News and Updates

Tuesday 26th February 2008 – Special Update

Things have certainly calmed down now we are back in the UK but the memories are still as bright as the Mauritanian sunshine. However, the hard part has truly begun, the slow process of collecting the pledges of cash is so much harder than driving across the untamed wild Saharan Desert! Still, this was for charity so we must be patient, as long as the designated charities get their money in the end, that’s all that matters.

We did raise £120 from friends and family of the Raynor side in Barnsley with the sponsor forms. The signed Barnsley FC shirt donated by the football club raised £200 in the raffle organised by David Raynor in the pub and the shirt was last seasons!

Derby Rotary Club donated £200 and Rolls Royce £100. Other friends gave generously to support our charities, anywhere between £1 and £50, all very much  gratefully received.

There are of course pictures of the adventure on our main side menu with many more still to be published. There were several missed photographic opportunities that went bye, whether through lack of battery life, sand storms or sheer bad timing. We are hoping that some of the other teams photos come up trumps and rescue our pictorial record. Our respective Book Face sites have links and photos too, if you care to search further.

NEWS FLASH!            NEWS FLASH!          NEWS FLASH!          NEWS FLASH!

The Rotary Club auction results are now in, they have been counted and verified,

Our dusty little Renault Megane Scenic, given freely by Rally Motors of Allestree, raised a total of  1,000,000 Central African Francs which is around £1,110 - over a grand in Sterling! All for nothing! 

This terrific amount of money, along with the money raised by all the other cars making it to Mali, will be used by the local Rotary Club on some of the most needy causes in the Bamako area of Mali. You may have seen a taste of how needy these people are when you have looked at the photos. Remember the school for the handicapped children (Centre de Re adaptation pour Handicapes Physiques) with their wonky tables and dehydrated hydro therapy pool? Those are just a very small proportion of the kind of projects your donations, whatever they were, will help. Thank you.

Before we dropped the car off with Sunny Akuopha, of the Rotary Club Bamako Amitié, we sorted out the equipment we had taken with us, dividing them into groups where we knew people could make good use of them. We handed over items that could be utilised by children in a caring and learning environment and delivered these to Madame Diallo Djeneba at the Centre de Re adaptation pour Handicapes Physiques. Other items that could be used in a more industrial and building environment were handed over to Team Steel Camel who delivered these to a water pump project at Dinfara, near to Bamako. This included our shovel, spanners and jerry cans amongst other things.  .  

We still have to thumb through our notes made along the way, decipher them and bulk them out, then attach them to a file so you can have a fuller understanding of our adventure. This is also proving to be a slow process.

We shall endeavour to fully update this site as soon as we can. In the mean time, if you wish to contact us or make a donation, please feel free to do both, many thanks,

 

Andy, Mr Dusty.

  .

Friday 01/02/08

We have so much admin to do on the site now we are back, it may take some time to thank everybody straight away and post the fullest updates we have, please be patient with us, we’ll get there in the end! Mean while look at a selection of the photos by clicking over there on the right. Thanks, The dustys

Monday 28th Jan

WE MADE IT!! Total distance covered 7,955Km but we’re going round the block a few times to break 8,000

We got to Bamako well after dark last night after a thrilling ride through one of Mali’s most notorious slums, having followed Team Desert Prats in the dark (we have only one dim headlight) with superb driving from Greg, who only has sight in one eye and has the memory of a fish, but a fine gent all the same. He stopped to ask directions from an armed policeman who impressed upon him the need to wind his windows up and get the hell out of  there sharpish

It was a long slog yesterday, with almost 400 miles covered over terrain varying from smooth tarmac to rutted dirt ‘roads’ with the Mauritania/Mali border to get through, but we were all so sick of Mauritania it had to be done.

