A man from Swansea is taking on an audacious effort travelling thousands of miles in a vintage beach buggy which he'll also use to sleep in. Wilf Box, who recently retired after 21 years serving in the fire service, is taking part in Rally for Heroes - organised by armed forces charity SSAFA.
Over ten days, starting from today, Wednesday, August 10, they will travel over 3,000 miles across Europe, starting outside Dover Castle and ending in Paris, taking in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Switzerland en-route.
The 57-year-old from West Cross, who now volunteers for the RNLI, will be completing the epic challenge in a 1972 beach buggy which he has owned for eight years and done a lot of work to in order to make it roadworthy and safe. It has an engine from a 1971 Volkswagen 1641cc classic beetle camper.
READ MORE: Brake less and drive slower to save £30 a month on petrol, says world-record-holding hypermiler
For the past three years he has been taking the car through Europe for a month at a time sleeping on a Peli Box as a bed instead of the passenger seat, having previously travelled as far as Gibraltar, Poland and many other countries in between, covering around 4,200 to 4,600 miles.
He'll be joined by his co-driver Matt Lee, a recently retired police officer who has served 25 years with police in Scotland and seven years with the Royal Air Force Police. Every five miles covered during the rally will represent the life of a serviceman or woman who died during the Afghanistan conflict. Rally for Heroes has raised over £470,000 for SSAFA since 2014, and this year will be its final European event.
Mr Box, a former Townhill College photography student, said: "I normally go away for a month at a time and I sleep in it too, because I've got a Peli box. I can sleep next to the sea, the river, wherever. It's absolutely fantastic. It's all an adventure, even when I was out in it yesterday people were smiling as I was going past. That's what it's all about, putting a smile on somebody's face. I bought it in Gorseinon about six or seven years ago and it was never used. It wasn't safe so a lot of work had to be done to it. It doesn't look much different, but the engine, brakes and everything had to be redone.
"Other people doing it have got lovely cars, they've got tops on, air conditioning, power steering, everything that I haven't got! It's lovely to see the Ferraris and all that, but you don't see anything like this. I have had beetles since I first left college, then I had some really nice ones over the years, it's a passion of mine and I've always loved them since I was younger. I've never broken down in the buggy, apart from when I ran out of petrol once, but that's not the car's fault.
"We're doing it for a fantastic cause. We all know people who have been in the forces. On the Autobahn (German motorway) we'll be doing 70mph which is fine, I normally do about 55-60mph going through the little roads, but we have to physically cover the mileage to get to where we're going. Budapest is one of the places I'm looking forward to going, but every day will be special over one way or the other. It's going to be warm, and I'm bald and driving a convertible so I have to be prepared for that!"
If you wish to support Mr Box on his challenge, you can do so by clicking here to donate.
READ NEXT:
- Swansea residents say they couldn't get to home or work because of nightmare traffic jams during Para Triathlon and Ironman events
- A Swansea car park is no longer free for three hours and people are getting caught out
- Motorists could get £5,000 fine if they do these two things while driving
- Police appeal for mobile phone and dashcam footage after violence at Morriston Cemetery leaves two seriously injured
- Once popular Clydach pub where a cannabis factory was found has gone up for sale
