We are driving an endurance rally through Western India to raise a minimum of £8,000 for two wonderful children's charities.
When Sue reached 60 last year and vowed to grow old(er) disgracefully, she determined to try to spend more of her time usefully. Becoming a grandmother recently has increased this resolve. This event combines all her passions: children’s charities, driving, old cars, new travel experiences and time with her older son - a rare treat as they are separated now he lives in Australia. Stuart has also always tried to help others and is irrationally fond of rallying old cars.
In October 2008 a hundred assorted adventurers have signed up to drive about 70 1948-style Indian-built 37 HP Ambassador cars (like old Morris Oxfords) from Goa to Cochin, Kerala on the West Coast of India in aid of two wonderful children’s charities. Some say these cars handle like drunken badgers and Sue’s experiences learning to drive on her father’s 1927 Alvis can only be useful. This insane pair will be driving between six and eight hours a day through the roughest terrain, a rally of 2,000 kms in all, through tiger reserves, ancient tribal forests, frantic cities and over mountains. They will be sleeping in basic accommodation and coping with innumerable unforeseen situations – Stuart will be much better at this than 5* Sue. They both feel this could be a life-changing adventure which, as well as giving them maybe their last trip together, will teach them much about a country they don’t know but have long wanted to visit. And it will teach them much about themselves. It is also bound to make them properly appreciate how fortunate they are to be in a position to attempt something like this and how much others less fortunate need all our help.