Reach For The Wheel

“I’M BACK!” says the Mirror’s front page. “The Hamster drives again.”

Britain’s latest loveable loser is back behind the wheel of his car. The Mirror says “The Hamster chose his classic Morgan sports car over his Porsche and Mustang for his first drive since the 288mph crash”.

The good news is that Hammond failed to break the British land speed record. The record rests with Engineer Colin Farrows, who earlier in the year drove his jet-propelled car at just over 300mph.

And it is good news for Hammond because given the choice between championing the lovable loser or the winner, the British peoples choose the failure every time.

So while Farrows and Andy Green, the RAF pilot Andy Green who broke the sound barrier in Thrust SSC, achieving a speed of 763mph in the Nevada desert in 1997, live in relative obscurity, the Mirror leads with Hammond pootling along in his British sports car.

“I will remember this day for the rest of my life,” say Hammond. And if Hammond does forget, he can always ask his wife Mindy to fill in the blanks. She’s pictures alongside her husband, sat in the passenger seat.

“I was never worried that I wouldn’t get back my driving licence,” says Hammond. “It was just when. “
Such is the fortitude of the man. Eat your heart out Douglas Bader. There’s a new patched-up ace behind the wheel. Hammond is back. Reach for the sky.

And take care when crossing the road…

Posted: 13th, November 2006 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink