My compatriot for some reason did not appear to want to get out of bed this morning. Is it that she is a day older, or was it the partying last night?

We set off for the Imola race track for manoeuvring challenges against the clock. Needless to say we did not excel in this. We did a couple of circuits of the track which was wasted on the van. My compatriot screamed, I pointed out we were only doing 40 mph, Although it did seem like 100 mph with screaming engine and screeching tyres.

We returned to the hotel for an excellent buffet lunch and then set out on a navigational drive to the Donkey bridge.

We had some excitement finding it. My compatriot missed the turning, the one with a full size aeroplane opposite, and we broke down with my nemesis the flooding carburetor. I intalled a smaller washer under the needle valve this time in an effort to beat it, while my compatriot answered questions about the van from the local Italian families.

Once repaired we continued to the bridge which is cobbled, narrow, very steep, and every bit as terrifying as the race track.

We returned to Imola with instructions from some other cars for an ice cream parlour. The instruction started from a Gulf garage, which we followed. We did not get our ice cream but did discover there as several Gulf garages on our route, so we have lots of petrol.

The evening was rounded off with a dinner and after dinner speaker. It was David who obtained all the cars for the film, and also ended up playing Dominic, the red mini driver in the film. It was compared by Matt who is the expert on the Italian job, and writer of several books on the film. It was a very interesting and entertaining evening rounded off by Gary and his guitar.

I asked if the Thames Dormobile had been driven to and from Italy as the other cars had. David said the driving the Thames was treated as a punishment!