Holiday at home in UK and Portugal
 |
We fly from San Diego to Manchester to spend Christmas with our family.
Click on the images for full size and use the browser back button to return here
From the sun of So Cal to the cold of Cheshire! |
After 18 wonderful months touring in North America we were so happy to arrive back in the UK. After an overnight flight our two sons and grandson were waiting to greet us at Manchester airport. |
Mike was in his Dakar race car but Chris was driving one of his taxies and able to give us a lift to Middlewich!
Only kidding! This Renault was at the Dakar in Portugal. |
All too soon we were involved in helping with the RallyRaidUK packing for the Dakar! Jim is wrapping motorcycle tyres in cling film-don't ask why!
|
Christmas fun with the grandchildren. |
Does every child get a new bike for Christmas?
|
Then they get to cut the Chrissy cake. |
Then they get to eat it all! |
We had bought a model of Space Ship One in the US and now Jim and Chris had the highly technical job of assembly!
|
Alex had the exacting task of firing the rocket as we all counted down - 5 4 3 2 1!
Wow what a flight-straight up-not quite into space but a pilot on finals into Manchester airport got a fright! |
The parachute opened and brought the ship down slowly drifting into the trees where it got hooked on a branch.
Out came the tent poles to the rescue and everyone had to help to recover the rocket! |
On Boxing day very early Mike, Sue, Rick and Amanada were all ready to drive off to meet the rest of the RRUK team and go to Lisbon.
|
We were keft behind to babysit Zoe and Chloe and out came their motorbikes!
Jim found a nice KTM in the shed to play with!
|
Dot helped the girls to paint a banner to take with us to the Dakar start in Lisbon.
|
We fly from snowy Leeds to sunny Faro in Portugal. |
Just a few days later we were also on our way to Portugal by plane. We were soon driving the hire car along the familiar roads of the Algarve and up towards Lisbon.
|
Dot and the girls climbed up to the top of the Discoverers Monument where they had a great view of the city. |
They also had a great view of the start area for the Lisboa-Dakar 2006!
|
Meeting a few friends again. |
Dot had time for a chat with her hero Italian KTM biker Gio Sala who would have a fantastic ride and finish on the podium. South African biker Alfie Cox had two extra wheels this year.
|
Matt was co driver in one of the Dutch Desert Warriors and had quite a few 'words' with his driver-some live on TV!
Rene Metge was starting his 23rd Dakar! |
We also got a chance to say hello again to some of our friends from Brazil.
Both drivers in this car had green moustaches and beards! |
Here is Dane from Oklahoma City who was going on his first Dakar driving the RRUK team Assistance Discovery.
|
Two more Americans in the KTM Red Bull team.
Chris Blais was fresh from his great ride in the Baja and was going to finish in 4th place in the Dakar! |
Patricia Watson-Miller is the daughter of Hubert Sheck, Jims team mate in the Welsh enduro. She is a World Champion rally biker and would have a great ride and take home the Ladies prize. |
Beady and Milly (Mike & Sue) get nervous! |
Our son and daughter in law -Beady and Milly were waiting in the queue for technical examination.
Beady had worked hard building his car and preparing another five team Warriors that were entered in the rally! He was confident they would all pass the strict test! |
At last they were getting the decals and numbers on the car and all the documentation and inspections were complete! |
Now they could pose for the official photograph before the car had to go into the overnight parc ferme.
They could get to the hotel and try to get a good nights sleep! |
After all the years of watching or being in an assistance vehicle Bd and Sue were starting their first Dakar rally -we could hardly believe it!
The girls were holding up the banner and mum and dad were so surprised!
|
They started slowly as there is a long way to go. At the end of the first special stage the car was a bit dirtier but they were in good shape and enjoying the ride!
Sue gave a few interviews to the local press. |
Everyone was heading south to Portimao for the first night. Bernard and Jenny would still be in Lisbon if we had not come to their rescue! We did not know at the time that this would be our last meeting with Bernard. He was taken very ill and died-we miss him. |
While most competitors went off to hotels these Americans decided to camp in the service area as practise for the desert!
Next morning we were all up very early for the drive to the start of the second special stage at Foz Riberio. |
Here we were able to get the girls right alongside the start control and close to mum and dad as they waited to start the special stage.
|
We were just in time to see Patsy Quick start the stage and wish her good luck!
We had been on the rally with her in 2003 and this was her 4th attempt to get to the finish. She made it to Dakar and was so happy and husband Clive was so proud! |
VW had a very strong team with Jutta and Fabrizio in car 303 and Spaniard Carlo Sainz in 307.
|
There were cars from many countries in the event-some looking good-some not so pretty!
|
This year American Robbie Gordon had returned with a Hummer team-
lots of chrome and a very very large engine! |
We say goodbye and Bon Voyage to Beady & Milly! |
457 start the second special stage and then we also had to drive like mad to get to the end and meet them again in service.
Here they pose for a photo with the banner! |
Essential food for any event is the hot dog and Beady treated all the family to extra ketchup! . |
With hugs and kisses we had to say goodbye as they set off for the ferry crossing from Malaga to Morocco and their great adventure!
Beady is telling the girls to be good for Nanna! We had to rush to Faro to catch the plane back to cold Leeds!
|
It was our pleasure getting the girls ready for school every morning, making lunch boxes and doing the school run!
Dot was happy to celebrate her birthday with the family.
|
On a bright crisp winters day we took the girls for a visit to Wales and Chester.
The girls enjoyed a walk around the Roman walls and past the fine sandstone Cathedral. |
We also found time to visit with neighbours Janet and Gareth who have just finished building a new farmhouse.
|
The Dakar unfolds with more drama! |
Beady and Milly were the RRUK travelling mechanics and had to be the last team car on the course.
This meant they often had to find some shade and wait for the other cars to pass.
Then when one of the cars had a problem it was Beady who had to get out and fix it! |
Unfortunately this car had a broken axle and the drivers were hurt in the crash and out of the rally.
Beady had to give an axle to another car and wait for the team truck to come past and leave a new one which he had to fit out in the desert. |
The route took them south into Mauritania through the big dunes and here they wait to start another special stage.
The team mechanics have time at the rest day for a lunch break.
|
The dunes caused havoc and many drivers were stuck!
Remember that nice shiny bumper on the Hummer?
Well Beady found it lying in the sand-then the rest of the car was parked further on-rally over! |
The driver is in charge on the special stage with the co driver navigating.
However on the liaison stages the co drivers have to take the wheel sometimes!
|
Now the course was down in black Africa amongst the villages. Looks like the car windscreen has a big crack!
This is an International border crossing and Sue waits in the tent to get the passports stamped!
|
One of the team cars broke the panhard rod and Beady had to donate the one off his car.
They were stranded in Mali where they made an overnight camp in the bush.
|
Next morning they got to a village where the broken rod was welded.
After thanking their helpers they could fit the mended part and drive on to find the service trucks.
|
The local villagers had made them welcome.
Even though their rally was over the adventure still continued as they set off for Senegal!
|
At last they arrived in Dakar - disappointed but knew they had played their part in the team.
Bd and Sue could join in the celebrations with the team members who made it onto the podium.
|
Our other son Chris and his wife Sandra had flown out to the Gambia.
They hired a car and drove into Senegal to see the final stages and meet up with the team!
|
Our time in the UK was over and we said goodbye to the family.
-it will be some time before we see them all again. |
We return to the sunshine in San Diego and our motor home.
Now its time to cross the border into Mexico.
--------Return to the main index page-------
