October
2005. Pre-Expedition - Colin Javens
Days to departure: 5
Sitting
in Spinal Research's office with 6 days to go and the team are
buzzing around me. I've got Jo and Caroline with smoke coming
off their laptops at their workstations Chrissy busily swotting
up on her country profiles; Chris is laying out on his back
in the Discovery contemplating the best option of stretchering
either one of us out if we are in big trouble. Outside in the
dark cold afternoon light of a November afternoon Woody is helping
to fit and wire in the CB's and GPS's that Land Rover has kindly
loaned us….run out of time.
5
days to go. I've got Chrissy sitting here in the sweatbox with
me driving down to Stoke and as times so critical my new PA
(literally) Chrissy is continuing to write down this diary entry
draft while I drive and dictate. Time is so short that all our
thoughts at the moment are focused on doing all the finishing
jobs to prepare ourselves for Monday.
1st
Training weekend. 7th-10th October:
With the pressure to get the Discovery ready I picked up Chrissy
at Hemel Hempstead in Miranda (my van) from where we headed
straight over to Steering Developments to pick up the finished
Discovery much to my relief and theirs (I had become renowned
for my daily 8am calls asking how they were getting on). A hasty
trip home to Hereford to set up in time for the team training
weekend wasn't to be. I had betrayed Miranda and abandoned her
at Steering Developments in the process. Perhaps she put a curse
on the speedometer which saw us cruising home at a relaxed 45mph.
2 hours later and halfway home Chrissy duly named the unnamed
discovery 'Beryl' as she drove at best like an old lady.
The
main aim of the weekend was to really test our planning, equipment,
ourselves and everything we had learned which would then give
us the opportunity and time to rectify any problematic factor
that we came across before we left. Preparation began early
on Friday morning. Our Bargain Hunter (a.k.a. Kiko Matthews)
and the Charity Shop King (a.k.a. Ben Matthews) headed out early
to stock up on food etc for the training weekend.
For
me personally it was going to be a good opportunity, apart from
the driving to really test how difficult or easy it would be
for me to carry out even the most basic task like keeping cleaning
or getting into bed. Prior to the training weekend I had sourced
two pieces of equipment vital to the success of the expedition:
- The James Bond Shower Chair - a detachable, shower chair which
folds away into a stealth suitcase. I will use it for showering
on the trip although the rest of the team have already noted
it as a potentially luxurious throne for a long drop.
- The Pressure Relieving Anywhere Bed - We needed to source
a bed that would both save on space yet secure a mattress with
pressure-relieving qualities essential for lying on and this
little number fits the bill nicely.
Ben
and Jo had worked together planning the weekend. It was Ben's
aim to get everyone navigation to and in and around Brecon using
the GPS and 8 digit grid references. Jo had planned several
scenarios, which she hoped would really test the team. However,
all Jo's hard work was washed over by all of the calamities
that occurred during the weekend.
It
all began to happen on Saturday after we had a successful evening
setting up camp and surviving the cold night in the Welsh hills
evening. The rain and cold on that morning was enough to dampen
the spirits of the hardest Welsh rugby team and then the real
test started happening. First I bent the key to start Beryl
and with no other key we were stranded! Two hours later a re-bent
key restarted the weekend. The most embarrassing was when I
locked myself in the Land Rover with the heating going full
blast. In my wisdom I locked the doors when Jo and Caroline
where pretending to hi-jack my vehicle. Thanks to Woody's quick
thinking he had a window panel removed and the doors were open.
The training weekend was a great chance to test our skills.
Not
long to go. Please follow the link below to read my mum's account
of our other training weekend.
2nd
Team Training Weekend. 22-23rd October.
Please
read Val Javens account of the weekend.
