World-touring British fire engine stops by Singapore
-
World-touring British fire engine stops by Singapore
By Sara Grosse | Posted: 23 October 2010 1618 hrs
Fire engine MarthaSINGAPORE: A 16-year-old British fire engine and its crew members, which are on a mission to circumnavigate the globe, are in Singapore after travelling 13,500 miles (21 726.144 km) and passing through 22 countries.
The project, Follow That Fire Engine, began in London with aims to raise money for cancer-supporting charities.
The plan is for Martha - the fire engine - to travel 26,000 miles (41 842.944 km) across the world in nine months, in an attempt to make it to the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous trip for a fire engine.
Martha was welcomed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force at the Central Fire Station.
This is the first time in 100 years that a foreign fire engine has ridden into Singapore's Central Fire Station.
Shortly after, Shaw Foundation presented them with a cheque to help their cause for cancer.
Follow That Fire Engine team leader Steve Moore said: "The whole expedition is in tribute to my father, who was a fire fighter for 35 years.
"We sadly lost him to cancer about a year and a half ago. We came up with a concept, like a world-record sort of concept, that could create enough awareness and attention to raise money for the three charities".
The three charities are Macmillan Cancer Support, The Fire Fighters Charity and The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
Follow That Fire Engine crew member Paul Barham said: "She's put up with no roads in Mongolia, you know, driving through rivers, (and) roads in Laos were pretty bumpy.
"She's had three services now but apart from the very, very minor few bits and pieces, she's been okay".
After departing Singapore, Martha will continue her journey through Australia and Northern Africa before completing its mission back in London in April 2011.
"It can go through anything. I do not believe there is another fire engine in the world that can actually make it around the world," Mr Moore said.
Martha's journey around the world can be tracked on followthatfireengine.com.
-CNA/wk