The Well Oiled Machine

For a team with no vehicle yet, they look like they may well leave a lot of us standing. This is a well oiled machine. Team Trauma. With monthly meetings, a financial and technical guru, meetings with minutes and notes, ideas abounding of how to raise funds and a high profile headquarters with it's own restaurant (well, ok, it is a restaurant, a curry house), I was beginning to wonder if they were planning a road trip or to conquer the continent. All seems to be going smoothly with Team Trauma, apart from one small point. The vehicle has not yet shown up. They are working on it though...
Team 'Lots of Trouble Usually Serious' are also progressing well. A visit to the garage at an opportune moment found 4 excited overgrown boys dropping a large engine in to a small hole in the front of a Lotus. Amazingly it seemed to fit. John rattled through a long list of work they had completed on the car. Still some way to go, but at least it does look like a car now rather than a Meccano set.
Team Newlywed have been following in my footsteps, making an appearance in the media. The Banbury Guardian no less. An appearance in the next Celebrity Big Brother must surely follow.
On the media front, I managed to keep one step ahead of the Newlyweds with a local radio appearance (do you appear on radio ?). Anyway, my interview by Wessex FM lasted a good 30 seconds or so.

This weeks award for amusing graphics must surely go to the Mowlem Mob. Excellent work there and they should certainly stand out in a crowd. I think their example may be encouraging a few other teams to look in to vinyl wraps and decals.
My team is gradually taking shape. It consists of 5 so far but could go as high as 7. Not all will be on board at the same time though. We shall start with 4, go down to 2, briefly I shall be left on my own but then shall gradually pick up waifs and strays as we venture around the continent.
Jezebel is also transforming gradually. With some major assistance from Jim, we now have wooden units and a cooker installed. With the assistance of Lucy, the rapidly disintegrating carpet on the inside of the roof was stripped out and replaced and that awful spray on glue was splattered liberally over clothing. Jezebel is certainly looking better inside, but there is still a long way to go until she is ready for the off.
Now, on to the less good news. We have lost a few teams this week. Work, lack of funds, lack of team mates and serious medical issues have taken their toll. Teams 1, 9, 34 and 40 have confirmed that they won't be making the trip. Teams 15 and 17 are rated doubtful. Teams 2, 20, 28, 32, 37 and 44 are reported as missing and have not provided any update for a long time. I would love to hear some positive news from any of them.