So, an opportunity has arisen for me to catch up with you guys and let you know what’s been going on since the 24 Heures Du Mans in June.

Returning to England on the Monday post Le Mans was like returning from a long haul journey. The one hour time difference to France is exacerbated by the night time running and I felt as bad as I do when I return from a 9 hours time difference trip several days after I got back home! But it was worth it ….

It’s the end of June and after a meeting at Mercedes Benz World at Brooklands, Surrey with John Surtees and his PA Sharon to discuss the upcoming ‘Henry Surtees Team Challenge’, it was the final weekend of the month and that can only mean one thing – The Festival of Speed at Goodwood House.

I was attending this year with Mazda UK and Honda young driver Jade Paveley who was driving the iconic hillclimb in the Super Cars class. No pressure then – there was only Vettel, Button and a host of star drivers in the same class as Jade – in a field of cars that someone estimated was worth over £500 million GBP! Eek! Jade was to drive the Mazda concept car – a little orange beastie that was dwarfed by its peers, but had more grunt than most.

Jade with Greg Murphy, Murphy Prototypes Team Owner, in the Mazda concept car at Goodwood

On Saturday morning the crowds gathered early, flanking the hill climb and filling the grandstand at the top of the hill. Jade’s dad and I waited at the top for her first ascent and whilst waiting we saw that the lovely Bruce Jones was conducting the ‘top-of-the-hill’ live interviews for Goodwood TV. Here was my opportunity. The night before, at dinner with the Mazda UK team, I was set a challenge by the UK PR Director “Jade hasn’t been interviewed on the event TV yet. My challenge to you is to get her on live TV.” Consider that challenge accepted, I replied. So on Saturday morning I approached Bruce with a beaming smile. I had last seen him at Le Mans 24 hours and had worked with him at Race Of Champions 2011 in Dusseldorf – so I knew he’d recognise me. It was going to be a long shot – there were current F1 drivers in Jade’s class and I knew that they would be the interviewees the producers would gun for. I was right. Bruce told me that in the couple of minutes live time they had, they had been promised Vettel. “That’s OK Bruce,” I said “But if it doesn’t happen – and you are live – consider Jade as a back up plan. She is in te Mazda concept car and is the youngest female to have ever driven up the hill at the Festival – Oh and she was recently announced as a Murphy Prototypes young driver, do you remember the team at Le Mans?” The seed had been set. I had given Bruce a Plan B. It was live TV after all, something could have gone wrong?

The Super Cars class is an untimed climb – the speed and power, let alone cost, of these cars would make it unsafe for drivers and spectators alike if they actually raced up the hill. Bugatti, Zonda, Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, Infiniti were all represented to name but a few. And they make the most beautiful noises! We heard them climbing the valley before we even knew the class was underway, and they gathered in the paddock at the top of the hill, waiting the descent. All of the drivers got out of the cars and chatted to each other in huddles while photographers and officials buzzed around them. Here was Vettel. He jumped out of the car and was immediately surrounded by photographers and fans. His PR was close at his side and the TV producer squeezed through the crowd to speak to her. I advised Jade to mingle – we chatted to Jenson who was having a joke with Rob Huff and then I whizzed over to the side of the interview stage where the TV camera was set up. Jade was ready – one signal from me and she’d be over. We had a plan.

The Goodwood TV producer walked toward the stage, head shaking from side to side and he leant over to speak to Bruce. “He can’t do it,” he muttered in dismay. “His PR says he doesn’t have time.” That left the live TV slot empty – they had not made a Plan B. I looked at Bruce and smiled.

“How about Jade Paveley?” Bruce asked his producer. “She is the youngest female here, in fact ever to climb the hill, she’s in the Mazda concept car over there and she’s ready?” “Do it,” said the Producer.

I nodded to Jade and she came over, composed and ready. I introduced her to Bruce and stepped back. There was only a minute to go. And we are live……. Jade was fantastic. Bruce led her with a question about the Mazda, a question about being the youngest female AND about her new role as a young driver at Murphy Prototypes. I had ticked two client boxes in one sweep. Get in!

