More than 65 low-emission vehicles – some not seen on UK roads before – completed the second annual Brighton to London RAC Future Car Challenge this weekend. The challenge put to the entrants was who could use the least amount of energy whilst travelling the sixty mile route.
The vehicles:
Those taking part ranged from enthusiasts driving their own vehicles to major car manufacturers including BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Renault, smart, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Land Rover. Many of the vehicles, such as the Land Rover Range_e, BMW Active-e and Volkswagen Golf Blue e-motion will not be on sale for two or more years and had rarely been seen on UK roads. As well as low-emission conventional (internal combustion) engined cars, the entry list included electric vehicles, hybrid models and cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The entrants and the route:
The entrants started this morning from Madeira Drive, Brighton at 7.30am each were flagged off by the Mayor of Brighton Cllr Anne Meadows. Many of those who took part are wellknown motoring celebrities – including British Formula One legend and 1996 World Champion, Damon Hill OBE, Quentin Willson (TV presenter and magazine columnist), Gordon Murray (former F1 designer), Mark Goodier (Smooth Radio DJ) and Kevin McCloud (Grand Designs TV programme presenter).
Source: www.futurecarchallenge.com
Shelley popped down to see what all the noise was about and found there was no noise whatsoever! In fact, the cars were so quiet the risk of being run over by several of these amazing vehicles was a high risk Shelley got to meet some wonderful people at the event including our very own Mayor Carol Eade and Youth Mayor Pravin Sanasy. Along side the two Mayors, Shelley got to speak to the delightful Damon Hill, Robert Llewelyn and Mark Goodier.
Kids, mums, dads, nans, grandads, aunts and uncles brought play back to basics at Crawley council’s ‘How we used to play’ fun day on Saturday.
The special event at Northgate Playing Fields, inspired by a 1955 report into Crawley’s first ever adventure playground, also saw the mayor officially open Northgate’s brand new play area.
Mayor, Brenda Burgess, said: “I step down on Friday and this was my last event with Crawley Borough Council’s Community Services who organised the playday and it was absolutely fantastic. I spent the whole day there and had a wonderful time – I even picnicked on spam sandwiches and ginger beer which really got me in the spirit of things.
“It was wonderful to see generations playing and working together to make things from scratch; and opening the fantastic new play area was a real honour too.”
After enjoying the new park which includes equipment like the Hurricane Swing, the Freeride and the Kickwall, aimed at eight to 13 year-olds, the youngsters teamed up with family and friends to build dens and go karts.
Local companies and organisations including Central Sussex College, Viridor Recycling Centre, Crawley Metal Supplies and B&Q generously donated tools, wood, material and old wheels to help teams join in the fun of adventure play the way it used to be.
Natalie Rice, mum of two from Three Bridges, said: “We’ve had a great day; my husband’s parents have come along and we’ve played in the new park, had a picnic and now we’re building a den. It’s been a lot of fun and really nice way to get everyone together.”
The first adventure playground was set up in West Green in 1954 and regularly saw up to a hundred children building huts, dug-outs and bonfires using materials and tools donated by local businesses.
A document called ‘Crawley Adventure Playground’ published in 1955 by The Crawley Community Association Adventure Playground Committee, tells the story of the playground and its grand opening, including pictures and extracts from the Play Leader’s diary.
On Sunday 18th October, ’09 Crawley Happy Times donned their new t-shirts and set off for K2 Leisure Centre for the St. Catherine’s Hospice 10k.
The CHT teams waiting for the race to start
On the track waiting for the starting gun
Two teams were entered by Crawley Happy Times making eight runners altogether. They joined the rest of the entrants at the start line at 10:30 on a bright and warm Sunday morning. Everyone looked excited and slightly nervous, then the gun went ‘bang’ and we were off.
Around 600 people entered the 2009 10k run
And they are off!
