Last Sunday saw the 15^th successful running of the Barretts Rally of Kent. The only forest special stage rally in the county was based this year in Ashford and visited three forests from Challock in the north to Bedgebury on the borders of Sussex in the south.

Winner for a record fourth year in succession was Isle of Wight resident Will Nicholls with co-driver Nick Broom in their Subaru Impreza World Rally Car. This year they had to wait until stage 6 to take the lead as Marcus Dodd held the advantage until overshooting a sweeping right hand bend and taking off his front wheel in a ditch.

Once again the event was a round of the National Clubman’s Championship and saw competitors from all over the country descending on the heavily populated Southeast and amazed to see that we actually have some forest and countryside in this part of the world!

The Mayor of Ashford got up early and waved all the cars off at the start. A clear sky with frost and a dusting of snow greeted the cars as they started the first 4 stages but instead of getting easier the stages got more slippery as the frost came out of the gravel roads to be replaced by a film of mud.

In the wars early on was Maidstone’s Royston Carey who rolled on stage one, but continued to finish 4th in class in his Peugeot. His co-driver Steve Hodgson was less happy, being frozen in his seat all day, as there was no glass left on his side of the car!!

First local of the local crews home were Bexley’s Paul Jones/Steve Smallbone in their Mitsubishi EVO7 in 4^th overall, one place lower than last year. Other local success on the event went to James Potter winner of Class 4 in his Escort and Stefan Davis/John Bond from Maidstone in their Peugeot 205Gti who came second in class 3 after having driven overnight from completing a rally in Cumbria on Saturday snatching all of two hours sleep on the way. Also upholding local honour was Chatham’s Paul Hands who finished just behind Stefan in the same class.

Despite the cold weather spectators were out in force to watch the spectacular action normally reserved for the forests of Wales or the north. Organisers were pleased once again with the reaction and will be looking to bring the sound of revving engines back to the quiet forests in a year’s time. Please check the website www.rallyofkent.co.uk for details.

Whilst waiting at Headcorn service between legs one and two, an elderly gentleman in a Toyota Yaris turned up to park in the station to take his train up to London.

He huffed and puffed a little at having to be instructed to park in not his usual place but was just a little bemused by the hullabaloo in what is normally a quiet village station car park on a Sunday in March.

Getting his umbrella and hat he proceeded to the station and had a good look at the goings on whilst crossing the footbridge over the railway.

The individual concerned? That true upper class gentleman actor Sir Donald Sinden now in his eighties no doubt off to film another episode of Judge John Deed.

Who said The Rally of Kent does not attract class….a knight of the realm seems pretty good to me!