It was all over in two minutes, and we had produced a Plan B for the live TV crew in the nick of time. And I had succeeded in my ‘challenge’ from Mazda. It was a win-win interview broadcast all over the festival. Everyone knew who Jade, Mazda and Murphy Prototypes were now.

Now it was time to mingle and introduce Jade to as many people as possible. This was going to take a bit of leg work as the Festival is spread out quite considerably over Lord March’s grounds, but it was going to be worth it. We went to the F1 Paddock and chatted to the Mercedes and Caterham guys, found John Surtees (who got me doing a little bit of work while I was there too) in between his car and bike runs, ate in the Black Rock drivers lounge where we chatted with Jenson’s family for a while and bumped in to Crofty (David Croft) who was on his way to the SKY F1 channel commentary box.

After Jade’s afternoon Super Cars run up the hill it was time to get ready for the Ball. It is an invitation only event and one that Lord March hosts every year at the Festival. With fine food, wine and entertainment, the good, bad and the ugly of motorsport are invited. Well you know what I mean. Jade’s father, Dave Paveley, receives two invitations each year as he is not only a Rally driver, but a long standing member of the UK distribution arm of SPARCO race wear (which is how I first met Dave, when I was at an F1 team and he provided our team kit). Dave knows everyone.

Jade and I arrived at the Ball and stepped out of our taxi – wow everyone looked amazing. To see work colleagues and motorsport chums in black tie is unusual and a welcome change to race suits and team kit! After a superb meal and a chat to John Surtees and family, and notable figures in the industry, it was time to dance. We had a superb evening with Festival commentators Henry Hope-Frost and Andrew Coley (who has honed a wonderful skill of carrying a wine glass in the same hand all night and never spilling a drop) and tried to convince Matt Neal to cut a rug with us – but failed miserably. After a quick chat with Brendon Hartley, a dance with Troy Corser (yes THE TC), a few drinks with Matt Neal and Tom Onslow-Cole and a last dance with the gorgeous Rob ‘Huffy’ Huff – it was time to get our carriage home. We were the last to leave the ‘do’. Top effort chaps.

With Jade, Sarah and Brendon before the Goodwood Ball at Goodwood House

We were a little tender in the morning. While Jade and I sloped off for some breakfast in the sponsor hospitality enclosure with Mazda UK I saw a Baldwin brother – of the American acting family – mooching about. He had the distinctive ‘Gulf’ logo Le Mans jacket on – as made famous by Steve McQueen in the movie and was looking for somewhere to eat. One of the Mazda team had her two children with her. “Would you like a photo with Mr Baldwin?” I asked. The kiddies had no idea who he was, but mum did. She looked at me with surprise. I stood up and asked him over. “Excuse me, would you mind if I took a photo of you with these two kiddies?” I asked with a smile. “No problem at all, I am Daniel Baldwin,” he replied with a wonderful smile and softness. He sat down and put the kiddies on each knee. It is a great photo and their mum was delighted. I had to take the opportunity to have one with him too and to get a cuddle in the process. Well you would wouldn’t you?

Jade only drove one hill climb on Sunday as the schedule had over run time and the last two classes, one was the Super Cars, were cancelled. It was a slightly disappointing end to a super weekend for Team Paveley, but everyone was happy with how the runs and Jade’s promotion had gone over the whole event – so I drove home a happy PR. I love the Festival of Speed – if you have not attended, I thoroughly recommend that you do. It is a major highlight in the motorsport calendar.

Rounds 6, 7 & 8 of the Intersteps Championship took place on 12th / 13th May at Brands Hatch and one of my clients, Cameron Twynham, stood on a single-seater podium for the very first time. His smile, and those of his family around him, was infectious. We were all extremely proud of him and for me to be there at that moment was a special feeling. His family, friends and I went out for dinner buzzing – let’s hope it was the first of many podiums to come.

