THORP AND WEBSTER SHARE THE WINS DURING EXCITING EASTER OPENER

Official Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship News...

For immediate release: Sunday, 24th April 2011

James Thorp (Evesham, Worcestershire) and Josh Webster (Stowmarket, Suffolk) took a win apiece at Donington Park today, Sunday, 24th April, during a truly exciting season-opener to the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship.

Running as a key support category on the bill of the Renault Trucks-sponsored British Truck Grand Prix, the aspiring Formula One drivers from Formula Renault BARC delivered some fabulous race action to the thousands of spectators in attendance with Thorp emerging as the early series leader.

“It’s almost been a perfect weekend which is the sort of start I wanted to get”, said Thorp, “Second in the first race was ok but I wanted to go one step better in the second race, which we were able to do. I’m happy overall as we’ve got a big bag of points to carry through to the next round.”

His debut victory in round two, off the back of a strong second place in the opening encounter, has given the 18-year-old MTech Lite racer a 13 point lead in the standings over the surprise package of the weekend, RPD Motorsport’s Steven Durrant (Oxford).

The 2009 Privateer Cup Champion enjoyed by far his most successful weekend since graduating to car racing in 2007, a maiden podium finish in round one followed by an inspired fourth place in round two – from a lowly 15th on the grid after gearbox problems in qualifying.

In total, five different drivers appeared on the podium with Webster’s Fortec team-mates Kieran Vernon (West Chiltington, West Sussex) and Archie Hamilton (Hook, Hampshire) finishing second and third respectively in round two following a titanic battle.

During qualifying on Saturday, 24thApril, Antel Motorsport’s Dino Zamparelli (Bristol) took first blood in the round one session with a pole position lap of 1m107.599 seconds (105.39mph). Hamilton and Webster qualified third and fourth and karting graduate Hector Hurst (Lymington, Hampshire) was fifth for local Loughborough-based squad Scorpio Motorsport, ahead of Durrant.

In the round two session, Thorp lapped almost 0.3 seconds quicker than Zamparelli to seize his maiden pole position with Hamilton third, Hurst a very impressive fourth and Hillspeed’s Howard Fuller (Kingston-upon-Thames) a promising fifth ahead of Vernon.

Webster dominates round one...
Too much wheelspin at the beginning of round one immediately ruined Zamparelli’s hopes of victory and instead it was Thorp who moved into the lead on the run through Redgate. Just behind though, Webster made a sensational getaway from the second row and after latching on to Thorp’s tail he made his way past for the lead through Craner Curves with a stunning move.

Zamparelli slipped to third but that then became fourth out of the Old Hairpin when Durrant sliced past with a great turn of speed. Fuller’s race came to an early conclusion when he was tipped off the circuit following contact with Hamilton at Schwantz Curve – although the latter held on to fifth.

Webster managed to shake off the attentions of Thorp from lap five onward and he reeled off a string of extremely quick laps to establish a lead of 1.4 seconds by mid-distance. Zamparelli, who appeared to struggle for pace early on, suddenly found some speed and after setting the fastest lap of the race on the sixth tour he started to challenge Hamilton who had passed him on lap four.

Retaking fourth on lap seven, Zamparelli set about closing down Durrant and although applying huge pressure the RPD driver was more than a match and retained his composure brilliantly. Hamilton was in an equally close scrap with Hurst in the battle for fifth and on lap 12 the rookie got by.

Back at the front, Webster charged on relentlessly to take his first full-season victory and in doing so also posted the fastest lap of 1m08.169 seconds (104.51mph). Thorp was second, clear of Durrant whose stellar defence of third delivered a deserved maiden podium. Zamparelli was a frustrated fourth ahead of Hurst, Hamilton, Hillspeed’s Zaamin Jaffer (Cardiff) and Nottingham’s Matt Mason.

“Absolutely fantastic”, said Webster at the end of round one, “We found some major problems with the car after qualifying, so the team made a lot of changes overnight. I got my tyres warm ahead of the start, got away fantastically well and then had great traction to go second. Then, down Craner Curves, I had extra grip and got the lead. It really is a fantastic start to the year for us.”

