Chesterfield motorsport duo father and son, Steve and Seb Perez, took the Welsh and Scottish Forests by storm as they attacked the grit gruelling Roger Albert Clark Rally (R.A.C. Rally) just over a week ago.

The rally that recreated The famous RAC Rallies of the 1970’s has been followed by the Perez family over the years, the rally dates back to 2004 and named in honour of the famous World Rally Championship (WRC) driver who won the championship back in 1976.

Competitors were limited to vehicles released prior to 1982, and traces a route used by the Lombard RAC Rally of its time and what inspired Perez senior to build the rare and ever popular Amigos Tequila Flavoured Beer sponsored Lancia Stratos HF seen on this rally before and used for many years on European Historic Rally Championship events. In the passenger seat with Steve was new co-driver John Millington as his usual navigator Paul Spooner was nursing an injury.

18 year old Son Seb with co-driver Alex Lee was competing in a classic Mk2 Ford Escort rally car as seen on events from the 1970’s again sponsored by dads Chesterfield’s Global Brands drinks business.

Rallying is not new to the family with Dad Steve being a championship driver and Son Seb being a Junior Rally Champion as well as a proven race circuit contender too.

With a start line of over 90 cars the Father and Son team of two cars took on a challenge of four days, 30 special stages and nearly 300 competition miles not without adventure and misfortune.

The rally started for its first two short stages at the famous Shelsley Walsh hill climb course in Worcestershire where Father and Son should have been re-named “cat and mouse” chasing each other over the stages with only one second separating them at one stage and Seb just piping Dad to the post.

It was full steam ahead for them both after as they went into the thick of it and into the slippery Welsh Forests, first up was Radnor 1 a classic rally stage from the 70’s and 80’s and still used on World Rally Championships and 13.61 miles of gravel forest tracks.

By the end of the tight, twisty and treacherous stage Seb was flying finishing 18th fastest tackling gravel stages only for the second time in anger in the last three weeks leaving Dad 18 places behind in 36th.

The tables had turned as both went into the service area at Epynt after tacking SS4 Gwibidog where Steve made up 19 places on the stage to finish it in 17th leaving Seb limp back to finish stage in 28th.

Seb was still in a good place, he maintained his rally lead over Steve in 18th overall and Perez senior in 31st place

To end the first day Epynt Forest was next up and the re-run through SS6 Radnor 2 was cancelled due to marshalling issues, the Stratos of Steve’s was suffering from a misfiring engine and limped back to the overnight halt in Carlisle leaving him in 29th overall and Seb in a fantastic day in 13th place.

Day two saw a change in climate much colder and frosty weather met the drivers as they entered Scotland and had 10 stages to tackle during the day and much more demanding conditions to cope with.

They tackled tricky forest stages in Sheperdshield, Whitehill, Roughside Orge Hill and Harwood all being repeated for a second run later during the day as well with two service areas as well.

The Walton based rally team of Dansport keeping the cars in good order.

The stages were packed with spectators to get a glimpse of the Perez duo and waiting for the thundering sound heard miles away in the forests of Steve’s Lancia Stratos to flash past them, a first in car rarity and enjoyment for them and the first time it had competed on British rally soil for almost 3 years.

As the day progressed the drama unfolded as both drivers went along, the game of  “catch me if you can”  still continued with Seb still progressing further up the field, by early afternoon the Stratos of Steve’s was in 22nd place at the end of the re-run through Sheperdshield 2

Disaster struck on stage 11 Whitehill when the engine blew up on the Escort of  Perez Junior just as a good battle for second in class was forming and such a disappointment as he was 13th overall in the rally.

Up until then he had driven the drive of his life and was impressing spectators and other competitors alike, such as the famous Jimmy McRae, father to the late Colin McRae.

By the end of day 2 Steve Perez finished 18th place.

