(Unofficial) DIARY OF A REALLY LONG DRIVE

Sunday 5 August 2007

My neighbour, Bob (who runs the charity) has bought the car they'll be driving down to Banjul in!  It's a left hand drive, 1991/2, six seater Nissan Quest with a 3-litre engine (I was told this because, to me, it just looks like a blue car, but what do I know, I'm just a gurl).

Snazzy, eh?  And it has an engine (always a good sign).  Here is a pic of the engine for anyone who regularly looks at car engines and goes, "Ooooh" or "Tsk".

It does nothing for me, personally. 

Friday 24 August 07

The car has been partly logo'd and now looks like this (could Lockwoods be any bigger?):

Here's two of the drivers:

Cheery chappies, aren't they.

Pics of the third driver to follow.  Three drivers, I hear you cry?  Yes, in fact, there will be four as Bob couldn't resist the adventure of a lifetime and has decided to drive down with them in a second car - a fourth driver will be announced shortly.  So two cars and four men are driving 4,000 miles from Birmingham to Gambia.  I wanna go too!

Once in Gambia, one car will be donated to Bob's charity to deliver supplies regularly sent over by Bob to outlying villages, the second car will be donated to the Gambian British Legion for their use.  The sponsorship money being raised will be used to set up educational scholarships in the charity name for children who couldn't otherwise afford to go to school.

Sunday 26 August

And then there were three ...

These are they, the drivers, the insane brave men making the epic charity run to Gambia.  We'll compare this photo with a photo of their arrival at Banjul and see what a difference 4,000 miles can make.

They now have the second car ...

Looks the business, doesn't it.  This car was made to travel to Africa, its got 'take me to Africa' embedded in its rivets.  I just love this car.  Its a left-hand drive Grand Cherokee Jeep, and its an automatic, which I'm totally incapable of driving because the brain cells don't recognise that the 'clutch' pedal is actually a 'brake' pedal, as the bruises on my forehead will testify.  It was so embarrassing, I actually had to get out of it and let one of the men-types take over, I'll never live it down.

The cars and the men ...

They refused to lounge topless over the bonnets, the killjoys (but give me time).

The Birmingham Mail have confirmed that they will be covering and promoting the event - in fact, they're sending someone to record the entire journey!  And several radio stations and various companies are also showing an interest.  It's all coming together rather well.

30 August

A meeting at the Birmingham Mail offices with one of their reporters, who took down all the details of the mammoth journey.  The paper will be running news stories to help with fund raising.  They're hoping to send at least one reporter (or one reporter and one photographer) along on the journey to document it all.  They were very keen and enthusiastic, which is excellent.  It's all quite exciting.

7 September

We also now have confirmation that the Birmingham Mail's reporter and a photographer will be covering the epic journey from start to finish, although due to work insurance they won't be able to go on the actual journey themselves (they'll be flying over to Gambia when the cars get there, with us).

Only 4,765 things left to organise - fortunately, Bob has boundless energy and clearly runs on Duracell batteries, I get exhausted just watching him, he's like an unstoppable human whirlwind.

Tuesday 11 September

Another meeting at the Birmingham Mail offices with the reporter and her editor.  In the run up to the start of the journey, they'll be running several articles about Bob, his charity and the drive. 

Once in Gambia, Reporter and Photographer will be visiting various villages, hospitals and Gambian officials to see exactly how the charity has benefited the local people. 

For instance, Bob's charity works closely with the Jammeh Foundation (the President of Gambia's charity) and regularly sends over supplies of desperately needed medical equipment for their clinics?

Bob's charity pays for local people to receive lifeguard and First Aid training so that the tourist beaches are now manned in case of emergencies (which they weren't before)?  He also provides the hotels with smoke and fire alarms.

Bob's charity regularly makes donations to the Gambian British Legion ex-servicemen, and pays for locals to receive medical treatment, including malaria injections, if they can't afford it themselves?

And Bob's charity has equipped several schools with a classroom full of computers, supplied, fitted and set up by UK volunteers?

Impressive, isn't it.

If you want to donate or offer any help, get in touch (details below).

Thursday 13 September

We have visual evidence of the fourth driver.  He looks like this:

Dig those shorts!

The Jeep is currently being fitted with a bespoke steel roof rack, made by Hubby's fair hands.  More logo's are going on both cars at the beginning of next week, so they're going to look pretty snazzy.

Thursday 13 September

The jeep has had a hand-made roof rack put on by my beloved Yorkshireman at work (which involved a lot of late nights and cries of "Oh God, you've cooked!") - its a piece of structural engineering and human ingenuity.