Reflecting on his maiden podium, Durrant said: “Lap on lap I was pulling a few car lengths out of the Old Hairpin and that helped me just stay ahead of Dino. I came into Formula Renault BARC as an absolute privateer, running out of the back of a transit van and now here we are, having established our own professional team, up on the podium! We always thought we were capable of this.”

Thorp’s turn to control in round two...
Thorp made a superb start to round two and, much like Webster in the opener, took immediate control as the pack behind jostled for position. Hurst made a jump-start from the second row and, although he did realise his error and stood on the brakes, he received a drive-through penalty.

Again, Zamparelli just wasn’t able to compete during the early laps with Hamilton moving up to second, Vernon taking third – after an excellent first lap from sixth on the grid – and the Antel driver slipping to fourth ahead of Webster and Fuller.

At the end of lap two, Webster produced a great move at the chicane to unseat Zamparelli from fourth place but moments later a multi-car collision at Redgate resulted in the appearance of the Safety Car.

Frustratingly for Thorp his two second-plus lead was eroded but at the re-start on lap six he got away well and was never challenged on his way to a 1.3 second victory over the ever-improving Vernon. After dispatching Hamilton on lap 13 at Redgate with a bold, late move up the inside, he went on to finish four seconds clear of his team-mate.

Zamparelli passed Webster for fourth around the outside at Redgate on lap seven and did look an increasing threat for the podium. However, an attempted repeat of the move on lap 14, as he tried to displace Hamilton, led to contact on the exit and an unfortunate spin. He ended the race eighth but with the consolation of a new lap record, 1m07.848 seconds (105.00mph).

Hamilton held on to third for his first podium of the year, fractions ahead of the charging Durrant who managed to see-off Fuller for fourth. Spaniard Victor Jiminez took sixth for Fortec while local team MGR Motorsport netted a best finish of the weekend of seventh with David Wagner (Glasgow). Webster’s hopes, meanwhile, ended on lap 12 when his car cut-out through Hollywood.

Round two runner-up Vernon commented: “I got a mega start and that really set me up. It’s my first weekend racing slicks and wings, today was only my third day in the car and I wasn’t adjusted to the loss of downforce when you’re close behind someone. That’s why race one wasn’t so good for me but I learnt my lesson for race two and did a much better job. To be on the podium is a mega result!”

Rounds three and four of the 2011 season will take place three weeks from now, over the weekend 14th/15th May, at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent.

Along with headline sponsor Protyre, the championship is additionally supported by ELF, Michelin and NGK Spark Plugs.

Provisional 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship Points (after Rd2):
1st - James Thorp / MTech Lite 60pts
2nd - Steven Durrant / RPD Motorsport 47pts
3rd - Archie Hamilton / Fortec Motorsport 43pts
4th - Kieran Vernon / Fortec Motorsport 39pts
5th - Dino Zamparelli / Antel Motorsport 38pts
6th - Josh Webster / Fortec Motorsport 34pts

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Note to editors:
Copyright free images attached courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography; more available at www.jakobebrey.com/renault
Image One: Rd1 Podium (l-r) Steven Durrant, Josh Webster, James Thorp
Image Two: 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship in full flow at Donington Park

Official website www.renaultsport.co.uk/championships/formularenaultbarc/

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Formula-Renault-BARC/173881585980232

Full results and timings available at www.tsl-timing.com

Championship Media Officer:
Marc Orme
Tel: +44 (0)7920 886985
Email: marc@grovewood.co.uk

Issued by Grovewood PR, P.O. Box 1416, Beaconsfield, HP9 9AP

Allen Renault Northampton becomes a Renaultsport specialist!

                                                                                                    www.renaultsport.co.uk

NEWS FROM ALLEN RENAULT, NORTHAMPTON

For immediate release: Thursday, 28^th April 2011

ALLEN RENAULT EARNS ITS RACING STRIPES BY BECOMING RENAULTSPORT SPECIALIST

Renault dealer Allen in Northampton collected a special award this week after the dealership was officially recognised as a Renaultsport Specialist.

