Richard, Martin and their car Sir Douglas
Father and son team Richard and Martin Pearce have made over their somewhat unreliable Reliant Regal for the third year running to take on another challenge to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund - the RAF’s leading welfare charity. Dressed as a lion and a gamekeeper, Richard and Martin left the office in the early hours of 20th May geared up to meet 11 Reliant Robins and attempt to drive across Britain and Ireland in just four days.
After a few rounds of golf in 2008, Richard and a number of friends came up with a harebrained scheme: To each get hold of a Reliant Regal/Robin for £500 and drive to the Isle of Skye for charity. Richard’s son-in-law Carl Beswick is an RAF Regiment Corporal and suggested raising money for the RAF Benevolent Fund.
After a long, hard search, Richard eventually found a Reliant Regal rusting in a garden in Lincolnshire with no MOT and seriously in need of some repairs. After retrieving it with a lorry, Richard and Martin set to work restoring the 38-year-old car which they nicknamed Sir Douglas. However, after raising a fantastic £3500 and travelling a good part of the distance, Sir Douglas’s engine blew up on the A1 M! The pair were unhurt but unable to complete their challenge.
In 2009 the pair gave it another go and with nine others, succeeded in driving from Stansted to Paris via Pegasus Bridge. They did, however, have to replace Sir Douglas’s radiator on route.
2010’s Numball Rally involved travelling from Stansted to Liverpool and catching the overnight ferry to Belfast. Then driving the length of Ireland to Cork, before catching a ferry to Wales and racing back to Suffolk.
Sir Douglas received a new paint-job for this year's rally
The progress of the Numball Rally was narrated from the road via twitter and by 4am on day one, a few had already run into problems:
“On the A14. The Leprechauns are missing and Steve Smith Brickworks is on the recovery lorry already!”
Following the challenge, Richard said:
“Well we managed to make the trip… We arrived back into our drive at 8.30 Sunday night and as I pulled up and thanked Sir Douglas, he blew a hose and boiling water went everywhere BUT HE WAITED TILL HE HAD GOT ME HOME.”
Richard’s account of the challenge:
Well we managed to make the trip in Sir Douglas starting last Thursday, we left home at 6.15 am to travel to the start point at Stansted, we arrived at 8.15 where over the next 45 minutes everyone else arrived, one car did not get there due to a family bereavement but we still had 11 cars to start the trip.
By the time we had had Breakfast we had our first casualty, Steve the bricks car would not start so he decided to come on the trip in a smart car and leave his at the start. Within 40 miles, the first break down for the Irish boys dressed as leprechauns they had an overheating problem which would blight their first day with many stops but by 1pm the rest of us were at the first stop for lunch on the M6, the Irish boys arrived on the back of the support vehicle after managing to do around 100 miles with boththe support boys Ken and Richard wanting to sort the problem out. The rest of us made it to Liverpool to the pub for the evening meal by 5.30. A few of the cars overheated but we all stayed together and a great atmosphere was created on our way into Liverpool with the cars all themed and people just laughing and waving. Sir Douglas had his new paint job, I dressed as a gamekeeper and my son Martin dressed as a lion - yes, in a full suit including the head - on a very hot day. Well we have to do our part in raising the money for the RAFBF.
Onto the overnight ferry to Belfast, yes we all had a few beers and exchanged the stories of the first day. At 6.30 on Friday morning we all started off on the short 10 mile journey to Belfast Castle. They had opened the Castle early to serve us a wonderful Breakfast in a fantastic setting overlooking Belfast which would have been lovely if someone had moved the mist. Then onto the Belfast dock to view the dry dock and Museum where the Titanic was built - what a place! After a couple of hours we set off for Dublin, approx 150 miles, after many stops due to the other cars overheating and with the Irish boys now driving we had some great moments on the road all in convoy, Sir Douglas behaved impeccably and once again did not overheat.
Arriving in Dublin we brought the place to a stand still - 10 robins all themed and making one hell of a racket. I have never had my picture taken so may times. Even the hotel had laid on special parking in the front so as to attract people to come in and take photos (a good piece of P.R. for them).
We then went into the centre of Dublin for what can only be described as one hell of a night. We stayed in one bar where an Irish band were playing and we sang and sang all night.
The next morning, following a very good Irish Breakfast, we set of for kilcash on our way to cork. Now one of the guys - Paul Cashman- has ¾ of his family still leaving in the village and on arrival we where treated as royalty withthe whole of the market square full of people to welcome in the ten robins - once again a fantastic reception with food and Guinness laid on. After a couple of hours there, we headed off for Cork. The scenery was spectacular. To drive from north to southwas inspiring and again people in the towns where amazed to see the convoy. We all made it into Cork with many more stops for overheating in all cars except Sir Douglas.
Once we where on the ship we settled down for the overnight journey, to arrive into Wales at 5.30am… well, so we thought. During the crossing, the ship developed an engine problem (I think it came out in sympathy with the cars) which meant instead of disembarking at 5.30 we had missed the tide and had to wait until 12noon for the next tide. Mother Nature had brought us to a stop. We decided then to leave Swansea for home instead of visiting the Coal mine and stopping at the planned food stop.
We all stayed together to do the 280 mile trip on the hottest day of the year, several cars broke down, two had to be put onto the recovery vehicle but Sir Douglas struggled on.
We arrived back into our drive at 8.30 Sunday night and as I pulled up and thanked Sir Douglas, he blew a hose and boiling water went everywhere BUT HE WAITED TILL HE HAD GOT ME HOME.
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Posted on 24-May-10 by Rosie Gibbons in 
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The Cottesmore 6
Project 65