Sat 27/09, 14.30, Ferry to St Malo

IT’S finally here.

After months of waiting the Bubblegum Bangers Rally is on the go.

In blazing sunshine at Crabby Jacks car park this morning, the 160 odd competitors in their 60 or so cars all gathered to start their European adventure.

The atmosphere was one of apprehension and excitement.

There was also feeling in the air with all the fancy dress going on like we were just about to get on a giant bus party.

But instead of taking in the Last Post and the Jamaica, we’re taking in five countries in six days.

We’re ending up in Paris and not Follies.

Despite the rules stating that the cars could not be worth more than £500, they looked fantastic.

There’s a stretched Renault, a shortened Renault, a black and pink car, a pink and black car, a Spongebob Squarepants 4×4, a Datsun with a golf tee on the top and a Dick Dastardly’s Wacky Racers car complete with two Dick Dastardlys among the group.

But the best was an old Honda converted into a police car topped off with the red and blue lights and sirens.

I’d be very surprised if they don’t meet any problems from the different constabularies we’ll meet on the rally.

What was just as impressive as the cars was the number of people gathered at Crabby Jacks to send the rally off.

There were hundreds.

And when the time came for it to get underway, there were emotional scenes as parents, family and friends hugged their loved ones away.

Aaron Scoones gives the windscreen a clean. (Picture by Nick Mann)

I don’t know if the police boys had a tearful send off.

But it might be the last time they are seen in Guernsey.

However, it all got too much for me as there was no one to see me off.

So I texted my Dad in South London.

Never one to overdo it, this was my his reply:

‘God speed. England expects.

‘It took Field Marshall Montgomery and the eighth army seven weeks to get to Paris and you have got to do it in five days. Dad.’

I don’t know if this was factually correct but it got me and my team mate Nick Mann going.

What was also uplifting was the number of people on the side of the road as we made our way to the harbour in our police convoy.

Which I’m pleased to report was by Guernsey Police and not the boys in the Honda.

Now on the 1pm ferry and with St Malo looming large on the horizon, our thoughts have moved to the task at hand.

We’ve got to make our way to our hotel in Rouen, whose name and address we were only told about this morning, and the rules state we’re not allowed to use SatNav.

If this was not difficult enough we’ve also got our first task, which again we’ve only just found out about, which is to turn up to tonight’s party in French fancy dress with a French person.

There’s a 200 Euro prize for the best outfit and if there is a dead heat, the tiebreaker is whoever’s French guest has come the furthest.

I’m thinking of going as Rene from Allo Allo with Manno as Yvette…