Craig Cheetham wants to do it all over again…
Regular readers may recall that last year I raised more than £2000 for Aortic Dissection Awareness by driving a scrapyard rescue Rover 600 from Beauly in the Highlands to Beaulieu in Hamsphire, starting in the Scottish village that is my home from home and ending at the National Motor Museum, where Chief Executive Jon Murden is lucky to be alive having survived an Aortic Dissection incident 12 months ago.
This year, I’m determined to do it again and the theme will be the same – rescue a car that was destined for the knackers’ yard and bring it back to life in true PC style, before driving it 1500 miles in three days to raise money for this remarkable charity, whose support to a dear friend of mine has been immeasurable, and whose life was undoubtedly saved by the knowledge that they impart on the medical community.
This time, though, I’d love some PC readers to join me and see if we can rattle the cash tins a little bit harder. Provisionally, I’m looking at the weekend of September 27-29, 2024 but before I commit further, I’d be interested to know if any of you are up for joining me on the challenge – if so, I know we’ll get a very warm welcome at the National Motor Museum.
If that sounds like fun – and if you’re as much of a car-rescuing womble as I am – then you’re guaranteed to enjoy it while also helping a fantastic cause. I’ve set up an email address for interested parties – drop me a line at beauly2beaulieu@gmail.com and we’ll try and make this into something much bigger for 2024. I’m also planning a special lunchtime event before we set off…
Charities rely on the efforts of people like you and me to survive and continue their amazing work, so we may as well make an adventure out of doing it.
If you, your car club or your friends have got anything planned to raise money for charity, we absolutely want to hear about it and talk about it in these pages. Please drop us a line at practicalclassics@bauermedia.co.uk and we’ll help you in any way we can.
FOCUSING ON...
Summer stunner continues to raise rotary funds
Based on the town common in Harpenden, Herts, COTC began in 1994 as a small gathering hosted by the local Rotary Club. Three decades later, it has grown to be one of the biggest car events in the South East and has given back almost £400,000 to local community charities in Hertfordshire and South Bedfordshire. In 2023, Rotary of Harpenden gave a record £34,000 to charities including Wheathampstead Community Group, St. Luke’s School in Redbourn and Pump Aid.
It's an astonishing achievement given that the Classics on the Common is completely free to attend to the public, with a very modest exhibitor charge for classics. The show takes place on the penultimate Wednesday of July each year and 2024�
