U Nurse Carole Fielding writes on behalf of the Romanian
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Orphanage Appeal — a joint effort between Wythenshawe Hospital nurses, Trafford Police M division and Altrincham and Sale Mencap. They are taking a Leyland Roadrunner and a minibus to Romania in September to help 500 girls in Bodoc, aged from 5 to 17, who have no beds, toilets or running water. Fuel is needed, so if you can help alone 061-973 9593.
LJ Mike Clarke, transport manager at Bells of Richmond, appeals for help for the AA staff charity AlIround Associates which is working with Bristol Mencap to send a convoy to Romania on 5 May — some members of the group will stay on to renovate an orphanage. Phone 081-878 0271.
• From Perestroika to perestrucki? Design consultancy International Automotive Design of Worthing West Sussex, has taken out a CM subscription for its Moscow office.
• The lure of the road calls from the cradle — well almost. Glen Thompson, eight, and kid brother Ross, six, amazed and horrified their parents when in the early hours of the morning they hi-jacked the family minibus and sneaked off from their home in Rhos-on-Sea, North Wales.
Glen, a metre tall, drove the Volkswagen Caravelle five kilometres down the road before an amazed postman stopped the van, its engine smoking because the handbrake was on, and alerted the police who returned the boys to their mum and dad.
A relieved Mrs Thompson said: "They had four or five bags with them, full of books and clothes, but I don't know what could have been their idea."
The boys have promised not to do it again; the police are taking no further action and
CM awaits applications from two new roadtesters in about the year 2000.
• Sunday: Breakfast, coffee and the papers at the RHA North East annual conference. I am interrupted by John Prescott, Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary who insists on joining me. He tucks into poached eggs but I demonstrate the true spirit of the road by ordering a bacon sandwich.
"Madam," remonstrates the waiter, "this is a hotel not a transport cafe." Ignoring this pomposity, I insist on the bacon sandwich. It arrives without crusts.
• Red Star celebrated Budget week by offering a service tailored to companies who require a "fast and reliable delivery service, such as accounting and stockbroking firms, and financial institutions".
Furthermore, Red Star helpfully points out that the production of "commentaries.., on the Budget has become an annual event". You can tell these chaps are keeping their eye on the ball.