Harpers Hunt    Â
2011 Â : Â Volkswagens 2 Â Lotus 0 Â
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With ten Teams taking part, we welcomed old and new competitors. Returning for the third time were teams Richardson, Thorpe and Howard. Last years Team McMahon returned as not one but  three: Teams Reem, Bignose and Chocs Away. Teams Newton, Phillips, and Boyd were all having a go for the first time.
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Our third Hunt was to be thought by those who took part in all three to be the best so far. We learned from the first two. We had tried the Hubcap and Challenge segments in 2009 but left these complications out in 2010 in favour of more questions over a longer route. They were missed by comptitors and so we brought them back this year. We introduced a Photographic element which proved popular and added to the fun, as you can tell from a few of the photos below. We also had a lunch break again at the more-or-less half-way stage to give competitors a chance to catch up and refuel, which was missed last year.
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One of this year's Challenges was to obtain a till receipt for exactly £5.55. Team Thorpe managed to end up with TWO, one earned the hard way by carefully calculated shopping en-route, and the second, by an amazing coincidence, was their bar bill for drinks and snacks at the Finish at The White Rock! Another Challenge was to find and call me from a certain red phone box, of which there were several along the route. Of course, it wasn't working on the day, but competitors improvised and phoned in on their mobiles to inform me of the fault on the line! Another Challenge: Photograph a Team member INSIDE a tree. When planning the route I saw only one possibilty. Team Reem found THREE.
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THE RESULTS:
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1st    Team Richardson returned in their fabulous and faultless VW Karmann Ghia coupe. You could say it was a case of third time lucky, but in truth, luck had little to with winning at their third attempt!
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2nd   Team Bignose (no idea why...) were led by the senior half of last years Team McMahon. Tracey brought along his wife and the younger members of the clan in their Land Rover Defender. The only time I have seen so many determined faces in the back of a Landie was in the original Italian Job.
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=3rd   Team Reem. Bringing a bit of Essex to the leafy lanes of Kent, the other half of 2010's Team McMahon, Mike brought a few mates along in his Ford Focus ST. One of the advantages of writing-off the Toyota MR2 he used with his dad as passenger in last years Hunt! They looked ever so organised in their Team Reem T-shirts, and stopped at very little in their attempt to win...
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=3rd   Team Mel (VW Golf, but not the same one they were in last year!). Two members of last years Team Ashwood decided to prove the "less is more" principal, and did just that!
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=5th   Last years winners, Team Thorpe, made the brave decision to come along in their very recently acquired Triumph Stag (this was it's first outing in their ownership!) in place of the M100 Lotus Elan seen in 2009/10. It survived the Hunt, but not the trip home.
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=5th   Team Chocks Away (Dutton Phaeton) Another member of Clan McMahon, Mikes brother and friend really entered into the spirit of the event in their stick-on moustaches and stuck together car.
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7th    Team Newton (Renault Traffic van) celebrated team member Rogers birthday by taking part.
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8th    Team Howard (Renault Scenic) celebrated not coming last for the first time ever!
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9th    Team Phillips (Toyota Supra) celebrated their Wedding Anniversary.
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10th   Team Boyd (Nissan Micra). Recently qualified driver Frances and her son David celebrated finishing at all. She really didn't expect to find her way around the whole route, but will be back for more next year.