Team 30 - The Vurest uv Dean Vlyers

The Challenge

The event
first took place in 1966 and this, the 25th run requires a team of drivers to
drive a Triumph or Standard car 2000 miles around Britain in 48 hours.

Although the
details of the route change from year to year it starts from North of London,
heads up to John O'Groats, then down through Wales to Lands End, before
returning back to London for the finish. The 2000 miles are driven almost non-stop,
with just breakfast at either end of the country and a few brief breaks as we
get our route books signed at the designated Control Stops along the way. There
are some long motorway type sections, but the route has sections through
Scotland, Wales and England through glorious countryside showing Britain at its
best, though in the small hours of the morning things can be challenging …….

The Team

Ted Taylor, nicknamed by his great nephews and nieces as ‘Mad Uncle Ted’ and now know known as such in Triumph circles ….. many say for good reason!

Gordon Townley the Club Triumph Wyedean Group Organiser.  We meet on the second Tuesday of the month in the New Inn, Shortstanding, near Coleford and is where we hatch all our plans.

Although the 'Vliers' went ‘two up’ on the RBRR 2014 just 6 months after Ted's first knee replacement, with further problems in the offing it was decided that it would be advisable to go three up for 2016, driver fatigue can become a real issue if one driver has to do an extra long stint. Problem was where would we find someone who we could live with in a car for over two days without a break …… or rather who could live with us!  

RBBR virgin Andrew Newman was in the wrong place at the wrong time and with a little persuasion the seat was his.  Andrew is someone Gordon and Ted had worked with on the Historic Marathon Rally Show at Gaydon in June of last year (2015).

The Vurest uv Dean Vliers are so named because is Gordon is a native of the Forest of Dean, Ted (with his wife Steph) has made his home here, ……… and Andrew and his wife Catherine spent a week there once in his old VW camper van, though Gordon and I are working on them to have a longer stay!

The final person in the team who we must not forget is Ted’s wife Steph, who apart from ensuring refreshments and ample feeding arrangements were available when Ted and Gordon were working on the car(s) will also be holding the fort back in the Forest of Dean looking after the dogs while the others go off enjoying themselves.

The Car

Ted and Gordon
successfully completed the 2014 RBRR and still remaining on speaking terms and were keen to enter the 2016 event.

The Original Plan had been to use Ted’s rare 1969 Mk1 2.5 PI estate however the discovery of some unexpected bodywork problems meant serious doubts about whether that it could be prepared in time.  As a result there was a rapid a switch of plans to use his very early Mk1 2000 saloon which Ted had prepared for rallying back in 1990 and was in the process of restoring. 

Needless to say THAT also proved a problem and so Team 30 fell back to using their back up car, faithful old ‘Woodie’ Ted’s Mk2 2500 estate ‘hack’ that they had also used in 2014 in an emergency.  Hopefully a
sound backup plan as this car acquitted itself so well throughout the 2014 RBRR though it still required some unexpected repair work before it could be declared 2016 RBRR ready!!

The Target

This year's chosen Charity being Guide Dogs for the Blind is for Ted particularly apt as he owns five active Border Collies (perhaps people may start to understand his tag of ‘Mad Uncle’) and Ned, Katie, Beth, Beckie and Mossie will all be rooting for us. 

This year Club Triumph wishes to raise a sum of well over £60.000, the ultimate target being £90,000.00 which would train two guide dogs.  It
would then push the grand total of raised by the event to over £600.000!

Please support Guide Dogs by making a donation to our team using Just Giving.

Because we cover the all the costs for car, fuel & crew ourselves 100% of the money raised will be going to charity.  In 2014 we raised £1500 as our share of the near £60,000 raised for Macmillan Cancer Support and with your help we hope to exceed this in 2016.

It's going to be good fun and we're really looking forward to it, but it's a very real challenge for us and for the car.

Your support is much appreciated- thank you.  

Ted ,  Gordon  and   Andrew