Cameron Twynham (right) takes third place podium at Brands Hatch

The following day I received a call from Greg Murphy, owner of Murphy Prototypes ELMS team. A mutual friend had recommended that Greg and I meet as he had entered his team in to the 24 Heures Du Mans and they did not have a travelling press officer. Wow…. one of my bucket list races. I had never been to Le Mans in any way, shape or form. I jumped at the chance of meeting him and accepted the position when offered straight away, of course!

Close friends stayed with me over the F1 Monaco Grand Prix weekend, a difficult race for me for a couple of reasons, one of which was that my father was going in to hospital for an operation the following week. Being chauffeur since Christmas for a very unwell loved one whilst looking after a ‘terrible two’s’ toddler had started to take its toll, but I am relieved to say that dad is doing as well as can be expected now. Thank goodness for family and close friends at times (or years…) like these.

Following a thoroughly enjoyable and productive media training morning with Cameron at Silverstone one day, I received a telephone call from John Surtee’s office. Would I care to meet with John to discuss assisting with the PR and event organisation for the forthcoming ‘Henry Surtees Foundation Brooklands Team Challenge’ (karting) event and Champagne Reception? I had never met John. I had seen him at the BRDC, at the Festival of Speed at Goodwood, at a Racing Steps Foundation event, but had never actually met him. I was delighted and beaming from ear to ear. The date was set.

The end of May Spring Bank Holiday brought with it the conclusion of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. After a few days off, as a treat to myself, and several slices of cake under bunting in the rain, it was back to the grind stone and a drive to Monza House, John Surtees’ office. When John walked in to the room to meet me he was wearing the biggest smile I have ever seen. After a firm hand shake introductions were made then it was in to the meeting room for a cuppa and a couple of hours discussing the karting event, people we both knew in motorsport (sharing views  ) followed by a swift ‘you’re hired!’ – or words to that effect. I phoned my dad as soon as I left Monza House. The multiple World Champ wanted me to work with him on a project so close to his heart – I wept with joy and sadness thinking how lucky I have been to be recommended to some many amazing people, but also about my own little Pickle too. If anything happened to her…..

Work started straight away on the HSF Brooklands Team Challenge – which takes place on Wednesday 4th July. I had four days until I was off to Le Mans and what a truly BONKERS week that was.

It was my first venture in to sports car racing – and what a race to do it at. I could not thank Murphy Prototypes enough for trusting me to get the job done and I was determined to stay up all night for my first 24 hours event. I arrived at the circuit in Sarthe, northern France, at the start of practice on Wednesday. Hitting the ground running, my first port of call was the team hospitality to pick up my team kit and then to get to know the boys. Nothing prepares you for the all day and late night running, not only on the day of the race but in the week prior. It was both exhilarating and exhausting. There were many colleagues in the media, teams and among the press officers I knew from other areas of motorsport so that immediately made me feel at ease.

With Murphy Prototypes driver Warren Hughes at 24 Heures Du Mans 2012

Although Murphy Prototypes, who had led the LMP2 class for most of the night, was forced to retire from its inaugural 24 Hours race with suspension failure at 5:08am, I was proud that I had stayed the distance with them – tweeting and Facebook updating their official accounts. From the 7:00am start on Saturday morning I was drinking copious amounts of water and snacking throughout the day and night until I finally caught three hours sleep at 7:00am on Sunday morning. Heading back in to the track on Sunday was a surreal moment. I could hear the cars, but it was almost inconceivable that it could be the same race that I had left earlier in the day. The experience is extraordinary and if you have not done so yourself, I urge you to experience it first hand as soon as you can.

During the week at Le Mans I met up with a young female driver called Jade Paveley. I have known her father for many years and she was a guest of Murphy Prototypes for the weekend. After several chats and discussions about ‘life, the universe and everything’ the Paveley’s thought it would be a good idea for me to start working with Jade. My first job as Jade’s new PR is to go with her to the Festival of Speed at Goodwood in a week’s time. I love the FOS, it’s one of my favourite motorsport events of the year.