Friday 14 September

Barretts Outdoors have donated an enormous amount of camping equipment for the journey - there will be an 'official handover', complete, as always, with pictures for your viewing pleasure (they want me to be photographed 'accepting' the equipment, and if I looked like Catherine Zeta Jones, which I do a bit, I would, but only a bit, so I probably won't).  Once in Gambia, all the equipment will be donated to the local boy scouts and girl guides groups.  A lot of companies (and individuals) have been extraordinarily generous, The Drive is becoming more successful than we ever imagined.  S'dead exciting.

Wednesday 26 September

The photographer from the Birmingham Mail (who will be travelling to Gambia to see the arrival in Banjul) came to take photographs of Bob and the cars.  She was really nice, and I think she'll probably survive us lot quite well.

Smile!

But will he be able to get up again afterwards? (he did)

Lurve that jeep!

Totally camera shy

 
"Can you make me look like Brad Pitt?"

 

Saturday 29 September There's good news and there's bad news. The bad news is, our fourth driver was taken ill yesterday and had to go into hospital, so he won't be able to make the trip.  The good news is we've managed to find a replacement.  The charity is proud to present ... ... the fourth driver, Steve (right).  Steve is a cheery chappy who'll fit right in with the other reprobates.  He's a long distance driver, so that will come in very handy.  Scale of Journey This is just a really rough map and route specs until I can (attempt to) put together something fabulously technical (I wouldn't hold your breath though). * Birmingham to Plymouth (243 miles) * Ferry from Plymouth to Santandar, Spain (24 hrs) * Stopover Alicante * Alicante to Gibraltar (600 miles) * Ferry from Gibraltar Drive to Rabat, Morocco (173 miles) -    stopover * Drive to Marakech (205 miles) * Drive to Abadir (172 miles) * Drive to Laayoune (433 miles) - rest * Drive to Dakhla (338 miles) * Drive to Nouabhibou (288 miles) * Into Sahara (110 miles) - camp overnight * Drive to Nouamghar (120 miles) * Drive down coast Part Way Drive to Nouakchott (93 miles) * Drive to Zebraloar (189 miles) - camp overnight * Customs escort through Senegal (338 miles) * Drive down to Gambia (40 miles)   A distance of 4,000 miles over approximately 10 days. Tuesday 2 October 29 Days To Go! Brittany Ferries have given us a discount for the ferry journey from Portsmouth to Santander in Spain.  And Power Bar have donated some of their nutrition bars for the journey, so at least the drivers won't be fainting with hunger at any point. Oddly, I've found (sending out all these begging emails) that the bigger companies don't even bother to respond.  I've asked two major airline companies for a bit of a discount on tickets to fly the drivers home from Gambia afterwards, and they're incredibly dismissive (sorry, but you're only a tiny charity, we couldn't possibly bother ourselves for tiny charities).  The charity has trained and paid for lifeguards to be present on the beaches, provided first aid training for hotel staff, given smoke and fire alarms to hotels, and even pays for a nurse to be present in one of the hotels in the holiday season, which all benefits their customers.  I'm considering getting a battered old car and covering it in logos from the companies who Really Couldn't Be Bothered: Crap Choice and Gambian Extortionate.  Pah. Small companies, however, are just gob-smackingly generous with our requests for donations: a local travel company, garages, sign-makers, warehouse staff, steel companies (Hubby's), and loads of small businesses, just willing to help out for almost nothing in return (just a logo on the cars).  It quite restores your faith in human nature. Thursday 4 October 27 Days To Go! A local warehouse have given us some surplus stock, including loads of brand new toys to take to Gambian schools, which is fabulous - the kids are so going to love them. Today Bob was interviewed by the Birmingham Mail for a video to be put on their website - will let you know when its been posted.  Bob is impressively good at interviews because his honest enthusiasm just shines through.  His prime concern is that the people of Gambia experience a good education and good health, and he's endeavoured to give them both over the last 13 years. I have to say, if you met Bob, you'd be enthralled too. Also today, the Birmingham Mail published their first article about Bob's charity. Thursday 11 October 20 Days To Go! Bob has been running around like a headless chicken the last few days trying to get everything sorted, foregoing sleep and food until someone shouts at him to stop, eat and sleep (usually me)!  Today we went to collect all the donations from Barretts Outdoors.  They have provided us a huge amount of camping equipment, which will be used on the journey and, once in the Gambia, will be donated to girl guide and boy scouts groups.  You'll notice I managed not to be in the picture, I was cleverly hidden behind the camera looking exactly like Catherine Zeta Jones. A local football club have donated several dozen sets of full football kits.  The Mail came to take photographs of them all along with a footballer from the team (who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else except standing in Bob's front garden). And here's a pic of the really nice Mail photographer (who doesn't actually like being photographed!). There was me with my teeny digital camera making like David Bailey, but look at the size of his! And, to the enormous relief of the webmaster, a brilliant satellite communications company called C A Clase have loaned us a satellite unit, so the drivers won't be left stranded and alone in the middle of the Sahara Desert (phew ... and again, phew!).  I was so thrilled by this I offered them my undying gratitude and my first born child, who's 27 15. Friday 12 19 Days To Go! BREAKING NEWS: We finally have confirmation that Sulayman Badjie, the son of the Vice President of Gambia (and also Director of the Jammeh Foundation and Chairman of the charity), will be flying to the UK on 23 October to take part in interviews to highlight the charity and the drive.  I've met him and he's a really nice man, very dignified, a bit like Sidney Poitier.  He'll be accompanying the drivers on their journey, so that will be five men in two cars for 10 days.  Kinda glad I'm not going now! (no, not really). ROLL UP! ROLL UP! AN AUCTION! The unfamous but very talented Yorkshire painter (aka Hubs) has donated one of his paintings to be auctioned in aid of the charity.  The oil-painted scene depicts the creek at Kotu in the Gambia, and the canvas measures 20 inches by 16 inches.  