 |
My Rallye des Princesses |
|
|
Princesses
(French)
|
Lady Pauline Harris has kindly authorized us to publish the article that you will find below. We would like to thank her for the very nice comments she had about the Rallye des Princesses. My Rallye des Princesses, Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday Monday 18th September : Sevenoaks - Paris" It is 7 am on Monday 18th September, I have just pulled off the M25 at Seneoaks to collect my co-driver, Ann Locks, for the Rallye des Princesses. Ann's husband, Peter, helps squeeze our bags in our 1961 MGA and we head for Folkestone to board the train to France, with Carlton TV in tow ! We had a good run to a spot just north of Paris where filmimng was to start for a series to be screened later in the autumn called « Pulling Power ». One hour later we were back on the road and arrive in Paris just as the afternoon rush hour has started. Our car, which up until then behaved beautifully, decided to overheat and we were not sure if would make the « Park Ferme » at the Place Vendome. We did make it and walked the short distance to the Hotel Meurice for documentation and then had a walk around this lovely city before heading to our hotel and bed. " Tuesday 19th September : Paris-La Chatre" With all the competitors assembled in the Place Vendome, rally plates secured and numbers firmly placed on the doors, we all awaited the first car away at 8 o'clock. This was Delphine de Rohan-Chabot-Brooks, granddaughter of Count Edme de Rohan-Chabot. She was driving a 1951 Jaguar XK120 Coupe Oblin with her husband Daniel as Navigator. There were in fact 9 honorary « women » navigators in the event. I settled myself in my car, turned on the battery and ignition, pulled the starter --- nothing ! We tried pushing the car - there was no way we were going anywhere. At this point a camera came through my window and I am asked, « how do you think you will do in this event » --- men ! ! ! A rally mechanic re-routed some wires and we eventually left well after the last competitor and right in the middle of the Paris rush hour. On the open road, we made up some of our lost time. We only had two regularites today, one before lunch and one after. « Lunch » - as in the eating of, was not on our agenda, with the bonnet up Ann had her head somewhere in the engine. I was holding the umbrella and clamping the telephone to her ear so she could use both hands and follow the instructions from her husband, Peter, back home in East Sussex. With the car not responding we went to see what was for lunch. We decided to grab two bread rolls and a couple of bottles of water and head for the race circuit of La Chatre. It was by now pourring with rain and very grey. All the cars had to do four circuits of the track, the middle two being timed. We cleared the circuit for the « Big-O » and we also won a cup for the best performance, beating Caroline Bugatti-Rinaldi in her father-in-law's 1925 Bugatti. I did manage to arrange for our car to be repaired through a carpet manufacturer my husband deals with in Chateauroux, which is near La Chatre. The car now starts but won't stop ! " Wednesday 20th September : La Chatre-Vichy" This was our best day, we only dropped 1, 4 and 7 seconds on the regularities, the seven was due to a large car, which would not move over. The high spot of the day was lunch at the beautiful orchards and rose garden at Malicorne. There were many varieties of apples that were being created and they all smelled and tasted as apples should. The vegetable gardens were a delight to walk around with herbs, vegetables and cutting flowers all growing together. The hardest part of today was finding room in the car for the complimentary box of fruit given to each competitor upon leaving. We are now heading for Vichy, the lovely spa town, which is France's equivalent of Bath. Passing through the beautiful Gorge de Clouvigny, I elected to keep my eyes on the road with all the hairpins ! Once in town we are parked in the central garden surronded by Plane trees, which are so prevalent in France. " Thursday 21st September : Vichy-Vals-les-Bains" The sun is shining but it is still damp and chilly as we head for our cars under the trees. We now know where all the birds sleep in Vichy and my comment of « Oh S--t » was very appropriate as I approached the car ! With all our vehicles sort of cleaned up, we head off to the Massif Central. Tiny roads and lots of hairpins - a driver's delight. No time to look at the view today. We have our lunch stop and then head for the last regularity. Having arrived then have a 30-minute wait while they finish gritting the road. With all those hairpins, it was a case of « damn the time - let's get to the bottom via the road ». We did pick up a lot of penalties, but so did everyone else. We now head for Vals-les-Bains and we are the first car home. " Friday 22nd September : Vals-les-Bains-Aix-en-Provence" This was a beautiful day through lovely woods and also through the Gorges de l'Ardeche. We stop the car to take in the spectacular view of the valley. The hilly terrain was taking its toll on our MGA and again at lunch it was bonnet up to cool off. In the afternoon, we scaled the heights of Mont Ventoux, which looked like a lunar space station at the top. We then had the spectacular drive push from our fellow competitors. The last regularity was very tiring both mentally and physically - I need a hot bath ! We stayed at the beautiful Château de l'Arc in Aix. " Saturday 23nd September : Aix-en-Provence-Saint Raphael" Our last day and we feel excited as we leave the grounds of the Château. In the village of Trets we were talking about the lovely routes we had driven for the last four days and wrong slotted - a trickly little turn between the car parks. Judging by the number of cars we met in the town, many others made the same mistake. Our route takes us through the Plan des Alpes on single-track roads with plenty of hairpins all the way down to the coast, passing very close to Saint Tropez, Grimaud and Cannes. We finish this very enjoyable event in the car park of the Golf-Plaza hotel at Saint Maxime. There was a final prize giving by the swimmming-pool with plenty of media coverage, including Dan from Carlton TV with his home movie camera too - how sweet ! Both, Ann my navigator, and myself as driver, found the road-book, the hotels and the organisation first class. We did not have to think of anything except getting to the next hotel - with lunch and dinner provided every day, this was a very enjoyable week with a lovely group of competitors. We won our class and finished 4th in the Ladies and 5th overall. This is definitely one for the diary next year. " Lady Pauline HARRIS |
