Bowler flat

Motorsport is often no laughing matter, but I’m not sure I’ve ever chuckled, chortled, guffawed and giggled quite as much as I did driving a Bowler Defender competitively in Galloway Forest seven years ago. It was the Scottish Borders Hill Rally, which was part of the Defender Challenge, a seven-round championship taking in traditional rallies and hill rallies and open to newbies and veterans alike.

With Jon Chester in the co-driver’s seat we slipped and slithered through mud, over rocks and in and out of rivers. Some of the terrain was driven in the daylight, some by the illumination of spot lamps. Most of it was driven forwards, but I remember at least one point where we were in reverse for some time.