underneath.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:But if, as I say, it makes people smile, it makes me happy.
Speaker D:So we.
Speaker D:When we were on one of the rallies, we were.
Speaker D:I don't know where we were in France somewhere.
Speaker D:And this lady, like drove up next to us and she wound the window down and she said, I've seen it on Facebook.
Speaker D:And she was absolute over the moon that she'd seen it in real life.
Speaker B:I mean, you did one event where you were dressed up as zombies.
Speaker B:Dead people, weren't you?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Zombie Bride and Gray.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:The blood on the bonnet fairly attract.
Speaker B:Or the.
Speaker B:The fake blood on the bob, it fairly attracted attention.
Speaker A:It did.
Speaker A:And also the help help signs on the side that were painted in blood as well.
Speaker A:And then.
Speaker A:And he had an arm hanging out of the boot as well.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And it didn't say just married, it said just murdered.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, I mean, so were you into this or is it something you've had to get into?
Speaker D:I enjoy organizing it.
Speaker D:I enjoy, like, Dave, prep the car.
Speaker D:I do everything else, all the costumes and everything, and I love it.
Speaker D:It was that first one where I liked it on Facebook.
Speaker D:It was just to go back to and see it.
Speaker D:But I did enjoy it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And getting all the costumes ready and all the different things.
Speaker D:But we just get more elaborate as the years go on.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:Because we've already got a lot of the costum, so we'll add to them and yeah, it's.
Speaker D:It's just deciding he'd seen Beg Shears.
Speaker B:I mean, these events, I mean, how do you find out about them?
Speaker B:I know you've been doing it for a while now.
Speaker B:What?
Speaker B:There seems to be quite a few of this type of event take what not being fully what is an outly.
Speaker B:A cheaper car and drive a long distance in them.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:That's if you go on.
Speaker A:On social media.
Speaker A:On Facebook, you'll find lots of different rallies, whether.
Speaker A:Whether, like cannonball, gumball rallies, which are more elitist.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:The ones we do usually have an idea that you'll pay between 500 and maybe £1,000 for.
Speaker A:For a car to enter.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Then you can spend as much as you want on the car to make it into whatever theme you want.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:One of the rallies we did, a gentleman used a bus which looked the same as the one out the Italian Job.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:So that.
Speaker A:That was way ott.
Speaker A:But it wasn't really.
Speaker A:It was fun.
Speaker A:It was fun.
Speaker A:So Sandra enjoys the theme of the cars.
Speaker A:I compromise sometimes.
Speaker A:I mean, the fact that we were duetting as Danny and Sandy whilst in the Audi, this time broadcasting, that was as much a surprise to me as anybody else.
Speaker A:But there you go, karaoke.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:And it raised an extra £100 for charity because people were seeing it on Facebook.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And the amount of people that said, having a down day today.
Speaker D:And I watched this and I've just been giggling all afternoon.
Speaker D:So it's just entry.
Speaker D:If.
Speaker D:If you're gonna do it, you've got to enter into the spirit of it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And when you said, how do you find out about them?
Speaker D:I mean, literally, as we finished the one in May, we've rebooked the same one for next May.
Speaker D:We've done it already.
Speaker D:The hotels are booked.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker D:That's.
Speaker D:That's us commitment.
Speaker D:That's what we want to do.
Speaker A:That's the British bangers.
Speaker A:Ellie to Benidorm, isn't it?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker B:Now, the Audi that you use is still there.
Speaker B:It gave up the ghost as you described it.
Speaker B:It's probably tin cans by.
Speaker A:Has been broken down into parts.
Speaker A:Sadly, the head gasket went on it.
Speaker A:The night before we left to go down to Dover.
Speaker A:We temporarily put some rad welding, which I never thought would work, but the car was.
Speaker A:We put so much time and effort into getting the car ready in the theme, we couldn't not take it or at least try to get it there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:It used a lot of water about.
Speaker A:By the time we arrived down in Dover for the first night, it probably used six pints of water by then.
Speaker A:The following day we drove to.
