Yeh right !!!

Then at lunch the shock news, "Well done", said a smiling Paul Robinson, "You're leading", the orange squash I was drinking nearly sprayed everywhere in my hour of amazement.

No chance, but a quick scan of the results proved it, car 14 position number 1.

It couldn't be any easier for this so called toughie of a rally - bah it's a piece of cake. Something I definitely wouldn't be saying at approximately 2 am the following morning. Well, not if you were in the car, especially in the afternoon with the wrong clock on Reg 4 and a what happens now, serious head shaking and looking up tables with a quick "I don't know", followed with "I think we're OK", kind of moment.

Somehow I think we just managed to plug into the pysche of the organisers timing. Andy's sometimes slightly miss and hit approach of timekeeping on regularities had somehow worked - yippee! (Book is available at all good bookstores - priced 9.99). Thank goodness Len is there to put me on the straight and narrow with some calm thinking about a more dignified solution.

By the time we had got back to Brecon Leisure Centre at around 5-ish the realisation that we had completed around half the rally was sinking-in, and so was the weather, light drizzle turning into persistent downpours. It was all down hill from here as we would start the night leg still at the head of the field. But, after scraping all day for seconds, now the fight was on not to lose hours.

A quick jogularity out to the ranges again serving its use in providing us with a chance of making sure all the lights were working, everything was bolted down and back on the maps with a potti - first time since last years Ilfracombe. That reminds me - dear diary, must book an appointment with the opticians.

Then the countdown at the control near Four-ways and we were-off, up the hill a good start needed with only a minute to the next control at the start of the Burma road. "Yes, made it". Care over the crest near the green shack (scenes of many a stage rally cars demise), narrows to a difficult series of bends and then to find the long way round building with the difficult route check number plates with 7 digits or letters - time consuming - still on-our-minute near the German village everything going OK weather closing in, downpour just starting, first bit of forest up the Steps to Dixies, clock edging nearer 45 seconds, but still on our minute.

The loose tracks winding up the hillside to the top of the dual-carriageway, some not quite as map hairpins and the sighting of a broken down Alpine nearly causing a Robert Burns Greece 2001 moment at the next extremely slippy 90/hairpin right. Then the moment came when we dropped time, back onto the tarmac we need the track on our left and then we saw a mini drawing up alongside us "Sugar, we must have missed it". Quick stop and turn around, found a place to join but all in all two minutes lost.

However compared to a wrong slot in Crychan it was all irrelevant. Overtaking a modern meant we were going a fair click - couldn't quite picture it on the map so I said the immortal words need the next slot on the right but in finding it soon realised I didn't quite mean that particular one which was narrow, rough and consisted in some places of a 1 in 4. but, at least the modern followed us and carried on after we turned around, he was never to be seen again - who knows he could even still be there - sorry chap!.

8 mins lost in total, first petrol arrived with a huge sigh of relief, and a chance for some much needed spanner checking after the front suspension took a pounding.

The loop south of Llandovery was classic night rally stuff, more what I'm used to narrow lanes, difficult slots, farmyards and the odd bemused pub homecomer - they stay open late in Wales !

Petrol 2 no major dramas - now (just a jog) home to Brecon, started off with a wrong approach at TC 37 with around 20 others - it does pay to read instructions properly rather than getting the blinkers on and going for it - lesson for next time.

The persistent rain was still lashing down, with the front cockpit looking more like the local tip, with mud, route instructions and other bits and bobs floating around in the footwell. This however was now coupled with FFFOOOGGG!!

Thick white, can't see any further than your hand type of stuff, coupled with a modern who wouldn't get out of the way despite repeated attempts and me doing an impression of Ruby Wax; grasping hold of the door saying this bends sharp, huge drops, in a bid to slow down perfectly in control driver, my mind must have gone AWOL, but it was 3 in the morning.

We were doing fine but a little perturbed at the lack of spot lights normally seen illuminating and criss-crossing every valley with-in a 10 mile radius. A quick check of the clock indicated that all the odd minutes here and odd minutes there added up to 24, Len I think we need to get going and put the hammer down.

The final loop was completed with aplomb, no more dropped minutes as Len began the charge of the light brigade overtaking a couple of cars that had decided to cut and run, not us, I was determined to complete the course.

As the mist, rain lifted and there was even a speck of daylight, it was like poetry, the TR cornering well with the grunt of the engine powering us the steep Epynt hills, I was a mere passenger making a noise if I happened to recognised the next corner or crest.

The final run from four-ways to the New Road was superb the coup-de-gras on a fabulous rally, one with a deserved reputation, as we wound our way along fast flowing roads slightly above the necessary average needed to complete the section on-time. A great smile on our faces as we arrived in the queue five minutes early. We'd done it at the first attempt !!

On final inspection of the results we had dropped to 8th (thanks Andy). 2nd rally in a row and second rally with a start number of 14 - strange.

Not to disappointed though, despite a great start as I for one was just glad to have completed the route in full.

Finally it wouldn't be right if we didn't say a big thank you to the loyal band of marshals, who had travelled some long distances to be there, who right until the end and possibly beyond, stayed in place to sign our checksheets despite a night more akin to the storm of 97.

The Welsh Retro to me was a great mix of easy, difficult, weird and wonderful.

A challenge but not impossible. Something for everyone the right balance between a good rally for novices and beginners, but, difficult enough for masters and experts, to sort the men out from the boys.

More next year please Denis and organising crew.

I for one will definately be back to try and conquer Epynt and Crychan with it's myriad of lanes, bus-stops, farmyards and not as map triangles. Though next time hopefully without the fog.