That’s not a bad first gig is it? See you there?

January 2012 started well, I am very happy to report. I was generously introduced to the Race2Recovery team last year at the British F3 round at Silverstone by Baz Scott of Race Drivers Inc. He was putting together the Celebrity Charity Kart Race event at the Autosport International Show, the proceeds of which were being donated to the Race2Recovery team and its chosen charities.

I then attended the Autosport Show with the team on the trade days. I love the event at the NEC in Birmingham and have been every year since 2002 in one guise or another, even though it usually falls on my birthday! It was an extremely productive two days for R2R, meeting several of my contacts spanning motorsport technical wear, global companies who are major supporters of the sport, influential movers and shakers in the worlds of media, official organisations …you get the picture. The ever gentlemanly Henry Hope-Frost interviewed the guys on the Autosport Live Stage and the lovely Louise Goodman had the task of introducing the R2R QT Wildcat vehicles (in which they hope to compete in the Dakar Rally Raid in 2013) to the ooh’ing and ahh’ing crowd in the Live Action Arena as they leapt over ramps with fire blazing pyrotechnics. It was fab.

In February I was then asked to help organise the ‘driving’ part of the R2R team media launch day at Tedworth House. It was the first time I was not producing a presentation or hosting a press conference at a media launch, and it made a nice change. My role in advance was to liaise with the local army base in Tidworth for use of its driving training area and the owners of the team’s Wildcat’s. At the launch I was to ensure that all media, sponsors, Tedworth House residents and other VIPs in attendance got to experience a hot lap in a Wildcat across Salisbury Plain with one of the R2R team drivers. This entailed a lot of bossing about and making sure that there was a constant rotation of different bums strapped into seats within our two hours time limit! And of course at the end of the day, a hot lap for myself…or two. (Shhh don’t tell anyone but we got into a bit of trouble. Dave Marsh, owner of the QT Wildcats, opened up with me as passenger and we wellied it across the Plain. We got pulled up by the patrolling Marshall for speeding in the driving area. Lucky it was the last lap then – oops.

It was around this time that I also spoke to Team Rossi Motorsports again. I was extremely fortunate to have been recommended to TRM for the role as their publicist back in October 2010. We worked together for the first time in early 2011 when American driver Alexander Rossi was selected to join the inaugural FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy and the Team Lotus (as was) AirAsia Driver Development Programme. We had a flurry of announcements to make because shortly following these two biggies I issued a media release confirming his 2011 drive in Formula Renault 3.5 with Fortec Motorsports. It was a non-travelling contract, which meant that I watched the races from home and drafted the race reports after speaking to the team and AR. I would meet up with him for off-track interviews and filming opportunities secured throughout the year in the UK (he resides in the UK, but hails from California) but of course I attended the Silverstone round weekend in late August.

So, in February 2012, after a long winter period for AR, we connected again and I was back on Team Rossi Motorsports for 2012. We just had to wait for all the jigsaw pieces to fit into place before anything could be announced.

The end of February offered me a fantastic opportunity – I was invited by Ice Driver to fly to Sweden and have a go at ice driving on a frozen lake. How could I refuse! The R2R boys were also going, so I joined up with them for a three day excursion to Petter Solberg’s house! The WRC round had just taken place and it was one of the warmest February’s on record in Sweden, so the lake was starting to melt. I had tuition in a BMW and Porsche, which was awesome fun, but our days on the ice were cut short when a car sized hole appeared right in the middle of our track, making it just too dangerous to continue. So what did we do? We headed into Norway and out in Oslo for a night which started at the fantastically friendly ‘Rubber Pub’ owned by Gumball Rally driver and MTV presenter, Morten Skovdahl. What a host….. and what a night.

