2009: Chelmsford Start, BMW M3

As soon as we arrived we were greeted with "Wow nice car, want to sell it?" "Err actually yes, but we digress. We parked next to a Porsche 911 RSR (Genuine) so we were in good company. As we got to the start point to be waved off by the Mayor of Chelmsford we were told we could floor-it if we wanted. So I obliged, it would have been rude not too, as we hurled out of the gates.

It was funny as this route took us through familiar areas like Broxbourne near where I live and then onto the first checkpoint - Salisbury Hall the Mosquito museum London Colney, I never knew it existed; we got talking to an elderly gentleman who then explained he was one of the original Pathfinders.

For those who don't know (like me) during World War II, the pathfinders were a group of volunteers selected within the Airborne units who were specially trained to operate navigation aids to guide the main airborne body to the drop zones. The pathfinder teams were made up of a group of eight to twelve pathfinders and a group of six bodyguards whose job was to defend the pathfinders while they set up their equipment. The pathfinder teams dropped approximately thirty minutes before the main body in order to locate designated drop zones and provide radio and visual guides for the main force in order to improve the accuracy of the jump. These navigational aids included compass beacons, coloured panels, Eureka radar sets, and colored smoke. When they jumped, the pathfinders many times would encounter less resistance than the follow up waves of paratroopers, simply because they had the element of surprise on their side. Once the main body jumped, the pathfinders then joined their original units and fought as standard airborne infantry.

Second stop was Buckingham railway centre, but we'd been there last year and were now getting peckish so we headed straight out again. The third checkpoint was at Broughton Castle in Banbury, surrounded by a moat it made for a nice photo opportunity. After a quick stretch of the legs it was time for lunch, a suitable Pub for traditional Sunday roast was calling.

All refreshed it was now the last stretch of the tour, approximately twenty five miles to go. We arrived at Silverstone to be presented with our finisher's medals followed by laps of the circuit. Through the pits and round we went, it was fantastic. Then the second lap (I could get used to this) and then park up with the other 800 cars on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Then to everyone's surprise a Vulcan bomber flew over, yes a very rare sight and unlikely to be seen again. Everything stopped for this.

Other BMW's spotted were a mint M3 E30 EVO in Macau Blue, 2002 Tii in Inka orange, a red M5 E28 (rare sight now) and a 635Csi. Other delights included a 600 Mercedes Pullman, Jaguars including E-Types and XK's, Ferrari 250 GTO, Audi Quattro short wheelbase, Capri RS3100, Lotus's, Alfa's and rare vintage cars which were fantastic to see being driven on the roads.

See you next year.