The Team at Dansport tried their hardest to get the car going to keep Perez and Lee in the Super Rally classification with an engine change to find a part not fitting correctly. All was not lost for Seb he borrowed the Escort MK2 belonging to Geoff Bell to compete in the smaller Clubman’s Rally that took place at the same time during the last two days

The Perez duo now were competing in two different rallies as such but over the same ground.

Day 3 saw 9 more demanding special stages for Perez senior to tackle and who knew what would happen. Greskine, Windyhill, Greskine, Twiglees, Castle Ore were all on the cards with some being re-run twice,

By mid morning service at Lockerbie after completing Windyhill 2  Steve Perez was in 16 place in the rally but not without its problems, the Stratos had suffered some punctures during the morning stages and also the car had lost 2nd gear for some time and Steve Perez fighting to keep the car on the road. At one stage he lost 35 places but the stage after making up 54 places and the going was tough.

By the end of Castle Ore 2 Steve had finished the stage in 15th place and 12th overall in the rally.

Still suffering with gear problems Day four saw 5 stages ahead of Perez and Millington before the Kielder Waterfront finish.

By about midway and Falstone Forest Perez was 16th out of the stage and 20th overall, a re-run of the stage early afternoon saw Steve having to stop after another puncture struck the Stratos and do a tyre change resulting in them loosing places on the final part of the event dropping from 9th on stage to finish the rally with a top 20 place of 18th overall.

Seb had a busy last two days competing on the Clubman Rally after his second day drama and retiring from the main rally, all was not lost he won the Clubman Rally setting 7 fastest times on the stages and getting used to a different car

After the gruelling four days the duo were praised for their determination to finish such a demanding rally, the Lancia Stratos of Steve Perez was also given its place as number one for its rarity and spectator enjoyment.

Steve Perez said ” We both made it, it was a long tough rally over 1000 miles and 300 stage miles , I had an incredible 6 punctures and changing the wheel on that last stage lost us our top ten place”  He added ” we are happy to have finished this long and tough rally, much of the first two days being beaten by my 18 year old son who unfortunately retired on Day two”

Steve’s son Seb commented “it was unfortunate we had to retire on Day two with a blown engine but was given the chance to compete in the Clubman’s event after borrowing a car from Graham Bell, it was a learning curve but managed to set 7 fastest times” He added “we owe a big thank you to the help of Dansport for keeping our cars going to the end”

Editorial by Paul Horton

Images by Mark Deamer Photography

Visitor economy businesses and services are being invited to book free places at a one-day conference featuring local and national experts in accessible tourism – now worth an annual £12 billion to the UK economy.

Access Exchange – creating an accessible destination, will be held at the Proact Stadium, Chesterfield on Thursday November 30 to help business people and service providers make the most of the so-called ‘purple pound’.

Co-ordinated by Access for All UK, the consultancy arm of Accessible Derbyshire and supported by official tourist board Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the main aim is to create an even more accessible destination by:

• Sharing best practice and top tips from national experts
• Learning about accessibility projects across the Peak District and Derbyshire
• Browsing and sampling products to improve accessibility
• Finding out how accessibility can boost profits
• Promoting and sharing accessibility projects, plans and marketing techniques
• Improving confidence in welcoming people with access needs
• Collaborating, creating new partnerships and celebrating success
• Planning future action to improve accessibility

Key speakers will include Ross Calladine, Head of Business Support at national tourist board VisitEngland; John Child, Managing Director of multi-award winning Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool; Ed Warner, Managing Director of Motionspot, which manufactures accessible bathrooms and Derbyshire accommodation provider Steve Dawes.

The event will be held from 9.30am to 5.30pm, and a two-course lunch and refreshments are included. During the afternoon, there will be a series of workshop sessions, during which delegates will have the chance to experience the wide range of accessible facilities and services that are on the market.

“National research by VisitBritain reveals that one in six people in England and Wales have an ‘activity limiting’ health problem or disability, and that British and international visitors spend more than £3 billion on overnight tourism trips in England each year,” said Jo Dilley, Managing Director, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire.