If you would like to become the new owner of this original piece of artwork, please bid in "comments" below.  Closing date is 28 October. Saturday 13 18 Days To Go! The Birmingham Mail printed their second article about the donation of the football kits. The men put up the tents donated by Barretts in Bob's back garden while I watched, sniggered a bit, made the odd sarcastic comment (unavoidable) and tried to make amends by makings lots of tea.  But I'm cruel and evil and couldn't resist putting these photographs together.    Trying to figure out which way up it goes (snigger).         "You want me to stick it where?" (snigger snigger)         L-R: What do you think of it so far? Weeeeell ... I'm sure there's some instructions in here somewhere.         Tent ... done! Yay!         The second tent went up quite easily - here they all are, looking dead proud of themselves while supping a celebratory cup o' tea that I made with my own fair hands.         No difficulty getting it up, but getting it back into the bag posed quite a problem (snigger snigger snigger).         One demonstrates the age-old art of 'folding', with another poised to jump in if jumping in is required (snigger snigger snigger snigger).         There was much discussion about the best method of expelling huge amounts of air from folded tents, but ...         ... it was agreed that jumping up and down on them was probably the best option.         Here's one of them demonstrating the high-tech equipment they'll be using for looking at car engines in the dark. Wednesday 17 14 Days To Go! Raced over to the Birmingham NEC to collect the satellite unit from Simon Bush at C A Clase - very nice chap, very helpful, very much the person you want to deal with should you ever have the need for any kind of satellite communication.  So communications are Go! Confirmation that the 'wave off' by the Mayor of Birmingham will take place at 1pm on Tuesday 30 October.  So Wave Off is Go! And the Birmingham Mail published another article about the charity/drive, featuring the son of the Vice President of Gambia (who's flying over to the UK next Tuesday).  All Birmingham Mail articles regarding the charity are here. And in case you haven't seen them, regularly updated photographs of sponsor logos on the cars (which are being added at a vast rate of knots) are here. Thursday 18 13 Days To Go! Harris Steels in Halesowen made a hefty donation to the sponsorship (as well as putting the roof rack on the Jeep). Sales Manager at Harris Steels (who simply cannot take his eyes off the gorgeousness of the Jeep) and Handsome Hubs with a hefty sponsorship cheque Tuesday 23 October 8 Days To Go! Sulayman arrived in the UK.  His first words were, "It's cold."  Bob and Sullayman Badjie Wednesday 24 October 7 Days To Go! We received an enormous donation from Mr Carson at Cook & Wilson Home Charitable Trust, and a phonecall from The Health and Safety Group promising us large amounts of medical equipment and even some dynamo torches (which will come in very handy in the bush villages where they don't have electricity). The generosity of companies and individuals is astonishing, our thanks to everyone who has contributed. Friday 26 5 Days To Go! Sulayman is interviewed by the Birmingham Mail and then takes in some English history at Warwick Castle.     Saturday 26 October 4 Days To Go! Practice pack ... [click on pics to reveal the full horror) Okay, everything out. Out of the house and out of the garage. LOADS of stuff! All the medical and educational supplies heading off to Gambia. So much stuff we have a 'security guard' watching over everything. Yep, all that, in two cars (except the plant pot). Uh huh. Bob and Sulayman looking optimistic. Like completing a huge jigsaw ... can we get it all in? Of course we can. We think we can. Sulayman displays the boxes that have yet to go in. Five men, 10 days, one roll .... hmmmmmm. Dark (and raining) by the time we finish. A close up of the exhaustion. But we did it. Sunday 28 October 3 Days To Go! Panic and excitement mounts!  Here, a broadcast from Sulayman Badjie, Chairman of the Bob Powell's Gambia Schools and Health Project in Gambia. Monday 29 October 3 Days To Go! Nothing like leaving things to the last minute is there!  Excitement overwhelmed by abject panic when the drivers discover (a) they need to register the cars in Gambia (documents hastily scanned and emailed to appropriate authorities); (b) they need visas to travel through Mauritania (documents hastily scanned and emailed to appropriate authorities); and (c) the webmaster desperately needs some IT assistance for the satellite communications box (webmaster's son hastily brought down from Leeds).  Everyone looks like terrified rabbits about to be hit by a speeding truck, but I'm sure that will pass. Tuesday 30 October 1 Day To Go! The Lord Mayor of Birmingham Presentation outside the Council House in Birmingham city centre. Click on pics to enlarge Here we are outside the Council House Makes yer proud to be a Brummie dunnit. Looking good! A crowd quickly gathers, drawn by the logo'd cars and the fabulous drummers. The fabulous drummers, who were fabulous. Solomon and Sharon Jaiteh - who were fabulous! L-R: The drivers L-R: Sulayman, Bob, Gary, John, Steve, Solomon and Sharon. L-R: Lord Mayor Randal Brew, Coun Vivienne Barton, Birmingham Mail photographer (!), Bob, Sulayman and Gary. Not quite sure why Bob's hanging on in that 'natural' manner. Having a chat. The Drivers: John, Sulayman, Gary and Steve - very 'Tarrantino'. My gorgeous sister with gorgeous boyfriend and lovely mommy (nepotism, couldn't resist) The Lord Mayor hands over a plaque for Bob to present to the Mayor of Banjul. Good crowd. Nice necklace (very bling) Sulayman chats with the Mayor. L-R: Gary, John, The Mayor, Bob and Sulayman, having a bit of a chat. And the council provided sarnies. L-R: John, Coun Vivienne Barton, John's very pretty daughter, Gary (looking a bit stunned), Bob, Suzanne (Coop Travel), my hunky hubby, driver Steve and my handsome son and IT expert. Webmaster and Suzanne from Coop Travel - looking good! As we couldn't collect donations because of the spaghetti of red tape involved in getting a permit, we handed out leaflets directing people to the website.  One woman insisted on giving money to Bob and promptly burst into tears, saying what a wonderful thing they were doing.  An elderly couple said they didn't have much but they would like to give something, and pressed a one pound coin into our hands, which was so touching. The fabulous drummers (who were fabulous) also give Gambian drumming lessons if anyone is interested: jaitehsolomon@yahoo.co.uk. The Birmingham Mail printed another article. AND THEY'RE OFF!!! >>>>> CLICK HERE FOR THE JOURNEY DIARY <<<<<     Comments