March 2012 not only brought my gorgeous daughter’s second birthday, but the start of the season for most series’ in motorsport. (The live events that I have worked on in music have usually been before or after the motorsport main season, fortuitously, but as of yet I have no music work pencilled in for this year.)

Alexander Rossi was announced as Caterham F1 Official Test Driver and on the same day, as one of the drivers for the newly formed Arden Caterham team in FR3.5, World Series by Renault. It was completely by chance that I was with AR on the day the announcements were made. We had the press releases drafted, approved and ready to go but had actually got together for firstly, a catch up, secondly, a face-to-face media interview meeting, and thirdly, (and most importantly to AR) lunch! It was whilst sitting in a great seafood restaurant in sunny Milton Keynes (it really was that day!) that we received the calls that the releases were being sent out from the teams and AR’s season was officially go, go, GO! It was a great day and I am really chuffed that I was able to be the first to officially congratulate him on his 2012 drives, in person.

More PR days with AR rolled in to the FR3.5 pre-season tests with report drafting and website updating. I have my own twitter account, but am also an administrator for AR’s official Facebook page and occasionally his twitter feed, so I am constantly updating those with news and general motorsport and random tweets on my own.

The first rounds of the F1 season had now started and my lovely friend, Oxfordshire based driver Alice Powell was still waiting to secure a 2012 race seat. I had contacted a few colleagues within the sport over the winter to try to help Alice and I am extremely proud to say that she took a few leads and ran with them spectacularly on her own. Alice is driving with Status Grand Prix in the GP3 series this year, and I am just tickled pink for her. Go Alice!

So to April and after a superb family Easter weekend I popped along to see my friend Leon Price, Head of Ops at the GP3 Series, at the pre-test at Silverstone. It was a mega whammy trip for me as Alexander was there driver coaching, Alice was testing at Status GP, two of my favourite ex-Bridgestone-now-Pirelli boys were in the garage next door, I was able to catch some of the new young guard out on track for the first time in the GP3 cars and of course, I got to have a quick bite of lunch with Leon. Result. On my way home, I popped into Arden Motorsport in Banbury to have a cup of tea with the ever-working Team Co-ordinator and PR extraordinaire, Deborah. All in all, a good day I’d say!

That week ended with a very pleasant surprise. Cameron Twynham Racing contacted me regarding some potential PR work after some banter between us on Twitter. After a meeting the following week we agreed to commence working together and I am very happy to say that I am off to Brands Hatch this weekend to watch Cameron in the Dunlop Intersteps Championship, his first season in single seaters at the age of 16. And while I spend my first weekend with Cam in the Fortec Motorsport garage in Kent (am I destined to work with Fortec drivers in all of the formulae they race in?), Alice will be making her GP3 series debut (in only her second race outside the UK) and Alexander will drive his maiden outing as Caterham F1 Team Official Test Driver in the first F1 Free Practice session in Spain.

Could a weekend get much better than that for a PR in motorsport?

There are a plethora of F1 and live event blogs out there giving their opinion on this and that, so I will leave that to the ‘experts’ – armchair or otherwise.

If you are reading this you probably know what I do already, and may have seen my website. I am under no illusion that I haven’t had a charmed career to date. I absolutely appreciate that I have and am happy to share my experiences with everyone and anyone who asks me. I am a lucky so and so in my professional life, no doubt about it.

So what can I do that is different? Well, I thought about it and as I receive so many emails asking how I got in to the business I am in, working with the people that I do, my career path and ways to get into PR and so on…. I thought that I could start there.

What I bring to the bloggersphere will therefore be from a different angle – one from a PR’s point of view – giving you insights into what I do with behind the scenes ramblings from the events I work on and the people I work with. How does that sound?

Now that I am writing this, I really wish I had started years ago… would have made a fab book! So I think I’ll also add references to past experiences and, in quieter moments, write a couple of reflective blogs – taking you back to past events and times that have stuck out for me, for one reason or another. How does that sound?

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this….. let’s do it….