The recognition was presented by Renault UK and now sees the Fairground Way dealership on the Riverside Retail Park offer its customers a dedicated Renaultsport centre, providing hot hatch fans with all their Renaultsport needs in one place.

Alongside the dealership’s existing Renault services, motorists will be able to access all three award-winning Renaultsport models as well as call upon the expert knowledge and advice of Renaultsport Sales Expert Floyd Guthrie, himself an enthusiast of the French brand’s iconic performance arm.

Together with Floyd, Aftersales Expert Alex Baskerville, will help provide customers with a bespoke Renaultsport after-care service handling all servicing, accessory and merchandise requests.

What’s more, both Floyd and Alex can be contacted direct via phone or email by new or existing customers to help answer any general Renaultsport queries they may have or to receive expert advice on either past or present models. 

The current Renaultsport range comprises of the flagship Mégane Renaultsport 250, the Clio Renaultsport 200 and the Twingo Renaultsport 133. For the second consecutive year, all three models have won ‘Best Hot Hatch’ in each of their respective price categories in the annual What Car? Car of the Year awards with the Mégane Renaultsport 250 winning the overall ‘Best Hot Hatch’ of the year – again for the second year in a row.

Indeed, the popularity of the Renaultsport range is clear to see with last year’s worldwide sales seeing an increase of 78% (on 2009) with UK dealers only second to France in terms of total global sales.

Floyd, Renaultsport Sales Expert at the dealership, said: “We’re really looking forward to showing customers around the Renaultsport range as we know they’re going to be just as impressed with them as we are...and the UK’s motoring press for that matter.

“It helps having some great driving roads just outside Northampton too, as well as race tracks like Silverstone, Donington Park and Rockingham, allowing owners to experience the full potential of the Renaultsport range and how impressive they are both on the road and the race track.”

Renaultsport Aftersales Expert Alex said: “Our Renaultsport service extends right from the initial test drive through to caring for your Renaultsport five, ten, fifteen years from now. All Renaultsport models are highly-tuned machines requiring that expert touch and genuine Renault parts so our approved workshop caters for just that.”

General Manager Paul Thompson added: “As part of our celebrations, we’re inviting local Renaultsport owners – be it an original Renaultsport Spider to a brand new Mégane Renaultsport 250 – to drop by the dealership for a free, no appointment, safety check for their car.”

For more information on Allen Renault visit the showroom on Fairground Way, Riverside Retail Park, call 01604 417500 or click onto www.renaultsport.co.uk/home/SpecialistsDealers/Default.aspx.

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CAPTIONS:

1. Allen Renault in Northampton is now an approved Renaultsport specialist. Alex Baskerville (left) and Floyd Guthrie (right) with the latest Renaultsport range of cars.

Notes to editors:

·        Allen Renault is one of only a select few Renault dealers in the UK and 300 in the world to have been made a Renaultsport Specialist.

·        Renaultsport is a separate division of Renault and is not only in charge of the concept, production and sales of Renault’s performance road cars and competition vehicles, but also organises owner events and motor racing.

For further information on the Renaultsport line-up click onto http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/roadcars/Default.aspx

MOTABILITY AT AKS RENAULT IN YEOVIL

NEWS FROM AKS RENAULT, YEOVIL

AKS Renault in Yeovil offers a complete one-stop shop for Motability customers on everything from financing to maintaining your car.

Motability is a charity that offers recipients of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement (WPMS), with at least 12 months’ award length remaining, to fund all or part of the cost of a new car.

More than 3,000 people in South Somerset receive the higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance making them eligible for a Motability car and specialist trained staff at the dealership on Addlewell Lane can offer advice on everything from finance to choosing a car right through to servicing it.

Until the end of June, there are great offers on Motability cars, including nil advance payment on some models, meaning all you need do is direct your benefits towards the payment of the car.

The Twingo Dynamique 1.2 is available for no advance payment and includes metallic paint, 15" 'Alizar' Gunmetal Alloy wheels and manual air conditioning.

