A message from Martha

Hello to everyone back home,

I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to get in touch but I haven’t had a moment to myself since this trip started.

First of all a great, big, huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped to get me ready for this adventure (you know who you are). Then, a big thank you to everyone who turned up for my going away party. One of the boys had worked really hard polishing me and the girls had dressed me up in new flags and lots of balloons and I really did feel like the belle of the ball. Also big thanks to London fire Brigade for sending three of their big new engines to provide an escort; they really knew how to make a girl feel special! As we drove out of the square everyone was cheering and clapping and waving and it all got quite emotional.

26,000 miles to go and we’d barely gone 10 when the boys got us lost. I began to wonder if it would be 26 or more like 36,000.

What a surprise the channel crossing was; nobody had told me about it and I was expecting to get on a ferry and be above water level – I’ve done it before and quite enjoyed it (unlike that boy Steve who got quite unwell). Instead we drove onto a train and travelled underneath the sea. At the other side the boys insisted on driving me on the wrong side of the road. I thought they had made a mistake but it seems that’s how everyone does it over here.

You’d have thought we were on our way to deal with a forest fire the way they got their feet on the accelerator. We went from France to Belgium, through Luxembourg and into Germany before I’d even got over my queasiness from being on the wrong side.

By the time we were travelling through Switzerland I was really enjoying myself and admiring the beautiful scenery. We stayed overnight on the banks of Lake Lucerne but in the morning I was so embarrassed when Chris announced that I had got a leak. The angels must have been smiling on us though because the boys found a Mercedes Benz repair shop just outside the camp site. I met two very nice Swiss mechanics called Stephan and Jeff; we spent several hours together. (They were not entirely happy about it.)

The next day the boys were trying to make up for ‘lost time’ and were really pushing me to go as hard as I could (as though it was my fault!). We encountered the Alps. I did my best on the way up but on the way down (with the boy Steve at the wheel) I was so scared that I kept forgetting to breathe – it’s a wonder my radiator didn’t boil over. Thank goodness for AssetCo who gave my gearbox a good going over.

We then drove into Italy. Lots of small vehicles; driven erratically.

We got on another train so that we could go under some mountains instead of over them. I thought that this was a good idea until one of them got too close and tried to bite me. I’m not sure that I like trains very much. Anyway that got us into Austria. Then a short detour into Slovenia and back to Austria and then the heavens opened, with a vengeance, we couldn’t move.

Occasionally I wonder whether these boys are aware that I am a venerable mechanical marvel or think I am a dodgem car (thankfully the only casualties were a few wing mirrors).

We ventured into Hungary on the way to Slovakia. Slovakia unfortunately is not as pretty as its’ name. Nor are the roads as good. The road was so narrow and so steep and I had to breathe in so hard that my locker covers were concave.

A quick dash through the Czech Republic and into Poland. We went to visit somewhere, I don’t know what it was but the boys were very sombre when we set off again and it was many miles before they started talking. The roads are really bad here; there is no choice but to follow the grooves worn by all the other trucks that have used these roads before. It means that you are unable to settle into your own smooth rhythm which is hard work for me and for the drivers. It rained all the way through Poland and the water found a weak point in my roof which, as is always the case, was right above the driver’s seat.

Lithuania was much more pleasant and the sun shone and I really enjoyed the scenery. We visited Vilnius and met some really nice people who were very happy to see me; we all had a jolly time and there was a real party atmosphere.

I’m so proud of my boys; they became real heroes on the road to Russia. We were waiting in a long line of vehicles on a road next to a ravine when an out of control truck hit the back of the line scattering cars all over and some of their occupants were seriously hurt. My boys wasted no time in getting out the Prometheus supplies and offering what help they could. Thank heavens for the training they’d done. I’m so proud of them, I would hug them if I could.  Chris will be writing to tell you more about the incident, please don’t worry, the boys are all fine.

I’m writing this from a horrible vehicle compound just outside the Russian border. We and lots of other vehicles are waiting to be allowed to go on. The boys are not happy, there are no facilities not even water and they are having to eat their emergency rations and nobody knows when we’ll be allowed to move.

Love to everyone, I’ll write again soon.

TTFN

Martha. x