After a lap on the K2 track we then left the stadium and went around Tilgate forest, over the M23 and then back again via a different route leading back to the K2 stadium.
We had a mixture of talent in the two teams entered. We had Daniel Manville who has run half marathons in the past (and did extremely well), Danielle James who is a young fit lady who has some running experience and Jennifer Griffiths who is a fitness instructor. They all did extremely well on CHT’s behalf. Then we had Shelley Fagence-Traynor, Michelle James, Emma James, Amanda Toyne and Jade Downey who were not so experienced although 100% effort was shown.
2009 10k St. Catherine runRunners making their way through the start
The encouragement from the other participants and the race officials standing at check points along the way, was immense. It was this encouragement that kept us all going. Daniel was way ahead with Danielle and Jennifer hot on his heals. Shelley, Michelle, Emma and Amanda decided to stick together on the way round and Jade was not far behind. Shelley was suffering from a bad bout of flu but managed to keep going, even running some of the way
St. Catherine’s Hospice is such a great cause. Requiring around five million pounds to keep up the much needed work they do for terminally ill people. All of which is donated in some form or another. St. Catherine’s give so much back to the community too. They hold many fund raising events which are fun and entertaining for all entrants and the community alike. If you have a fund raising idea, then don’t hesitate to contact any of the amazing staff members on 01293 447333 who will be happy to help you in every way possible.
So, the end of the run was in sight, and the legs were starting to feel like jelly. We entered the K2 track on our last few killometers and were greeted with a loud round of applause from the bystanders who had patiently waited for us stragglers to finish. We were even greeted by the Worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess and her wonderful husband Bob Burgess. The last few steps seemed like an eternity but the finish line was in sight and we all made a last deperate dash……and we were done! We were greeted by our families who looked on so proudly as we all gasped for breath and composure. We were given our medals by St. Catherines which we have all placed in plain view of all visitors to our homes
Shelley, Emma, Amanda & Michelle on the last stretch
(L-R) Danielle, Michelle, Shelley, Amanda & Emma
Crawley Happy Times would like to extend their congratulations to every one who entered. As Shelley’s youngest son said, “it’s not about winning Mum, it’s about taking part”. He is so right! If you feel you would like to be part of this next year either as an individual or as a team, please call Catherine Boulter of St. Catherine’s Hospice on 01293 447364 for further information. We are still accepting sponsors, so if you feel the need to contribute, please contact Shelley on 01293 572182 or email shelley@crawleyhappytimes.co.uk
A well deserved drink at the pub after. Well done to all!
All girls together
A special thank you goes to the eight individuals who took part as the Crawley Happy Times team and a thank you to Paul Sheldrake of Creative Vision Promotions for supplying the t-shirts which were wonderful! Roll on next year xx
Finished at last! Shelley and her son Logan who was there at the finishing line to congratulate his Mum
Our thanks to Creative Vision Promotions for the t-shirts
On Sunday 18th October folk from in and around Crawley will be donning their running shoes for a massive 10k race in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice.
Last year more than 600 people took part, raising over £30,000 towards much needed end of life care. Let’s see if we can beat that this year.
The Course
This years Crawley 10k charity race will take place through the beautiful scenic Tilgate Forest which will be fully marshaled with clear frequent signs and water stops. The race starts at the K2 Leisure Centre running track, following forest tracks, paths, playing fields and a road. Experienced and non-runners are all welcome. You could even walk the course if you just wanted to be part of the event. Unfortunately the course is not suitable for pets or wheelchairs due to the uneven ground covered. All entrants receive a medal with an award being presented to the winning team, man and woman.
Who are St Catherine’s?
St Catherine’s are a well deserving charity, caring in so many different ways for our loved ones who are terminally ill. St Catherine’s also give so much back to the community by holding such great events such as the recent Dragon Boat Festival and the Midnight Walk (Horsham). It is definitely a givers gain philosophy which enriches the entire community.
Who can enter?