Speaker A:From Calais to Luxembourg and yet again it used a good few pints of water again, but seemed to run very smoothly, which was weird, but we were grateful of it.
Speaker A:But at that point we were committed to the journey.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Quite a few of our friends and entrants are mechanics, so we sort of 99% certain knew it Will get there one way or the other.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So we left Luxembourg on the following morning.
Speaker A:Next stop was going to be in Switzerland and we were going to go on a road train at one point, you know, for taking cars on, which a very rickety thing.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, by the time we got on board that he had steam coming up under the bonnet and I'm like, it's not going to get that.
Speaker A:So by the time we got off the train at the the other end, probably 20 minutes later, it was time to get everybody's heads under the bonnet.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:We literally took the front grille off it.
Speaker A:We wired the fans up so they're going to be running 24,7 on it.
Speaker A:And to keep the car cool, bizarrely, you'd have to drive it fast.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So see.
Speaker A:See the weird thing to do?
Speaker A:It's like, we're going to kill this car, but we're going to kill it with kindness.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:We're still waiting for the speeding fines.
Speaker B:That's the interesting thing you did.
Speaker B:You did one event and your.
Speaker B:Your claim to fairbies.
Speaker B:You got the biggest speeding fine, didn't you?
Speaker A:Yeah, that was the first rally we did.
Speaker A:Sandra was unhappy about it because we got a €600 speed that was in a Saab convertible which we used dressed as abba.
Speaker A: s a Swedish rally car, number: Speaker A:And the drivers and co drivers names are all the members of ABBA written down the side of it.
Speaker A:And we got loads of photographs taken of us.
Speaker A:Strangely, people expect us to sing and we didn't.
Speaker A:And to be honest, it was probably a good call.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker B:And what.
Speaker B:So I mean, you paid the speeding fine, no problem.
Speaker A:Yeah, we got it reduced down to €300 if you paid it immediately.
Speaker A:Yeah, that was in Spain.
Speaker A:We got the highest fine.
Speaker A:As we.
Speaker A:As we say, I think we're doing about 98 miles per hour in a 110 or 120 kilometers area.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And they set up speed cameras because they knew our rally was coming in.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Should it have been going that speed?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Did he enjoy it?
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, you mentioned a SOB convertible.
Speaker B:I mean, because the Audi had to be abandoned or laid to rest on the last event.
Speaker B:You managed to find another Saab convertible that's still down there.
Speaker B:You'll be bringing it back.
Speaker A:Yeah, we were with.
Speaker A:With us doing the Benidorm Rally.
Speaker A:The rally finishes it in Benidorm.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then usually we use rat counts the Rusty Jack and fetch it back.
Speaker A:Now this year we were donated a car unfortunately failed to materialize for reasons we're still not clear of.
Speaker A:So hence we bought the Audi.
Speaker A:Yeah, but we'd already decided we're going to leave the car in Spain, maybe park it up at the airport, pick it up in a couple of months time.
Speaker A:Unfortunately with the car being broken trolley well I version the best thing to do was to kill it with kindness.
Speaker A:So it's been broken down to parts at a legal scrapyard.
Speaker A:Some good friends of us, Kerry and Lee Woods.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Who Main authorizes.
Speaker A:Oh, sorry.
Speaker A:LAUGHING they got married.
Speaker A:Sorry.
Speaker A:Kerry wears them hands.
Speaker A:But anyway, they said whatever we sold this Aldi for, we could purchase the Saab convertible for.
Speaker A:For the same monies, which was very generous of them.
Speaker A:So we.
Speaker A:We used the Saab for another week whilst we're down in Benidorm and then we parked it up at the airport for a few months.
Speaker A:We'll fly back out there in September and drive next year's route for the British Bandits.
Speaker A:We're going to drive it back to front.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:In the Saab, not decide whether or use the SAR next year for the rally.
Speaker A:But it will probably be sold onto another entrance next year at cost price again.
Speaker D:Yeah, there's quite a few people that are interested in buying it, so we've got that option.
Speaker B:But you won't be ratting it, you won't be doing anything to it.
Speaker A:Not.
Speaker A:Not as at this moment in time or never say never.
