John, the Ten Cathedrals Run reminds me of the endurance rallies held
decades ago.
I think a video documentary (even of amateur quality) would make great
viewing. Have any special interest car TV production companies been
alerted?
Other random thought: Could such an event be staged here in the U.S.?
Rallying for a worthwhile purpose...sounds like a great idea.
( I like the HMC address, too)
Terrence N. Banbury
1967 SPITFIRE MK III
> ----------
> From: John Macartney[SMTP:jonmac@ndirect.co.uk]
> Reply To: John Macartney
> Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2000 6:35 PM
> To: Triumphs List; Spitfires List; 2000- Register; Friends of Triumph
> Subject: Press Release
>
>
> Friends
>
> Many of you are aware that an endurance run for Standard and Triumph
> cars will be taking place in the UK over the weekend of May 6 and 7,
> starting and finishing at the Gaydon Heritage Centre. Some of you have
> most generously sent me donations towards this run which is entirely
> for charity and hopes to raise sufficient funds to train a guide dog
> for a registered blind person. The Run itself is some 850 miles in
> length and has to be completed in 24 hours.
>
> Just for the sake of sentiment, I have pasted below the verbatim text
> of a Press Release being sent out to various local newspapers, radio
> and TV stations in advance of the Run. If there are any UK or even
> European listers who would like to sign up at this rather late stage
> (there's no entry fee), would they please contact me off-list? For
> the rest of you, who can't be there because too much water separates
> us, we'll be taking all of you with us in spirit!
>
> Hopefully, and with the co-operation of the Editor of "The English
> Channel" (nudge nudge hint hint) - a write-up of the event as seen
> through the windscreen of a TR3A (by two old lags who are well old
> enough and ought to know better) will appear in due course. I am
> reliably informed by the wife of my co-driver that some extensive
> dieting is taking place so that the poor old f**t can get his stomach
> behind the steering wheel.
>
> Jonmac
>
>
> PRESS RELEASE
>
> April 10, 2000
>
> THE TEN CATHEDRALS RUN
>
> An endurance run for Charity featuring Standard and Triumph cars will
> take place over the weekend of May 6 and 7, 2000. Starting and
> finishing at The Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, near Warwick at
> 11.30am, the participating cars will spend the next 24 hours
> completing a circular route of some 850 miles in length. They will
> pass through the following cities in this order - COVENTRY, LINCOLN,
> NORWICH, CANTERBURY, CHICHESTER, WINCHESTER, SALISBURY, EXETER, WELLS
> and HEREFORD - before returning to the finish at Gaydon from midday
> onwards on May 7.
>
> Each of the cars taking part is seeking sponsorship to jointly raise
> sufficient funds to train a Guide Dog for the later use of a
> registered blind person. The target is £10,000. (US$16000). The
> Charity benefitting from this sponsorship is THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE
> BLIND ASSOCIATION with its regional centre in Leamington Spa. More
> than twelve cars and crews have already signed up to participate and
> two of them are more than forty years old. Quite apart from the
> distance of the Run itself, many of these vehicles will be travelling
> some distance both before and after the event. Entrants are coming
> from as far away as Kent, Avon, Greater Manchester, Lincolnshire and
> Suffolk. Cars taking part feature Herald, Spitfire, TR3A, TR6, Stag
> and several of the larger 2000 and 2.5PI saloons.
>
> John Macartney, the Event Co-ordinator who conceived the event and who
> works at The Heritage Motor Centre, said, "The response we have had so
> far, has been excellent. Many classic car owners are now reluctant to
> undertake long distance runs of this sort and I am particularly
> grateful to all those who have agreed to join us. The recent
> escalation in fuel prices means each car is now likely to consume at
> least £125 (US$200) worth of fuel to complete the journey. On top
> of that there will be the cost for meals and snacks, so probably there
> won't be all that much change out of £200 (US$320) per car. We've
> had excellent support from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
> and hope to have both puppies and guide dogs - with their owners at
> Gaydon to tail-wag and wave us off and welcome us home. As we make our
> way round the route, people who are supporting us at locations such as
> Thetford, Canterbury and Hereford have done much work to attract local
> media and Guide Dog fundraisers too. Sure, it'll be tiring driving
> cars with thirty plus years of historical technology under the seats -
> but it promises to be a lot of fun." John plans to compete in the
> event himself, together with co-driver Paul Richardson, in a Triumph
> TR3A which is part of The Heritage Motor Centre's unique collection of
> classic British cars.
>
> "I suppose you could say this is an 'official Works entry'," he
> said. "We are following in our father's footsteps. Paul and I worked
> for Standard Triumph in Coventry and London in the 1960's. Our
> respective fathers also worked for Standard Triumph as well. My
> father, Charles Macartney, joined in 1921, eventually becoming Chief
> Inspector and Works Manager. Paul's father, Ken Richardson, was
> Development Engineer (Sports Cars) and Competitions Manager. Apart
> from the money we hope to raise for Guide Dogs, we're doing this run
> in memory of our Dads. We'll be driving one of the TR3A's from the
> Gaydon collection which the Managing Director and the Curator have
> exceptionally and most generously made available to us especially for
> this event. Usually, cars are not made available for this type of use,
> so we're extremely fortunate. I wouldn't be surprised if two 'ghosts'
> are with us in the space behind the seats as we complete the trip."
>
> The Ten Cathedrals Run is open to any Standard or Triumph car,
> regardless of its age. Contributions to help swell funds will always
> be welcome. There is no entry fee. For further information please
> contact John Macartney at The Heritage Motor Centre, Banbury Road,
> Gaydon, near Warwick. Telephone 01926 641188 Fax 01926 641555.
>
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