We will update with a more detailed account plus photos once back in blighty, but the car held together to the end, after suffering on the desert crossing a little. The engine mountings sheared so the engine is now held in with cable-ties, we have one dim headlight, the windscreen wipers are on permanently (we just took the fuse out to sort that), the passenger door had to be dismantled after playing dodgems with team plod, and the interior stinks like hell as you can imagine. Only one blow-out on the road so we think she came through quite well.

The plan for the remaining time is to sort out the car and contents for donation to the Rotary Club, then relax by the pool with a well earned beer.

Thanks for all your messages of support - they’ve given us a laugh on the way 

Saturday 19th Jan

We are in Western Sahara; using weird keyboard in t Internet cafe. days and nights are warmer now and alcohol getting scarcerer! The car is going very well as are Bob and Andy, Andy has not bought any trinkets from the street vendors, hes saving his money to pay the mobile phone bill! This is going to be huge! We are finding ,ore room in the car boot with every pack and re pack after brewing coffee whilst at the side of the road. The views are fantastic, mountains and sand dunes, great! The music is becoming repetitive now, but plenty of Dr Hook to listen to, eh Bob?

Thank you all for sending messages, they help while we are away, thanks… Andy and Bob.  

Weds 16th January

Here we are in Fez, having arrived in Morocco yesterday morning after the ferry to Ceuta. got lost off the ferry going to the border (in a place the size of stonehaven!) but finally made through the organised chaos of immigration in a record 2 1/2 hours with the case of warm beer intact in the back. Had a quick brew-up then decided on our route to Fez with Team Deser Prats through the Rif Mountains. running the gauntlet of bandits & dope dealers. Scenery was superb, roads a little bit bumpy and the Moroccans don’t believe in Armco on mountain bends…..

Arrived at the hotel (the old British embassy!) washed the dust down with a local beer and time to head out to see the souk. Plan today is to push on to Marrakesh as far as we can, then regroup with other teams. There’s nothing but sand, rocks and camels south of Dahkla so that’s where the fun will really start. Car behaving fine – the first thing to go will be the shocks after yesterday so we’ll have to start nursing her a little bit.

Monday 14th January

Well, we made it to Gibraltar with no worries – Motor still running well (she hasn’t got a name yet, waiting for her to develop a personality).

Off the boat in Caens, it was a long old drive to Bayonne during which we got completely sick of service station grub and toll roads. We manage to potter along happily at 60mph, but anything more than that she starts to complain.

A night in Bayonne, then it was off into Spain, taking the route west of Madrid, making Caceras by about 9pm. Spain is big. We’ve no idea of our mileage as the speedo is knackered, and we can’t figure out how to work the GPS!  We finally pitched up at Sotogrande to meet the rest of the teams yesterday – remarkably no casualties yet! A few beers were had last night with things just getting going at midnight before the bar closed – disaster! Today is the ‘rest day’ to make repairs, get ferry tickets and buy ample supplies of beer for the desert. Onwards to Morocco tomorrow.

Signing out. Dusty 2.

Thursday 10th January 2008

That’s almost it now, Bob’s still in bed, no worries there, socks packed, warm jumper too for those cold nights camping and in a few hours, we’re off! no tears at the send off please!

See ya laters!

Wednesday 9th January 2008

Almost packed now, just waiting for Bob’s big pants to dry and that’ll be that. Car still running which is a bonus and I’ve had a hair cut for the special occasion!

We have also placed a clickedy link over there on the right hand side for ‘live updates from the field’ that will take you to the official website. Another ‘dusty bonus’ on the keeping you all updated front from Dusty HQ (Isy). There’s also BBC Radio Derby’s Alex Trelinski who will call us Monday’s, Wednesdays and Friday around 1545 hours for a quick catch up.

See you all in a few weeks, Bob and Andy.

Sunday 6th January 2008

A Happy New Year to all our fans and followers!

Wow, what a time we’ve had, boiled sweets for Christmas presents in readiness for the big journey, servicing the beast and seeing what a shed it really is, seeing the support on offer for our adventure to raise money for charity. It’s been bleeding emotional, no really.

