Melksham friends set for classic car rally across Europe

A team of four Melksham friends will drive a duck-themed Rover 45 across Europe next month to raise money for Wiltshire Mind.

Amy Fletcher, Roger Fletcher, Debbie Marchant and Kev Payne will take part in the Two Ball Banger Rally, travelling from the UK to Barcelona over five days from 15th July.

Alongside 50 other crews, the group will travel through places including Annecy, Monaco, Cannes and Saint-Tropez, tackling mountain passes in the Alps and Pyrenees as well as coastal roads along the Riviera.

Originally donated to the group, the Rover 45 has since been transformed into the ‘Duck Mobile’ with duck-themed decorations, stickers and rubber ducks added with support from local people. The team have named themselves ‘Team Dark Ducks.’

“We honestly thought we’d just put a few ducks on the car and do a rally,” said the team. “Now the car is rapidly becoming more duck than vehicle.

“It’s not a race for speed; it’s more about teamwork, problem-solving, endurance and making it through the route while completing challenges along the way. The event also has a really fun social side to it.”

Team Dark Ducks is aiming to raise £800 for Wiltshire Mind, the independent mental health charity which provides counselling and support services across the county.

The team has already taken the Duck Mobile to local events including the Heytesbury Duck Race, where they raised more than £80 for the charity.

Supporters following the group online have also contributed to the growing “duck army” after Team Dark Ducks pledged to add another duck to the car for every new follower on their Facebook page.

“We want this to be fun, chaotic, slightly ridiculous and for a genuinely important cause,” the team said. “If we can make people laugh while helping support mental health services, then that’s a win for us.”

Preparation for the rally has not been entirely smooth. During a test drive, the team unexpectedly lost both fifth gear and reverse, leading to what they described as “unexpected exercise pushing the car backwards.”

Despite the setbacks, morale remains high, with recent work on the car including replacing the cambelt, checking the brakes and adding even more duck stickers.

Follow the team on their rally journey by searching ‘Dark Ducks Team’ on Facebook.

To donate and support Wiltshire Mind, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/d-marchant-2