Just to be clear - I knew I was chancing my arm with this post - and that it would require some charitable tolerance from our hosts - but I felt that on balance, with a tenuous motor sporting attachment (or a tenuous attachment to motor sporting people), it would be worth doing just because it might help beekeeper 'Vik the Buzz' reach his objective, and thereby provide some small measure of well-meant help to entirely innocent people upon whom so much horror is currently being inflicted thanks to an accident of geography, and of history.
Having walked many areas of military history, including several with both previous and subsequent racing links, I have always found it striking how much of a pounding could be inflicted upon one town or village, while another barely 5-10 miles off a line of advance (or of retreat) could survive entirely untouched along with its inhabitants.
Now almost unbelievably this is happening again in Europe. Picture the rumbling of tanks approaching your own decades-peaceful street or city, or town or village - might you prove to be 'inconveniently' in the way. Life itself then becomes a lottery. The aftermath of such a scenario - tragically now all too real for those 'in the way' - is all that we were trying (in a very tiny way) to moderate. So I took a chance. Thanks to all who have proved supportive.
DCN
I said my piece earlier but have been slightly bemused why anybody might object to a request for assistance to those in dire need, those whose every waking moment is passed in a state of terror.
I can only conclude that they have no knowledge, beyond old newsreels and modern TV, of the real horror of conflict. They do not, cannot, fully portray the sounds and smells of conflict. Both are dreadful. We in Europe have been blessed, most of us, with lives free of conflict. Perhaps those who have objected to the initial call for help for one man trying to help his compatriots in his small way should, if genuinely ignorant of the truth of wars, have our compassion.
Before I retired I was in a position that required visits to several areas of conflict. One everlasting memory I have is of families picnicking in the British Commonwealth War Grave in Gaza as it was the only peaceful, green and flowered area left to them. Beyond the gates was destruction and often fear. I was happy for them that they found a brief period of respite. People suffer horribly, both physically and mentally, in conflict.
I applaud the TNF site Mods for their good judgement in letting this thread continue.