Blogs | Features | Homepage - Dorset Echo

Policeman Steve Blackmore is to undertake a 5,500-charity trip in a double-decker bus with 11 pals ... and his mum ... to raise £10,000 for child cancer and leukaemia charity CLIC Sargent along
the way.

The Weymouth-based bobby is set to embark on the once in a lifetime road trip - from Weymouth to Ethiopia - and is urging football fans to donate old Weymouth and Dorchester Town shirts so he can kit
out entire teams in Ethiopia.

The Mexican Standoff - Gonder 30 Oct

With the bus still not well, I was up in good time to go over to the mechanics. He wanted me there at 9am when he contacted his mate in Addis to get a price for a seal. That's a rubber part, not the aquatic animal. Bill was expecting a price of a few pounds. I was a little taken aback when he quoted 6800 birr, that's about £425. He made the final total about £950. It gave me some serious questions. Was it financially viable to carry on to Addis ? What was the alternative ? I would be gutted to get this far and not actually make it to our final destination. The mechanic would still want paying for the work done so far and the bus isn't moveable now the old, damaged seals have been ripped out. We were at the mercy of the mechanic. He could offer us what he wanted for a non working bus in his yard and we would be obliged to accept what he offered.

The Source of the Nile - Bahir Dar 31 Oct

I awoke early as the sun was coming up. I think it was a tapping on the window. I peered out to see a sea of grinning black faces peering in at us as we slept on the bus. Where the hell do they all come from ? No matter where you park in Ethiopia, within a few minutes your double decker bus will be surrounded by chattering, excitable Ethiopians.

The Never Ending Road

I awoke to hear people moving around outside and looked out to see hussle and bustle of a huge number of people. Why ? Its 6am, the border is still closed and there is nowhere for people to go. We had a disagreement with the bloke who sold us the beer. We hadn't drunk it all and he wanted the empties back or he wanted us to pay another 2 Sudanese pounds each bottle. We had only paid 3 for a full one.

More Dust - Dagio 25 Oct

Desert is traditionally supposed to be yellow or orange sand. Gritty and with definate particles. I'm guessing this bit of desert has been around a bit longer and the particles have been ground more. Think of grey flour and you are close. There is no substance to it. If you compact it, its still loose and soft. And this is what we found ourselves bogged down in up to the axles at 8am, with our tight schedule.

Khartoum Nightmare - Abu Dom to Ethiopian Border 27 Oct

I was tasked with driving down the fairly new section of road from Abu Dom towards Khartoum. No great hardship, in fact a doddle after the last 2 days. It was wonderful knowing we were actually putting some real distance on the clock. My concerns on the tight timescale were getting worse. Previously I was working in days until we had to be at Bahir Dar to meet Jo and Sean. Now I was counting hours and realising that we could only make the deadline by driving constantly at speed.

African Camelot - Gonder 29 Oct

The bus, with its leaking seals and gaskets, blowing exhaust and bodged pipes was in bad need of some TLC. The huge slick of transmission fluid was not a good sign for us or for the hotel owner.

Dust - Dagio Sudan 25 Oct

One of the things I was asked for when I'm away was some shots of the bus in some desert and other locations. This was for the Bristol VR enthusiasts club. This is now concerning me. I have plenty of shots of the bus in the locations they want, however the level of abuse we have been dishing out to our poor bus today is definately going to upset them.. It will be like sending photos of pigeons being strangled to a pigeon racing club.

Wadi Bloody Halfa - 24 October

Yes, we are still here. This place really is the pits and we have chosen one of the least attractive parts of town to take up residence.

South of Wadi Halfa 24th Oct

Well we finally did it, we left Wadi Halfa. It wasn't long before we were doubting the wisdom of setting off along a desert track in the dark in a double decker bus.

The Port Blockade - Wadi Halfa 23rd October

I think we upset the Germans. The couple were ok, Michael and his wife, it was the three chaps in the Nissan who were getting shirty.