The Clio Expression 1.6 Auomatic in three-door, five-door or Sport Tourer is also available for no advance payment and also includes metallic paint, 15" 'Taranis' wheel trims, front fog lights and electrically adjustable door mirrors. The five-door Clio Dynamique TomTom 1.6 Automatic is available for just £45 advance payment and includes Metallic Paint, cruise control and speed limiter as well as 16" 'Solonia' alloys and electrically adjustable door mirrors. As the name suggests, it also comes with integral Carminat TomTom Live navigation system meaning you’ll never get lost again!

Also available for nil advance payment is the spacious Mégane Hatch Expression 1.6 and the Grand Modus Dynamique 1.6 Automatic which all come with metallic paint, front fog lights and electrically adjustable door mirrors.

The Kangoo Expression 1.6 is also available for nil advance payment and includes metallic paint, 15" ‘cinetic’ alloy wheels, 4 x 20W radio CD MP3 with Bluetooth and Carminat TomTom Live satellite navigation.

If you’re looking to motor around Somerset and Dorset with the roof down, the Renault Wind Roadster Dynamique TCe 100 is a stunning convertible available on the Motability scheme and includes metallic paint, 16" alloy wheels, air conditioning and cruise control and speed limiter.

Anton K Szulc, managing director at AKS Yeovil, said: “Disabled people can find it hard to get around, particularly in rural areas such as South Somerset. However, the Motability scheme can prove to be invaluable for many disabled people and their families and carers, and Renault cars lend themselves particularly well to their needs.

“As cars such as the Kangoo, the Mégane, Scénic and Clio are practical, safe, economical and easy-to-drive, they’re tremendously well suited to Motability. We’re always on hand to offer advice to anyone who has questions about adapting a Renault car or van to suit your individual requirements with extras such as hand controls, paddle modifications and specialist wheelchair conversions. We’re offering many cars from the Renault range with no advance payment meaning that you just need to pay for fuel costs.”

Motability is a registered charity and has overall responsibility for the Motability Scheme. It is the UK’s leading car scheme for disabled people and provides affordable, convenient, trouble-free motoring to some 575,000 disabled customers and their families throughout the UK. Powered wheelchairs and scooters can also be financed using the Motability Scheme.

For more information, visit AKS Renault on Addlewell Lane, Yeovil or call 01935 426048.

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1.    Mégane Hatch

2.    Wind Roadster

AKS RENAULT IN YEOVIL MARKS ROYAL WEDDING

NEWS FROM AKS RENAULT, YEOVIL

For immediate release: Monday, 18^th April 2011

Staff at AKS Renault in Yeovil will be able to have a right royal knees up on Friday, 29^th April as the dealership will be closed for the day so staff can watch the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Anton K Szulc, managing director at AKS Renault, is closing the site for the day while giving staff a full day’s pay.

He said: “AKS Renault has given all members of staff the day off with full pay to celebrate the Royal wedding and the dealership will be closed out of respect. Even though we’re a French manufacturer, I am very patriotic and am looking forward to watching history in the making!  We’ll be back open, full of cheer, as usual on Saturday.”

For more information on AKS Renault, visit the showroom on Addlewell Lane or call 01935 426048.

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 AKS Renault will be closed on the day of the Royal Wedding! From left: Sales executives Alec Knott  and Steve Studley with AKS Renault  managing director Anton K Szulc show their patriotism!

LLEWELLYN-SMITH SURVEYS THE ROAD AHEAD WITH MÉGANE SPORT TOURERS!

                                                                                                      

News from Renault

For immediate release: Monday, 18^th April 2011

LLEWELLYN-SMITH SURVEYS THE ROAD AHEAD WITH MÉGANE SPORT TOURERS!

Independent chartered building surveying firm Llewellyn Smith Ltd has looked to local Renault dealer Rawlinson in Bury for its latest fleet requirements.

Llewellyn Smith provides building surveying and consultancy services to owners and managers of domestic and commercial properties all over the country, helping to ensure that businesses meet carbon emission targets.