Catherine from St Catherine’s said “experienced independent runners are frequently present as were on previous occasions as well as running clubs but this year we would like to encourage more businesses to get involved. They only need a team of 4 to enter and can even enter more than one team if they wish. We are really looking forward to this years race and hope to raise a lot of money for the charity which needs around 5 million pounds a year to maintain”.
Runners in last years 10k charity race
How much does it cost?
Advanced entry fees range from £10 to £12 with fees on the day at £15. Places for entry are limited so it is advisable to enter as soon as you can. You can do this by filling in a form online or emailing catherineboulter@stch.org.uk. For any further queries please call 01293 447364.
Crawley Happy Times will be covering the race and interviewing the winners. If you are not entering the race please do still come down and say hello and support the runners.
On Sunday, 6th September 2009, companies from all over the county donned their tribal colours and set off to Tilgate Lakes, Crawley, for the 7th Annual Dragon Boat Race Festival.
Baker Tilly. Capt. Gerrard Weide
Elementus. Capt. Emma Thomas
Organised by, and held on behalf of St. Catherine’s Hospice, the day was full of entertainment, great camaraderie, friends, family and good food.
Teams consisting of thirteen people were challenged to several gruelling boat races in some spectacular (and extremely expensive looking) dragon boats across the length of Tilgate Lake. The teams fought it out until there are 6 teams left who then had a race to the post to ascertain the winners.
Edwards of Crawley. Capt. Miles Firth
Edwards of Burgess Hill. Capt. Richard Fawdrey
Virgin Atlantic. Capt. Paul Rickard
There were some brilliant and innovative outfits this year. A special identity is essential as this helps the spectators recognise who to shout encouragement to! Most had matching colours with their company name or logo visible, some went a little further and painted their bodies green with green outfits or dressed as vikings with hats and horns. Some wore clown hats and another team dressed up as the Flintstones.
Deloitte. Capt. Kat Bradley
Barclays Bank. Capt. David Owen
The teams who entered have been working hard since February this year to raise money for St Catherine’s Hospice which goes towards the total raised on the day. Matthew Cornish, Corporate Fund Raiser for St Catherine’s Hospice, told us he believes a massive £50,000 had been raised this year but the total has yet to be confirmed. The most raised in one year’s Dragon Boat Festival was a staggering £58,000! All of the money raised goes to such a great cause which, eventually, affects everyone.
We were blessed on this Sunday as the weather was as good as it gets. The sun popped out for most of the day and the rain stayed in. Mind you, we could not help but feel for some of the entrants who got quite wet whilst competing, as when the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the evening air started to settle in, drying off was a problem.
Guy Salmon. Capt. Des Campbell
Doosan Babcock Energy. Capt. Jacqui Lucas
Halcrow. Capt. Robert Kleinjan
It was a simple affair really, with food either being made and bought as a picnic or prepared by the very friendly and clean vans from Wynnings & Weaver who have food ranging from pies and pastries, burgers, baguettes and even yummy donuts. Owner Serena Wyatt told us it was lovely to be part of such a great day and was happily donating a percentage of the takings to St Catherine’s Hospice. Alongside the food vans were anotherthree selling toys and other handy items to keep the children happy (kites, frisbees etc.) all manned by volunteers of St Catherine’s Hospice. Thank you: your hard work did not go unnoticed. The whole day was all about the cause, which was really refreshing.
A J Walter Aviation. Capt. Angela Westwood
Enterprise Rent A Car. Capt. Katie Andrews
Capita Symonds. Capt. Jackie Fraser
We had the usual suspects looking after our well being. The local constabulary were keeping a quiet, watchful eye on proceedings. Our thanks go to PCSO Steve West, PCSO Andreanna Woods, PCSO Wendy Johnstone and PCSO Lindsay Haggart. We also thank St John’s Ambulance who looked after anyone with injuries. While we were taking their picture they were nursing a young lad who seemed to have banged his head slightly but we do not think there was anything more serious than that.