“Not only is improving accessibility important for people, it’s clearly very good for business, so we’re delighted to support this event, which we hope will build on the Peak District and Derbyshire’s excellent reputation in this rapidly expanding field.”

Gillian Scotford, of Access for All UK and Accessible Derbyshire, added: “This is a great opportunity for local businesses and services to learn more about how they can better understand and meet the needs of the 13 million people with disabilities in the UK – ranging from hearing, vision and mobility impairment to autism, learning difficulties and dementia.

“They quite rightly expect accurate and timely information to help them select the right venues for them, quality facilities that are inclusive and stylish and exemplary customer service.

“We hope as many people as possible will join us for what promises to be an enjoyable, interesting and ground-breaking day.”

Young participants of the National Citizen Service (NCS) score their goal of bringing people of all cultures together through the medium of football.

NCS brings together 16-17 year olds from different backgrounds to learn new skills and make a real difference in their communities through social action projects. As part of their social action project, team ‘Without Borders’ decided to team up with ‘stand up to racism’.

NCS is a unique two or four week full-time programme focused around fun and discovery, including 30 hours committed to a community project that benefits both young people and society. Coming from a multicultural background, team member Connor Mullin is often confronted with racial slurs and abuse, and so to rectify this he decided that he’d put this at the forefront of his team’s social campaign.

On Thursday 26th October, ‘Without Borders’ took to the Outwood Academy football ground and played a game – not for the sake of competition, but social justice.

They continued this inspiring journey to create awareness by organising a talk held by Jeannie Robinson (Head Organiser for SU2R), who shed light on raising funds for Syrians who have found refuge in Chesterfield.

Ultimately the group raised £226.39 which is going to be used to buy Christmas presents for the four refugee family’s children, who have made Chesterfield their home.

Connor Mullin, Social Action Project Manager of Without Borders, said:-

“It was a great turnout and for a good cause, which is all that matters.”

Future Foundations have been delivering NCS in different regions since 2012. Future Foundations develop the social leadership and academic potential of young people by delivering numerous coaching, mentoring and training programmes across the UK and internationally.

Simon Paterson, NCS Delivery and Development Manager at Future Foundations, said:-

“It’s amazing to see so many socially conscious young leaders in Chesterfield. NCS fills me with hope for the future.”

Three talented and inspirational students from Chesterfield College were recognised for their achievements at the Association of Colleges Awards event last week.

Colleges and students from across the country were awarded at the glittering ceremony in Birmingham, hosted by Steph McGovern, Journalist and BBC Breakfast presenter.

Media student, Rachel Irving, age 20, won the student video of the year for her entry into the competition to create a film which highlighted ‘How colleges transform lives and communities’. Her video showed how a tutor had developed a career in media because of the experiences she had at college and how she is now using her skills to teach the next generation.

Fellow student, Christina Renshaw, age 17, was named as a runner up in the same competition with her film which highlighted the impact college has on students.

Plumbing student, Joyce Abumujor, age 51, was named as a runner up in the Adult Student of the Year category sponsored by the Chartered Management Institute. Joyce stood out to judges because of her commitment and drive to get the skills she needs to give vulnerable young girls in Nigeria the opportunity to learn a trade. She plans to work with existing academies in Nigeria and across Africa to teach girls construction skills enabling them to build a career and a brighter future. Joyce juggles studying construction skills with studying for a law degree at the same time as working as a care assistant in hospitals and mental health units.

David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said:-

“The Student of the Year awards showcase the very best of college students across the country. They celebrate exceptional students who stand out from the crowd. The finalists are more than deserving of the recognition.”

Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive of Chesterfield College Group, said:-

“It was amazing to see students from Chesterfield College collecting their awards last week. I am really proud of their achievements and very pleased that their efforts and commitment have been recognised. The Association of Colleges awards really did highlight what a difference Further Education Colleges make to students and communities.”