Their field staff required a fleet of spacious cars to use to travel between appointments and were handed the keys to seven Renault Mégane Dynamique TomTom Sport Tourers at Rawlinson last week. The cars were delivered to David Llewellyn, managing director of Llewellyn Smith, by Nigel Chambers, sales executive at Rawlinson Renault.

Nigel Chambers, who is also Rawlinson Renault’s Renaultsport specialist, said: “We’re thrilled to be handing over the keys to the Mégane Sport Tourers to an established local firm who share our ethos and positive attitude towards the environment.”

David Llewellyn added: “Llewellyn Smith is the UK's leading provider of independent inspection services under the government's Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) programme.  With that in mind, it was fitting that we looked at minimising our fleet’s carbon output and chose the Mégane Sport Tourer as they’re great value vehicles. They’re also very well equipped and include useful features such as satellite navigation, and also spacious enough to fit in all the necessary equipment and ladders that we use.

“They also meet our standards in low emissions and return about 10-12 miles per gallon more than any other car we looked at which, with an expanding firm, is a real cost saver.”

For more information, visit Rawlinson Renault on Easlea Road, call 01284 752999 or click onto www.rawlinson-renault.co.uk.  For more information on Llewellyn Smith Ltd, click onto www.llewellynsmith.co.uk

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From left: Sue Pyke, operations director at Llewellyn Smith; David Llewellyn, managing director at Llewellyn Smith; Jonathan Rawlinson, managing director at Rawlinson Renault and Ben Nower of Applewood Vehicle Finance, pictured with the seven Mégane Sport Tourers.

WIN A RIGHT ROYAL CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN SHOPPING TRIP WITH S J COOK & SONS RENAULT!

News from S J COOK AND SONS

For immediate release: Monday, 18^th April 2011

WIN A RIGHT ROYAL CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN SHOPPING TRIP WITH S J COOK & SONS RENAULT!

Shoppers at Sainsburys in Emerson’s Green could win themselves a very regal chauffeur-driven shopping trip just in time for the Royal Wedding thanks to S J Cook and Sons Renault.

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton takes place on Friday, 29th April, so to celebrate, S J Cook and Sons are taking their cars on the road on Thursday, 28th April. William and Kate will also be there at Sainsbury’s in the form of life-size cutouts, so customers can have their picture taken with the happy couple!

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton takes place on Friday, 29th April, so to celebrate, S J Cook and Sons are taking their cars on the road on Thursday, 28th April. William and Kate will also be there at Sainsbury’s in the form of life-size cutouts, so customers can have their picture taken with the happy couple!

The outdoor display at Sainsbury’s will include a Clio Renaultsport 200, a Scénic, a Cabriolet or the Wind Roadster – perfect for summer motoring!

Additionally, there will be a prize draw where the winner can emulate Kate’s arrival at the church, where the prize is a chauffeur-driven shopping trip in a Clio Renaultsport 200 with £100 spending money!

James Webb, sales manager at S J Cook and Sons Renault, said: “Congratulations to Prince William and Kate Middleton. All of us here are thrilled at the news and wish them all the best. We will be inviting local people to come to meet us at Sainsbury’s the day before the big day to help us celebrate! There will be fun, bunting and Kate and William, and the chance to win a luxurious shopping trip in a Clio Renaultsport 200. Earlier this year, we were appointed official Renaultsport dealer status by Renault, meaning that we can offer advice and expertise on everything Renaultsport – this makes the Clio Renaultsport 200 the perfect choice for our winner!”

For more information visit S J Cook and Sons on Station Road Kingswood (0117 957 9700) or City Motors on Pioneer Park (0117 972 3030) or visit www.carcogroup.co.uk

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1. James Webb, sales manager at S J Cook and Sons Renault, pictured with Prince William and Kate Middleton (in cardboard fashion!).

SECOND NATIONAL RENAULTSPORT MEETING ENJOYS GREAT SUCCESS

Building on the success of last year’s event, the second national Renaultsport gathering took place at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, on Sunday.