Then, BANG, slapped in the face by the big smelly wet fish that is terrorism.

The real Dakar Rally gets cancelled due to ‘direct threats’, none to our organised jaunt though.

What do we do? Well, bravado steps up to the mark, grabs the fish and with a mighty swipe right back at ya, wallop, our group online chat room kicks in with a frenzy (it’s not a weirdo chat room, honest) ideas are bounced around, brave faces smirk at the idea of dropping out now, why should we, all this time planning – kind of planning- stickers stuck on, donations pledged, touting and pouting the media whore that is Andy. No, we’re not dropping out now. Then just as the hype gets as high as it can, comes the calm sense of reason. The Dakar cancelled, we’d be last group in the Plymouth – Dakar run, our cars would look the same, but cheaper, can Mr or Mrs Terrorist tell the difference between organised groups of cars crossing ‘their’ shooting range? Don’t think so. Ok, only Mauritania is the problem at the moment and a statement from Foreign Office Commission states “advise against non essential travel in Mauritania” Question: Is our travel essential? Pens and pencils delivered to Mali essential?

But we’re off! Off as planned as far as the early stages go anyway, we may not get to Timbuktu. We leave the car park of BBC Radio Derby at 1415 hours on Thursday 10th January ‘08, friends and family are invited to come along and watch as Alex Trelinski fires the BBC starting pistol to commence our adventure. We shall head off for the 2230 hours Portsmouth ferry to Caen and then drive to our Spanish rendezvous point to discuss the plans for the African leg of our trip.

We should head in to Morocco then assess the risks to us and see where the wind takes us.

We will update you all what on Earth is happening when it happens…

Click the man below to read the story of the Dakar Cancellation

25th December 2007

Merry Christmas from Team Dusty Crusties!

Santa wife has brought Andy several pieces which will alleviate stress and promote humour during this journey and that all important sugar rush of Fox’s Glazier mints, a must for any road trip.

There’s not long to go now, the days are rushing past yet the list of things still to do is not heading in the same decreasing way. Still need to do the will as the good lady wife keeps reminding me. Why this is top of her list, I just don’t know?

Saturday 15th December

Well, that’s us just loaded up with ‘International Driving Permits’ although God knows what that allows us to do. The new V5’s arrived back, so we just need to get that translated into Arabic. Mr Dusty (Andy) is using the Megane as ‘day to day transport’ (I take it he doesn’t have a blue flashing light on the roof, as the bad people of Derby would be able to stroll away from him!). Luckily it will highlight any niggles we’re going to have, as apparently the roads of Mackworth are similar to Mauritania. Good old Derby City Council.

Back to work in the Gulf of Thailand today for Mr Crusty(Bob) so it’s an easy time for him. Other than salted fish heads & chickens feet for Christmas dinner.

Saturday 8th December

Good news, the beast made it all the way to Barnsley via Chesterfield and back to Derby without breaking down! Hurrah! It was very noisy but then it is a diesel after all.

Media hype alert, Friday 7th and Barnsley Chronicle made amends for their earlier spelling mistakes with a rectifyingly good FRONT PAGE spread nonetheless! Pictures and words together. The following day saw Aberdeen Press and Journal printing the good word of Dusty Crusties. Both articles can be found in media corner.

Also on the 8th, Andy drove the beast to Nottingham to resolve the key issue. That being, “key – lose it lose out”. So a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Patrick the Autolock man. An electrical wizard. A genius of no small proportion. Now armed with three spare keys and the information to save a red face or two, Team Dusty have the knowledge and a little more understanding of just how much of a challenge this is really going to be. Everyone says, “You’ll never make it in that!” They could be right but knowledge is power and now we have the power to bypass our immobiliser system. Bring on the desert!

