Tri Service Charity Rally
Three days of fun, laughter, great cars and some fantastic places visitedDay 1
An early start as our meeting point was at RAF Lakenheath viewpoint at 8:00am. Parking up at the viewpoint we had just got out of the car when we were greeted by the thunderous sound of jet engines, an F-15 was getting ready to launch and, in what seemed like a blink of an eye, it thundered off down the runway. Wow! The power from those engines was immense — you could literally feel the vibration in your chest. Not a bad way to start the morning!
After introductions and a bit of getting to know everyone, it was time to put the charity logo and sponsor stickers on the cars. I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about this part! Once the first sticker was on, there was no going back, and with a bit of help, we managed to get all the stickers positioned uniformly, and without wrinkles, so that each car looked similar for the photos and videos that would be taken throughout the three days.
Our first stop was for breakfast at 45 Fuel, based at Snetterton Race Circuit. 45 Fuel is a fabulous place that follows a theme that seems to be increasingly popular, with cafés becoming car- and bike-themed destinations, and it certainly had plenty of character and a perfect place for breakfast and a chance to chat before getting back on the road.
From Snetterton, we headed towards The Muckleburgh Collection, situated on a former military camp at Weybourne on the North Norfolk coast, another fantastic stop and fitted perfectly with the military theme of the rally.
From Weybourne, we followed the coastline before heading back inland towards the Desert Rats Memorial at Ickburgh, near Thetford, a great opportunity to stop, stretch our legs and take in another important piece of military history.
From there, the route took us sweeping through picturesque villages and along some fantastic country roads, eventually heading towards Peterborough and our hotel, our accommodation for the next two nights.
After a full day on the road, it was time to relax, have a drink with the others and reflect on what had already been a brilliant first day.
Day 2
After a fab buffet breakfast, we set off for the morning's drive to the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), which operates from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Here we were treated to a very interesting and informative guided tour while being surrounded by such an incredible collection of historic aircraft was a real treat.
After the tour, we stopped for coffee in the café before having around three hours of free time. Some of the group headed into Lincoln, but as we had visited Lincoln before, we decided to head to Woodhall Spa instead, along with another couple from the group. It turned out to be a great decision, the weather was glorious, so we spent the time exploring the village, enjoying an ice-cream, wandered through the park and we also stumbled across the only remaining prototype of the famous bouncing bomb, which was an unexpected but fascinating part of the day. Eventually, it was time to head back to the cars to make our way to the regroup point which was at the viewing area at RAF Waddington. We arrived just in time, only just making it through the car park gate as the attendant was closing it. Talk about cutting it fine!
From RAF Waddington, we set off as a group once again, through the villages and along some fantastic B-roads, the roads were perfect for the cars and made for a thoroughly enjoyable drive. Just over an hour and half later, we arrived at Rutland Water, parked up and walked down to take in the view and watch the sunset.
Day 3
Sadly, the final day had arrived.
Today's destination was to be to The Shuttleworth Collection, a treasure trove of airworthy vintage aircraft from 1909-1950, where James had arranged for us to display our cars, an extra bonus we were also granted permission to have shots of the cars alongside some of Shuttleworth's incredible aircraft, the perfect way to finish the rally — cars, aircraft, fantastic scenery and, most importantly, great company.
What a fantastic three days it was!
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