More than 180 Renaultsport owners descended on the location for a sun-filled day of buffing, polishing, swapping motoring stories, and meeting fellow forum members.

In addition to the historic backdrop, owners were able to trace the heritage of Renaultsport’s history with a complementary display of older vehicles including Renault 5s, Clio Trophies, Clio Williams, Clio V6s, Alpines and Spiders, as well as a 4CV and a Renault 8S.

The event was organised by Renaultsport enthusiast Chris Day with backing from Renault UK who provided Renaultsport items for a fundraising raffle in aid of the Red Cross and their work in Japan following the recent earthquake and tsunami. With enticing prizes such as jackets, umbrellas and two track day experiences, the raffle raised £850.

Renault UK also provided a hospitality tent complete with bacon rolls and coffee and a display of the latest Renaultsport models together with cars from their prized heritage collection including the very first Clio Williams produced.

Chris, who owns a Clio Renaultsport 200 – his third Renaultsport car - said: “This year’s event is slightly larger than last year as we’ve had more time to organise it and promote it, and the people have decided to come in the last couple of days as the weather forecast is so good! There’s been more parking and more space for exhibitors and it’s been great to meet people from the forum and get the cars together.

“The forum is a great place to be and is always active. I have found the forum very advantageous for finding out more on the mechanical aspect of my car, and it’s good for finding out about new models and whispers of new things going on. Renaultsport is such a colourful brand and Renault is very involved with the forum – they always speak to people on there to get their feedback and see how they want things to go.”

For more information, a video on the day and more discussions on the event, click onto www.renaultsport.co.uk.

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Today at Fitness First, Bristol....

LOOK GOOD WITH FITNESS FIRST TODAY AND S J COOK AND SONS’ AND CITY MOTORS!

Working hard on getting ready to look good for the summer is about to get a lot easier thanks to City Motors and S J Cook and Sons who are teaming up with Fitness First at Aspects Leisure Park, Longwell Green, on Friday 15th April to bring local gym goers an outdoor display showcasing the Renault ‘s Wind Roadster and Mégane Coupé Cabriolet.

Renault’s Wind Roadster and Mégane Coupé Cabriolet answer the Brits’ on-going love affair with open air motoring. The Renault Wind Roadster is a compact two-seat coupé-roadster with a unique electrically-operated roof system which cleverly operates in a way which ensures the boot space remains the same even when the roof is open.  It opens in just 12 seconds, meaning that you can adapt as quickly as the changes in the British weather!

Meanwhile, the Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet brings stunning looks and a huge sense of freedom thanks to its panoramic glass roof.

Visitors to the display on the day who order one of these two great convertibles before the end of June, and registered before the end of September, can get a free leather seats for extra luxury!

The offers don’t stop there, as Fitness First members are also eligible for three years’ free servicing when ordering a Wind Roadster or Mégane Coupe-Cabriolet before the end of June.

As you’ve worked so hard, you’ll want to show off that beach body and Renault UK is running a national competition on Facebook www.facebook.co.uk/renaultuk to win a seven-night break to St Lucia‘s luxury Coconut Bay Resort and Spa for two people including two return flights.

Simply fill in the form on the Renault UK facebook page before the end of April to enter the draw. Additionally, anyone who ‘likes’ the Renault UK facebook page is in with a chance of winning prizes twice weekly!

Leanne Sullivan, sales manager at City Motors Renault, said: “There’s nothing like the feeling of being able to press a button to put the roof down whenever the sun is shining! We wanted to bring the Wind Roadster and the Mégane Coupé Cabriolet to the people who use Fitness First and look forward to being on hand to answer any questions.”

For more information visit S J Cook and Sons on Station Road Kingswood (0117 957 9700) or City Motors on Pioneer Park (0117 972 3030) or visit www.carcogroup.co.uk or www.facebook.com/renaultuk For more information on Fitness First, click onto www.fitnessfirst.co.uk

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GORDON’S ALIVE!

News from ARNOLD CLARK RENAULT

 

GORDON’S ALIVE! AND MARTIN WINS A MEGANE COUPE CABRIOLET THANKS TO RENAULT AND TOMTOM!

