B-road coast-to-coast charity challenge completed

Matthew Hollis finished his challenge early despite a broken drive shaft and direction problems

A fundraiser who aimed to drive from the most easterly point of England to the most western area of Ireland using only B-roads has finished the challenge.

Matthew Hollis, from Northampton, completed the journey in his Citroen 2CV in less than the expected 10 days.

He was raising funds for the Northampton-based Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), where he works.

He said his leaky 2CV had "overcome everything thrown at it".

The challenge took Mr Hollis all the way from Ness Point, in Lowestoft, Suffolk to Dunmore Head on the Irish coast.

He used only minor B-roads and a compass. He consulted neither maps nor satnavs during his journey.

He did not plan any overnight stopovers and put his head down wherever he ended up at nightfall, which turned out to be a multi-storey car park on one night.

He said his trusty blue and orange Citroen 2CV, named Cookie, did not let him down.

Matthew Hollis and his 2CV called Cookie completed their coast-to-coast challenge

He said: "The biggest obstacle for this challenge was the weather.

"I'm not sure I've had a single day where it hasn't rained, which is pretty bad when you're driving a car that leaks.

"So it's been quite challenging but, as ever, it's overcome pretty much everything thrown at it."

Cookie did, however, sustain a broken drive shaft and required its brake pads to be replaced.

Matthew Hollis said it rained every day and his car got quite dirty

Mr Hollis added he found the challenge quite exhausting.

"It took a lot out of me, just driving," he said.

"Even in the last day, when I was only about 20 minutes from the final destination, it took me about two-and-a-half hours because I was getting completely lost."

Matthew Hollis's journey took him through some of the UK's best scenery

He reached journey's end ahead of schedule at about midday on Friday.

The whole journey was documented on a special coast-to-coast website.

The escapade has so far raised more than £2,000 for the MNDA, but Mr Hollis said the challenge was "as much about raising awareness as for funding."