LE JOG 96

The hyperactive John Brown, who invented and managed the 1994 and 1995 versions of LE JOG, now has backing from the AA for this year’s End-to-End Reliability Trial over December 7-10. The 120 entries start bright and early from the Land’s End Hotel on the Saturday am and run via North Devon and Wiscombe Park to a high tea near Chepstow. Night stages through Wales end with breakfast at Charnock Richard. From there competitors make their way. fortified with a proper fry-up including black pudding, through deepest Lancashire and Northumberland, via that long deep ford at Stanhope which has dished the chances of many a hopeful in past years, to spend Sunday night at the Athens of the North, a k a Edinburgh.

On the Monday morning the rallyists begin a long couple of days through the lowlands, the Loch Ness area (which includes a lengthy regularity stage known as the “the Loch Ness Monster”), John O’Groats and the north-west, to finish at Wick on the Tuesday evening.

There are 20 pre-war entries, the most venerable being Peter and Sue Noble’s 1925 6.2-litre Lanchester Tourer, and the most practical Phil Surtess’s 1942 Ford Willys Jeep. There are over 60 pre-1960 entries the most Impressive which is John and Birgit aan de Stegge’s 1959 Ford Thunderbird, which must have a lane-widening contract with various local authorities if the post-event state of its flanks is anything to go by. For fuller details of when and where to see the event, ring 01886 833 505. T J T