Speaker D:Yeah, but it is livery does cool runnings, isn't it?
Speaker D:Yeah, yeah Sam, it's all liquid up.
Speaker D:They did it as cool runnings but.
Speaker B:With the sounds of it with the Jags and another Saab apart from the Excursion to the Audi, I conclude that they are the basically the.
Speaker B:The make of cars you enjoy a owning because you.
Speaker B:There's no shortage of Jags here and it seems to be the ones that you enjoy doing these events with.
Speaker A:Well, Jaguars, the, the older ones, the.
Speaker A:Not.
Speaker A:Not so much the new ones, you know they're going to get you there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Same applies to a lot of cars I suppose.
Speaker A:The newer ones seem to have more gremlins and ultimately can't beat an XJ6.
Speaker A:They're cool cars.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:They've got quite a wide appeal now for people to customize them, maybe wrap them.
Speaker A:You will see a few of them about and.
Speaker A:Yeah, and they're appealing more to a younger element now because they're realizing pound for pound are an absolute bargain.
Speaker A:I couldn't afford to buy a brand new Jaguar.
Speaker A:I can afford to Run older ones.
Speaker A:Just about.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:They're just smiles per gallon that when we buy them, there's no depreciation left on them.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So they've lost everything they're going to lose.
Speaker A:Lost everything they're going to use.
Speaker A:So you can drive a 5 litre V8 supercharged Jaguar drive for 12 months.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It'll cost you money for fuel, you won't depreciate.
Speaker A:So what you would lose in depreciation on a car like that if it was new would be probably £500 a week.
Speaker A:So if you put £100 worth of fuel in it a week, you're still on the right side.
Speaker B:You're still on the right side.
Speaker A:On the right side.
Speaker A:And driving a cracking motor.
Speaker B:I mean, the problem is, we said before we went on air, Jaguar have very successfully killed themselves.
Speaker B:I mean, but I'm pleased to say there is still a following for what you will call real Jaguars.
Speaker B:I mean, the enthusiasm is there for them, apart from the fact the parent company seems to have no enthusiasm for them.
Speaker A:Well, strangely, Jaguar enthusiasts, not many of them of them would actually buy them new yellow depreciation.
Speaker A:But everybody of a certain age has always aspired to own a Jag.
Speaker C:I mean, I've, I.
Speaker B:Well, if just thinking back, I've had three of them.
Speaker B:I've had a series one XJ6, 4.2 that I did thousands of miles in a V12 XJS and a 4 liter XJS straight.
Speaker B:So I actually found the 4 litre the better car.
Speaker B:But I mean, they were beautifully produced.
Speaker B:Okay, they had their problems and rust tended to be one of them.
Speaker B:But if they're in good nick and you looked after them, I mean, they just never gave up or they don't give up.
Speaker B:Don't they?
Speaker A:No, they don't.
Speaker A:I mean, the newer ones, electronics will probably kill them and they'll be financially unviable to keep on the road unless you can do the work yourself.
Speaker A:Yeah, unfortunately, it's more specialized now, so your car does have to go into the garage to be diagnosed and repaired and it's.
Speaker A:Yeah, you can't do the spannering yourself.
Speaker A:Yeah, the cars I have, you can do that to some degree.
Speaker A:Although I'm not a mechanic.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:I usually know what's broken on them through, through previous experiences and so I can diagnose them quite easily.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:But on the whole, I found this with very reliable cars anyway.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, these events you do.
Speaker B:I mean, either is there a mechanic on the event to like give support to the, to the entrance or Is he told you yourself.
Speaker A:It's camaraderie.
Speaker A:There's no official mechanic.
Speaker A:There are a few home mechanics that will go on the rallies, the people that own garages.
Speaker A:But the support network is the other entrance.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And you'll always get that.
Speaker A:Even if the.
Speaker A:Either the car died and wasn't going to go any further.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:The entrance will literally jump in another car and be taken to a place where they could hire another car.
Speaker A:Case scenario, very rarely a car doesn't make it.
Speaker A:But that's a good thing.
Speaker A:Nobody gets left behind.