Martin Bell from Bearsden will never get lost again after winning one of three prize Mégane Coupé-Cabriolets in a nationwide competition run by Renault and TomTom!

Martin, who works as an office manager with learning disability charity Neighbourhood Networks and also plays bass in the well-known 60s soul group Big Vern ‘n’ the Shootahs, collected his prize car from Arnold Clark this week.

The Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet was the perfect top prize in a national ‘Voice of TomTom’ competition run by Renault and TomTom to find people with great voices for satellite navigation.

To enter the competition, participants were invited to record their traffic stories onto a 30-second video, before putting it up on social networking site Facebook. They could also enter via radio competitions with Heart London and Real Radio Scotland, where listeners had the chance to vote for their favourite voice.

The competition accompanied the recent announcement that actor Brian Blessed’s distinctive and mellifluous voice is now available on TomTom satellite navigation, including Renault’s own fully-integrated Carminat versions of the popular systems.

Best known for his role as Prince Vultan in the film Flash Gordon, he recorded his voice for TomTom after a Facebook campaign called "get Brian Blessed to do a voiceover for my sat nav" attracted more than 25,000 fans. The campaign, started by motorist Richard Gardner from Manchester, is thought to be the first time a product has found its roots in social media. 

Martin was hailed one of three winners who have all won themselves the stunning Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet  which offers integrated TomTom LIVE navigation system as standard on the Renault Dynamique TomTom range.

Their voices have all been professionally recorded and will be available as free downloads from TomTom in time for April 2011.

Barry Burns, sales manager at Arnold Clark Renault in Glasgow, handed over the keys of the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet to Martin, and said: “Gordon's Alive! Congratulations to Martin on winning this great prize. It was lovely to meet him and hand over the keys to the Mégane Coupe-Cabriolet. He has a great voice and we’re thrilled to meet someone that, along with Brian Blessed, has had a hand in ‘saving every one of us' from getting lost!”

Martin, a father-of-two, said that his children were thrilled with the car and entranced by the folding roof.

He said: “I was incredibly surprised to be one of the winners of the competition and the car is lovely. It’s a shame though that it was pouring with rain on the day we collected it as we’d planned to take it into the countryside with the roof down for the day!”

A clip of the entertaining recording session is available to watch at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMiLQwKLSQM. Meanwhile, Brian’s recording, which contains gems such as "Toll Charge.  Give them the exact money and tell them to keep the change" and "You've reached your destination.  Congratulations.  Onwards and upwards! To Everest next, and the North Pole,” can be downloaded from the official TomTom website, /www.tomtom.com, for £7.95. Customers should check which devices allow voices to be downloaded on the website.  

Carminat TomTom, the industry’s first truly affordable built-in satellite navigation system, was launched by Renault in January 2009. It is now fitted as standard to the Dynamique TomTom and Privilège TomTom trim levels of each bodystyle in the standard Clio, Kangoo, Mégane, Scénic, Laguna ranges, plus the core trim levels of the Kangoo, Trafic and Master van ranges, for no additional cost. The system is also available as a £460 option across most other trim levels, including Renaultsport, of these same car and van ranges. 

For more information on Renault click onto www.renault.co.uk or www.twitter.com/renault_uk or www.facebook.com/renaultuk

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1. Martin Bell from Bearsden pictured right, with Rosalind Mellon, regional communications manager at Renault UK and Barry Burns, sales manager at Arnold Clark Renault.

Interview with Mark Thomas on his Extreme Rambling tour!

Multi award-winning comedian and activist Mark Thomas is back in Newbury this week with a show called ‘Extreme Rambling-Walking the Wall. For Fun’ about the separation barrier between Israel and Palestine.

It’s not the most obvious source of material for a comedy show but despite the subject matter, the audience can always be assured that Mark will find humour where lesser comedians fear to tread, as evidenced by his previous shows and books on the international arms trade, MPs’ expenses, civil liberties and tax havens, all of which have been rendered alarmingly funny.