Coutts & Co. Capt. Chris Hemblade
Varian Medical Systems. Capt. Steve Pullem
Just Retirement. Capt. Pauline Graham
As a town we should be very proud of our Mayor. The Worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess makes sure she is present at any event which includes the community and this event was no exception. Mayor Brenda Burgess and her husband, Three Bridges ward Councillor Bob Burgess, were happily walking round talking to all the teams and their supporters. Not every town has such a dedicated devoted Mayor. It is always a pleasure to see Mayor Brenda Burgess and her husband. Accompanying the Mayor were Rebecca Day, and Rosemary Cowley, who is the Chairman of Trustees for St Catherine’s Hospice.
Richard Place Dobson. Capt. Melissa Morrison-Hardwick
G4S Cash Services. Capt. Nikki Greenfield
G4S Care & Justice. Capt. Stephen Wilson
We were also honoured to have three exceptionally smart gentlemen from Corps Security. Peter Lewis, Branch Manager, Richard Cleaver and Peter Reid wore their uniforms with pride and went on to tell us they are due to have their 50th anniversary shortly, so watch this space for more information.
CGG Veritas. Capt. Keith Driver
Bard. Capts. Kate Palmer & Hannah Mullane
Entertainment was forthcoming in the shape of the Crawley Blackbelt Academy led by Wayne Beadell; and Nam Yang of Epsom, who were led by Maria Wanless. Great displays of artistic control and discipline were demonstrated by both organisations.
The day would not have been possible without all the hard work by Dragon Boat Events. This wonderful company has helped raise over £5 m for charities and have travelled worldwide with their fantastic set up. Dragon Boat Events take a fixed fee for their efforts, leaving the rest of the money to go to the allocated charities. For anyone thinking of having such an event, these guys are definitely the ones to call. They are well organised, polite, friendly and completely professional. They set the whole day off with a great speaker system including requests for songs in between the races, compered by their own Bill Handley who kept us up-to-date with the results of the races. Excellent work from Dragon Boat Events. We’re sure we speak for us everyone when we say thank you.
BAA. Capt. Steve Wirths
Crawley Borough Council. Capt. Gary Povey
Broadfield East Junior School. Capt. Sue Gascoine
So when all had been said and done, it came down to the last race. Six eager looking teams boarded their boats and took to the starting line. The whistle went and the race started. It was neck-a-neck and all rowed like their lives depended on it. It really was the most exciting part of the day and all the people attending were at the edge of the lake, cheering on their preferred team. It seemed forever before we eventually heard the results, with last year’s winners Tilgate Warriors nervously waiting to see if they had been usurped. We will not spoil the outcome for you. Instead we filmed the last race and the award presentations. Maybe you can experience some of the exciting atmosphere we all enjoyed!
Crawley News. Capt. Glenn Ebrey
Cho Wa Ju Jitsu Kwai aka Tilgate Warriors. Capt. David O'Doherty
More Than Dragons. Capt. Jen Edwards
If you were unable to make this year’s event, we suggest putting a date in your diary for next year as not only was it the most spectacular event we have had the pleasure of attending this year but it is completely FREE to attend. You could always go one better and enter a team! If you’d like to enter for next year, please contact Matthew Cornish, Corporate Fund Raiser on 01293 447365 or email matthewcornish@stch.org.uk
Thomas Eggar. Capt. Simon Bomford
Crawley Happy Times Online are keen on being part of this fantastic event next year, so if you feel you would like to be on our team and/or help raise funds throughout the year, then please contact Shelley on 01293 572182 or email shelley@crawleyhappytimes.co.uk
Shelley got to meet some wonderful people at the event including our very own Mayor Carol Eade and Youth Mayor Pravin Sanasy. Along side the two Mayors, Shelley got to speak to the delightful Damon Hill, Robert Llewelyn and Mark Goodier.