Tuesday 4th December

Big news on the interview/media frenzy front – Peak FM have organised an interview from midday on 5th December on 107.4 fm. Apparently people and sheep can hear this in the North of Derbyshire and the south of South Yorkshire! Seeing as I’m half way to Barnsley, I may just carry on and see what the beast will do, or maybe, won’t.

Monday 3rd December

A bit of a scare over the weekend – Bob’s back to back colleague on the rigs in Malaysia had decided to quit – so their carefully arranged rotation was out of the window! Superb stuff by his gaffer though who searched far & wide for a suitable replacement at short notice, which meant the world didn’t collapse through the shortage of oil & gas without Bob at the helm….(!) .

On replacement of our power steering pipes, the fine lads at the continental car garage in Derby (AKA we fix your French cars) have discovered a leaky water pump (fine if we keep it topped up) and a gearbox as rough as buggery. It’ll be fine though – it’s only got to cross the Sahara. A bit like Blackpool beach without the turds.

Friday 30th November 2007

There’s good news and bad news.

First the bad news, we never made it to Barnsley, no really that’s bad, we wanted to go back for the newspaper interview, but a power steering pipe burst on Tuesday and prevented us from travelling. The good news is it’s fixed so mobile advertising can recommence. More good news is donations to our charities has increased again and I have rung a bloke who can hopefully make us a spare key. We have found that the car has an immobiliser fitted as standard which is worked from the key. So if either of us daft Northerners lose the key in the desert, we’d be well and truly stuffed. Let’s hope Stuart can sort us out. There also seems to be a media frenzy at the moment, from Derby Evening Telegraph, Police and fire Service wanting interviews, it’s all good stuff to raise awareness and money.

Tuesday 27th November 2007

The car is now back from Perfect Tint of Ilkeston, rear windows tinted and every panel adorned in colourful logos of supporters and Charitable causes. As you will be able to see, we are also wearing our Team Dusty Crusties fleeces designed and donated by Elson and Hall of Long Eaton.

Today also saw Bob and Andy start up their big media bandwagon, BBC Radio Derby’s Alex Trelinski popped the questions this afternoon in their car park, raising our profile, hopefully generating more interest from the listening public of Derbyshire and East Staffordshire. The interview will be available on our media corner page as soon as we work out just how this technology works!

Driving to Barnsley tomorrow to check the car out and for a little better interview with the Barnsley Chronicle and have pictures taken of the car in all it’s glory and show it off to our parents. This is all in the hope that our first breakdown is fixed in time. Flaming power steering pipe broken and oil all over our street! Let’s hope this is the first and last mechanical breakdown, there could well be an emotional breakdown or two around the next sand dune, fingers crossed we’re fine from here on in.

Sunday 25th November 2007

This has been the first opportunity for Bob and Andy to get together for a while.

We have been able to discuss the adventure which is creeping ever so slowly upon us.

Today was like Christmas, Bob had transported some of the vital and free gifts donated by the Dusty Crusties North of the border supporters club . Fuel and water jerry cans, medical supplies, tow rope, desert goggles, fire extinguisher, pens and caps. Bob also brought his ‘pop up tent’. What a laugh, I have always known Bob as clumsy Bob and he has been true to his billing. How this man will get through the desert when he took fifteen minutes to fold away the tent in our living room! We may have to wait for him and then pick him up on the way back!

The car goes for the fitting of the stickers in the morning to Perfect Tint of Ilkeston who are supplying and fitting the stickers and window tinting free of charge. Thank you. Perfect tint need the car all day and when completed we’ll take some pictures and add to the blog site, keep watching this space.

Our big media day also looms, Tuesday 27/11/07 from 1pm, we shall be on air with Alex Trelinski on BBC Radio Derby, 104.5fm live to Derbyshire and East Staffordshire, from their car park on St Helen’s street, Derby. Please feel free to come along and have a look at our car, you could even have a picture taken with Bob and get your T-shirt signed by Andy. .