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If you wish to donate anything or send medication (paracetomol, plasters, bandages etc) please get in touch: bhamsecretary@gmail.com.

What Bob's charity has done - at a glance

As well as organising fund raising events and regularly sending over medication and equipment (his garage is always bursting at the seams with items to be shipped to Gambia), Bob’s charity has achieved many things over the years.

      Paid for a water well to be built at Brufut village.

      Keeps the Brufut clinic stocked with medical supplies.

      Sent over uniforms, football kits and boots for local schools.

      Shipped over desperately needed equipment, including hospital beds, bedside cabinets, medical supplies, catering equipment, a heart machine, examination tables, resuscitation units and filing cabinets (all donated to the charity).

      Keeps the Gungar Medical Centre in Gambia stocked up with medical supplies.

      Supplied and installed computers at St Josephs School and St Teresa’s School (with volunteers Paul Hartwell and Liam Yardley).

      Sent supplies and equipment to the Gambian Ex Servicemen Legion (and personally paid for one ex serviceman to have cataract surgery).

      Sent 40 reconditioned computers to a school in Walsall after they lost their star rating.

      Organised, trained and paid for lifeguards on the beach so that tourists can enjoy the sea without worry – they have already rescued two people who had got into difficulty.

      Organised first aid training for hotel and tourist staff.

      Organised and paid for a nurse to be stationed at the Sunny Gambie Hotel during the holiday season.

      Organised and paid for a midwife to be stationed at a village clinic that Bob helped set up.

      Paid for a bakers oven to be installed at an outlying village and provided bicycles for delivering bread to surrounding villages so that villagers could become self sufficient.

      Sent over an ambulance to an village (donated by the Red Cross), which has saved and treated hundreds of people who otherwise have no access to hospitals.

      Provided beach hotels with smoke alarms.