Rally GB thanks: part two

On leaving the Gartheiniog stage of Wales Rally GB on three cylinders last weekend, we tried to make our way to Aberhirnant without success, so we rolled back into the village of Dinas Mawddwy and found ourselves outside the Red Lion.

While I called the service crew from the pub’s landline as there was no service on the mobile, the driver was being cross-examined by an 85-year-old lady who lived in the village.

She knew the car was a Ford Escort Mk1, the same as Roger Clark drove in the 1972 RAC when she had taken here son to see him and the other drivers.

We then entered the pub and were immediately brought a beer by a local man. It was not long before another local man entered the pub (the undertaker) enquiring after the car, did it need a tow, the loan of his shuttle or would we like to garage the car in with his collection of rally cars for safe keeping.

Finally, Steve the stage commander came into the pub with his band of helpers: something he had been doing for the last 35 years and it soon became clear that this group of people including the undertaker were passionate about the rally.

They knew what it does for their little community and the part they play in delivering us the competitor the best possible stages. Thank you to you all for your hard work, time and effort you all put in it is much appreciated by us all. Aziz Tejpar/tim Sayer Car 239 Via email