Speaker D:Yeah, they don't leave anybody behind.
Speaker D:I mean, when we have the issue.
Speaker D:Coming off the road.
Speaker D:Train.
Speaker D:Lee sorted the Audi out for us and then Kerry and Lee insisted the day after we should have been going up some really steep hills and we said, no, it's not going to do it.
Speaker D:So they followed us on the lower route.
Speaker D:You just never.
Speaker D:There's always somebody that will help you.
Speaker D:You never leave anybody behind.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:On these runs are there designated stopping points?
Speaker B:I know you say you stop apart from the camping lawn, which you were very up with, Alessandra.
Speaker B:I mean, I get the feeling now it's all little hotels that you stop out when you get there.
Speaker B:Do people know you're arriving, do you end.
Speaker B:Do the lotus turn out to seed him?
Speaker D:Not really.
Speaker D:Once that.
Speaker D:Once one of us starts going in, then they'll start.
Speaker D:People start turning and then they will stop because they can see a few going in together.
Speaker D:So we all tend to stay in the same hotel or around that area and then we'll all meet up at night.
Speaker D:But literally once we're in a place, the cars park up and then we all get together and have a meal and a drink.
Speaker D:So you all get to know each other and everything that way.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:The police quite often will show up and show a bit of interest, but never had any negative experiences with the police.
Speaker A:Usually they're there as happy to see us, really, because we are well behaved people.
Speaker A:We might be a little bit lively.
Speaker A:You know, we have been known to take over bars and have karaoke and singing, dance our hearts out all night long.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Even had one of our friends, Ivan, he had his head shaved for charity in one of the bars.
Speaker A:Was that Luxembourg?
Speaker A:Was it air?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And they didn't quite know what to make us in it.
Speaker A:It was a very quiet night for them until we got who arrived and then it was like, wow, there was only one.
Speaker D:There was only one person in the bar.
Speaker D:So a couple of us walked in and said, can we Bring friends.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:Oh, yes, yes.
Speaker D:So.
Speaker D:And he should have seen his face because his mouth just kept popping open because all these people kept coming in.
Speaker D:So somebody got a translator app and went taking orders of everybody's drinks and went to the bar so he didn't have to move.
Speaker D:He was just.
Speaker D:Because he.
Speaker D:He was like, there's just me.
Speaker B:I mean, the one thing I found is, in Europe, especially in France, if there's a big event going on and you say they use this, the village will know you're turning up.
Speaker B:And the whole thing.
Speaker B:The mayor tends to turn out, but their mares aren't like our mares.
Speaker B:They got a sash on and that's it.
Speaker B:Do you ever get any of that where certain.
Speaker B:You go to certain places because they know you're going to be there?
Speaker D:No, because we don't really promote that we're going to be there.
Speaker D:The hotel knows that they're getting extra.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And as I say, it's only if.
Speaker B:All the type of extra they're getting.
Speaker D:No, but we all book separate.
Speaker D:We all book separately.
Speaker D:But the hotel knows that there's lots of people coming that day.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:A lot of cars.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And everybody's inquiring about car parking, obviously, so they know that we don't really.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:I mean, the only place you'll get a big turnout is Benidorm.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker D:When we get to Benidorm, they know that we're coming there because we finish at one of the bars.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And the bar advertises it and the bar publicizes it.
Speaker D:So they know then that we are going.
Speaker D:But that's the only place, really, because.
Speaker B:You get a lot of English in Benidorm, don't you?
Speaker D:You do, yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, not being funny, not for any particular reason, I've never been, but I always get the feeling that it's a bit like.
Speaker B:It's a bit like England in sunshine type of thing.
Speaker D:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker D:It's a bit like Blackpool in sunshine, to be fair.
Speaker D:That's it.
Speaker D:I mean, but we had.
Speaker D:I mean, this time we didn't.
Speaker D:We flew home.
Speaker D:So we had a good five days and we had a fantastic time.
Speaker D:But you've got to be prepared to party.
Speaker A:And that.
Speaker A:We do, yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, who comes up with the theme ideas, like to do ABBA or Recently Murdered or whatever?
