Alan clocks up 2,400 miles in a hearse

A CASTLE custodian has clocked up 2,393 miles travelling across the continent in a hearse to raise cash for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).

Raby Castle’s Alan McKerchar completed the journey across eight European countries with his son, Ross, as part of an 18-vehicle Thunderball Rally that took them through France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. As part of their adventure they bungee jumped from the Verzasca Dam, which at 220 metres is the world’s highest ground-based jump. The five-day tour rounded off on Sunday, September 10.

Describing the jump, Mr McKerchar who had already bungeed from Middlesbrough’s Transport Bridge, said: “Four of us went to do the bungee jump. It was good.

“It was over quite quickly, but it feels like ages. I have a video of it – it make me queasy to look at it, which is odd because I didn't feel that at the time. Ross was a little nervous. He said if he saw other people doing it then it might put him off, so he volunteered to go first.”

Along the way, the pair got to see the the glacier at Furka Pass, the Stelvio Pass, which was rated by Top Gear as being the world’s best stretch of road, and many sites in Switzerland made famous in James Bond films, including the Belvedere Hotel.

The hearse turned out to be an ideal vehicle for the trip, with the pair being able to get a good rest each night in its spacious rear. The former soldier bought the hearse, a 1995 Ford Scorpio, specifically for the Thunderball Rally and will now be selling it with any profit made also going to the charity.

By good fortune one of the people on the rally is a member of a hearse society and will be helping to find a buyer.

A unique feature to the hearse was a coffin shaped roof box, which Mr McKerchar handcrafted and was used for storing the pair’s bags and camping camping.

So far he has raised £1,755 for the air ambulance service.

Mr McKerchar said: “I want to thank people for the donations, largely it has been from work colleagues, friends and family. I also got a generous donation from Lord and Lady Barnard.” An additional £270 was raised when he put the hearse on display at a recent vintage car fair at Raby Castle.

To contribute visit justgiving.com/fundraising/alan-mckerchar.