The Exmoor Flyers
Hi, it’s Andrew here again from last year—proudly returning as a former member of Classic Comedy Cruisers where we raised over £2000 for ‘Unique’ Chromosome disorder and still very much the person responsible for those now-legendary photos of the organisers in a very serious huddle over a map of Europe (clearly plotting something important… like where the next coffee stop would be!).
Right now, we’re planning to enter as a two-person team. Andrew & Claire.
This year’s entry is steam-train themed, and we’re absolutely “steaming” about it. All fundraising will support Against Breast Cancer—a charity we’ve chosen for very personal reasons.
Against Breast Cancer | Breast Cancer Research Charity
If you’d like to support us, you can donate via our JustGiving page here:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/claire-stevens-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=EM
Claire, selected this cause following the heartbreaking recent loss of a close and much-loved friend to breast cancer. Claire (who joined us at the presentation in Barcelona last year) felt strongly about turning our rally adventure into something meaningful and positive, in her friend’s memory.
We’ve been putting plans in motion for quite some time—the car itself was purchased months ago specifically for this event—and we already have lots of creative (and slightly ridiculous) ideas lined up. Expect steam, colour, noise, laughter, and more than a few surprises along the way—delivered with maximum effort and just enough mechanical optimism.
Adding to the fun, Claire owns a lingerie shop in Minehead (yes—ohhh missus), which will also be supporting us as a sponsor. It’s a brilliant chance to blend humour, creativity, and clear branding—while raising money for a cause that genuinely matters.
The steam-train theme also carries real emotional significance for us. Claire’s father was a steam train driver and a proud member of the West Somerset Railway, so this feels like a fitting tribute and a heartfelt way to honour his memory. Combining his love of steam with a charity that means so much to us makes this year’s entry especially meaningful.
The car was chosen because it has a removable rear cabin. We then sourced a second cabin and started converting the whole setup into the footplate of a steam locomotive. The “steam” dials and details have been made from old clocks, and some of the piping has been repurposed from my mum’s central-heating system—so the build is as resourceful as it is eccentric. Add a bit of smoke through the pipework and, suddenly, it starts looking (and behaving) like the real thing.
The boiler is one of Claire’s mothers water butts (I don’t think she realises why there is water streaming down the patio!), which has been cut, shaped, painted and joined onto the cabin. In short: a lot of what we’re using is recycled, reclaimed, or rescued.
The next stage is to match the classic steam-engine colour scheme and add a few more effects. There have been challenges along the way—especially after we bought a 2000-watt smoke machine—so we’ve also had to invest in a portable power station to run it safely and reliably.
This year we have chosen the team name as “The Exmoor Flyers”
We’re incredibly excited for this year’s event—not just for the amazing places we’ll visit and the people we’ll meet, but for the chance to bring smiles, laughter, and a bit of theatre wherever we go, all while supporting a truly worthwhile cause. With plenty of gadgets, a strong theme, and boundless enthusiasm (plus a growing collection of spanners), this is shaping up to be our most ambitious—and hopefully most memorable—rally yet.