Speaker B:Who comes up with the ideas?
Speaker D:We do it together.
Speaker D:We do it together.
Speaker D:Or I'll go on Amazon to look for ideas years and then say, well, let's do this.
Speaker D:But each car, they do their own thing.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker D:So Everybody does their own theme and then there's a prize for the best fancy dress in the end.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:So you're literally five days in fancy dress.
Speaker B:What's been the most outrageous?
Speaker B:Not just for yourselves, but in general.
Speaker B:What's been the most outrageous?
Speaker A:Well, one we haven't talked about was we actually did.
Speaker A:Did it dressed as King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Because we worked it out that we would arrive in Benidorm on the day of the Coronation.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:So rat cat was covered in Union Jacks.
Speaker A:We had a couple of, like, pig mascots, didn't we, which were Charles and Camilla.
Speaker D:And we had Charles and Camilla on the earpads.
Speaker D:They're so styles now.
Speaker A:Strangely, while driving through France, nobody wanted to park next to us because we know the French are not always, how can put it, as welcoming as what they could be.
Speaker A:And our friends convinced that our car would be set on fire.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So seeing how we're a friendly crew, we obviously put Union Jacks all over their cars as well.
Speaker A:So nobody was excluded.
Speaker A:When we actually arrived in Benidor, we were escorted in and we stopped in Benidor.
Speaker B:Was that to keep them away from you?
Speaker B:Were you away from there?
Speaker A:I'm not quite so sure.
Speaker A:They wanted to keep us under control.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:So the police escort, I mean, there was.
Speaker D:There was about 70 cars on that one.
Speaker D:So the police wanted to control it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:So they.
Speaker D:We had to park at a certain place and then they escorted us in.
Speaker D:But then when we got to Benidorm, and all you want at that point is a ring, because you've done the rally, you've finished, you parked up and the press were there and it was like, can we have a picture?
Speaker D:And then we'd be sat down in a bar and people say, can we have a picture?
Speaker D:Because we had crowns and he had big ears and we had the full capes.
Speaker D:We had everything.
Speaker D:We were dressed and.
Speaker D:And he ran the story that they were all watching the coronation on the tv and he just said, that's not live.
Speaker D:You know, he said, we record pre recorded it so we could go to Benidorm for the weekend.
Speaker D:But I got to the stage where I was up and down from my chair and in the.
Speaker D:Ella just said, if you want a picture, you take it while I'm sat down.
Speaker D:I'm not getting up again.
Speaker D:So we did appear in two or three Spanish newspapers and because my dad and stepmom live over there, they sent us.
Speaker D:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Do you tend to find it's the Spanish that join in more than any of the only countries.
Speaker D:Definitely.
Speaker D:Definitely.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think.
Speaker A:I think the French probably tolerate us at best.
Speaker D:No, to be fair, we've been to France.
Speaker D:We've been through France on our own.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And they're really friendly.
Speaker D:I don't think.
Speaker D:I think sometimes they feel intimidated by 30 cars all coming into a town at the same time.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:But they're friendly on the whole and we're going to find out next year because that's.
Speaker D:We're driving all the way through France whereas we've normally avoided it.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker D:So.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker B:Do you ever go away into Europe in an ordinal.
Speaker B:In a normal car, one that.
Speaker B:I mean, like your XKR convertible outside that's had nothing done to it.
Speaker B:It just looks like it did the other day in the showroom.
Speaker D:No, not.
Speaker A:Where's the fun in that?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, to be honest, over the last 30 years, we've driven to Spain quite a bit.
Speaker A:Where Sanders stepping stepmom live.
Speaker A:So we've.
Speaker A:Sensible cars.
Speaker A:I've never really had any sensible cars.
Speaker A:We took a Ford Explorer, 4 liter V6 petrol when it was new.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:We went to Spain about a couple of times in that and boy, did it.
Speaker A:Did that cost us something in future.
Speaker A:That was horrendous.
Speaker A:We had to offset it.
Speaker D:No.
Speaker A:By fetching bottles of wine back for Sandra, really.
