After a nightmare start which saw their decorated £300 banger break down in Maidstone, the 4Anchors team have returned from a memorable experience travelling across Europe after taking part in The Monte Carlo or Bust Rally.
Wayne Butler and Grant Bartlett, from Lowestoft, Bob Janney, from Beccles, and Adam Fogg, from Aldeburgh, were challenged to source a banger car for less than £300.
They took part in a variety of Top Gear-style challenges as part of the trip, competing for points and prizes.
After starting at The Ship Inn pub in Pakefield, they travelled by ferry to France and then onto Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy and finally Monte Carlo, and then back again through France. The men travelled over 2,000 miles and have already raised more than £1,000, with proceeds going to the charities East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), the RNLI, Men United (Prostate Cancer UK) and the Alzheimer's Society.
Mr Butler described how their vehicle, named St Arnulf, lost power in the outside lane of a motorway travelling 70mph.
It was then left to Mr Bartlett's wife Joanne and her friend Debs to save the day, as they drove down in separate cars so that the team could continue.
'We just lost power and drifted across three lanes of the motorway with zero power.
'We managed to park and called the RAC and sat and waited on a dirt track for four hours', Mr Butler said.
'It was Grant's wife's car that we had to travel round Europe in as we all agreed we should continue. We reached our first checkpoint at 3.30am and our original check in time should have been 8pm.'
The team thanked everyone supported them with their trip.
To sponsor and donate to the team, visit https://www.justgiving.com/teams/4Anchors or contact Mr Butler on 07733 321003.
? Do you know someone embarking on a charity challenge? Email joe.randlesome@archant.co.uk
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