AN EVENTFUL journey of motoring and calamity raised £600 for a Northwich charity.

Kingsmead men Sam Stafford and Ashley Wood attempted the infamous 3,000-mile Ramshackle Rally from Calais to Valencia in aid of The Joshua Tree.

The duo, who were given moral and fundraising support from The Kingfisher pub, attempted the rally in a Mexican-themed car which cost no more than £200.

Sam said: "We got home in one piece, eventually!

"Not all went quite to plan, we accidentally turned up a day early somehow, and then on the first day of the rally, our engine completely blew.

"We spent two hours trying to fix it before we had to call it a day – then the get home mission started.

"Luckily I had purchased breakdown cover a week before we went which paid for us to get towed off the motorway, a taxi to a hire car, a hire car to Calais, a hotel for the night, a ferry back across, and then another hire car home.

“It certainly was an adventure and we’re really grateful to everyone who supported us in making a donation for The Joshua Tree – it made the trip worthwhile.”