Speaker A:Because, yeah, we were to make.
Speaker A:To make it worthwhile.
Speaker B:To make it worthwhile.
Speaker B:So, I mean, what you're saying.
Speaker B:I mean, have you driven them around the Nordschleife?
Speaker B:You've done all sorts with these guys, haven't you?
Speaker A:We actually went to Nurburgr to stay over for one night for.
Speaker A:On the British Bangers Rally.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, it had been booked out for a corporate event, so Ratcat had been prepared.
Speaker A:We'd had all the brakes, suspension checked over, as you should do anyway, and sadly, it was closed when we got there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:We have been to Monaco in it and we have driven part of the track around there that we couldn't get past the concrete mixer in front of us on one of the straights.
Speaker A:But we did try, in fairness.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Is there anything you still want to do?
Speaker A:Well, that's the thing.
Speaker A:We're gonna call in at Le Mons again next year.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Don't know really.
Speaker B:So I know there is a bit of a.
Speaker B:A similar thing and it's called the 24 Hour Lemons.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker B:That's like Le Mans base, but it isn't Le Mans based, if you get what I would.
Speaker A:Right, well, yeah, yeah, but I mean.
Speaker B:Is there Anywhere you want to go with these cars.
Speaker B:Are these rallies expanding their horizons as such?
Speaker A:Well, the British bangers one originally just went to Benidorm.
Speaker A:We are looking to go to different routes on that, that a lot of us that are friends will do rallies around Northern Ireland, because we've got lots of friends in Northern Ireland.
Speaker A:Do the Spanish rallies with us.
Speaker A:We've done the North North Coast 500.
Speaker A:There's lots of people from different rallies that.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You mean you have.
Speaker A:You have a good group of friends?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So quite.
Speaker A:Quite diverse, really.
Speaker A:I mean, we've even thought about doing Route 66.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And that.
Speaker A:Would that be a dream to do that, then take Rat Cat out there.
Speaker A:Whether that happens, I don't know.
Speaker D:They've been a sanctuary win for that one.
Speaker B:So the expense will be getting the car out there and everything else.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:So other than that is fly out there and banish something.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, there's plenty of, like, cars of the same ilk available in America, isn't it?
Speaker A:There is.
Speaker A:So it would be literally flying by the seat of your pants, which is what we're not unknown for, really.
Speaker A:I mean, the Audi, we literally bought that off ebay.
Speaker A:Did nothing to it other than change the physical appearance and jumped in it and hey ho, it made it there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Best not to be reckless with what you're doing.
Speaker A:We do encourage people to make sure the cars are fit for purpose.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:But some of the cars, wow.
Speaker A:You wonder how they get down.
Speaker A:You get down to Dover in the first place, never mind anywhere else in Europe.
Speaker A:I say we've done Stelvio Pass.
Speaker A:That was a great drive on the Screwball rally.
Speaker C:Good.
Speaker A:It's good fun.
Speaker A:It's definitely something I would encourage anybody to do on their tickets.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker D:Get it on your bucket list.
Speaker D:I'd never have thought I'd get to my age and be doing things like this.
Speaker D:And the people I work with, they're like, you're mad.
Speaker D:They follow me on Facebook and they're like, you're mad.
Speaker D:Look how you dress.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker D:But they think it's fantastic.
Speaker D:And a lot of people sit on the sideline and then they'll say to you, wish I could do that.
Speaker D:Anybody can do it.
Speaker D:Anybody can do it.
Speaker B:If somebody wants to follow you, where can they follow you?
Speaker B:Do you have a social media page?
Speaker D:British Bangus on Facebook?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:Ratcat has its own page.
Speaker A:Adventures with ratcat.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because we do events over in the UK as well.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:So that has its own page.
Speaker D:So, yeah.
Speaker D:British Bang is probably the one where you follow us.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And a lot of the stuff does go on Ratcat's page as well.
Speaker B:David and Sandra Williams, it's been a pleasure chatting with you.
Speaker B:Thanks very much for joining me on the back seat driver.
Speaker D:Lovely.
Speaker D:Thank you for having us.