His new show tells of his 750km walk from where the 8ft high fence starts at Bisan (although he argues that as you can’t buy anything like it in B&Q, it’s not really a fence) down to where it ends, as yet unfinished, at Beit Yatir.

As I speak to Mark on a rare day off during his intensive touring schedule, he’s ‘relaxing’ by preparing for a benefit gig in aid of the Fire Brigades Union.

A hugely popular and recognisable political comedian, Mark’s last visit to Newbury’s Corn Exchange saw a sell-out crowd contribute new laws for consideration for ‘The People’s Manifesto’. Memorably, the winning policy was that people with OCD should be put in charge of cleaning the country’s hospitals.

He remembers the policy and the stack of correspondence from people with OCD that followed and adds: “Newbury is a sweet old place and the Corn Exchange is a great little venue. Arts centres in towns outside London, but within commutable distance of London, can be undervalued by local people, but they’re amazing places with genuinely challenging and interesting performances and are treasure troves for comedians like me.”

Therefore, the venue is perfect for Mark’s performance. “It’s an unusual show. I love doing it and sometimes I look at the early days of my stand up career and wonder how I got here! It’s story-telling really – it’s one foot in stand up and one in theatre.”

In an evening of huge laughs but also sad truths, between which Mark can fluctuate in a heartbeat, (I’m a bully, aren’t I?” he laughs), Mark gives a gripping insight into what life is like for the 250,000 people who live in the West Bank, having met schoolchildren, Israeli soldiers, a diplomat from the British Consulate, farmers, locals and also, rather pleasingly, activists dressed as clowns, on his nine-week journey.

Walking is, he says, the best way to experience a country and its people, adding that despite its reputation as one of the most controversial parts of the world, the landscape is incredibly beautiful.

“I was inspired to do it out of sheer curiosity and also a love of rambling. I guess part of the charm also was that no one else was going to do something like this and that always appeals to me. I love that reaction from people; ‘you did what?!”

“You get to know about a place far more by walking and you really get to see the place. Driving through or being on a tour, you get a resemblance, but this is life lived on the ground.

“There are hundreds of tours here; religious tours, UN tours and so on, but they’re all propaganda really. Walking along the wall gives you independence and a sense of freedom. The scenery is spectacular, you know what it’s like when you live somewhere urban and you see hills as invitations to walk. It’s funny – I said that in Cambridge and then had to describe what hills were like to them....”

Whether you think the wall represents a barrier to protect Israelis from suicide bomb attacks, or that it’s there as a ‘land grab’ to annexe the West Bank; whatever side of the fence you’re on, pardon the pun, it’s Mark’s description of the effect on normal people’s day-to-day life, such as workers who have to wait at the checkpoint at 2am in order to join the queue at 6am before starting their working day at 8am, that are startling.

“The show is driven by people and their stories and I’m lucky that I can share these with people who will pay to hear them. Life is short so I try to inform and give as much information as possible –stories are so important as they change lives and the way we look at things.

 “And the things that they live with can be dangerous at times. Sometimes you find yourself sitting with a group of Palestinian activists and think to yourself that you could be facing a weekend in jail.  Running away from tear gas was another thing we encountered for the first time, but we were surrounded by people who have learned to cope.”

His nationwide tour goes on until the end of September and there’s a film and book on the way, before the possibility of extending the tour to Europe and even the US.

And what then?

“Some serious sleep!”

Ends

Words: 831

First published in the Newbury Weekly News on 7th April 2011 along with this message with Mark when the gig was cancelled:

To the staff and people who were coming to see the Extreme Rambling show; I am extremely sorry I have had to cancel the show on the 7th at Swindon and 8th at Newbury. I have gone down with a throat infection and currently sound like Barry White with asthma. It is impossible to do the show in the state I am in, so I  hope you will be able to bear with me and make it to the rescheduled dates. I know some of you will have baby sitters organised, dates lined up and a whole host of travel arrangements in play and  I do know how annoying it is to cancel at this late stage. Sorry. I will make it up by bringing chocolates for everyone on the rescheduled date. Love Mark"