DASHING doctors Mike Penney and David Hampton completed a fund-raising road trip to Prague for an Argus appeal - thanks to a pair of self-grip wrenches.

Their journey in Dr Penney's 1932 three-wheeler Morgan car to a conference in the Czech republic meant a £1,000 boost for our St Anne's Appeal.

It was an incident-filled excursion but the doctors completed their 2,000 mile round trip successfully.

Dr Hampton explained their first problem occurred as they were getting off the ferry in Hamburg.

He said: "We needed a repair on one of the push rods." Visits to Harley-Davidson and BMW outlets for a suitable replacement were futile but the doctors had a stroke on luck.

On the ferry they had met a group of British three-wheeler drivers on their way to a special event. They were staying with a German family who helped out the intrepid travellers.

"They had a Citroen 2CV push rod, which was virtually identical, and a good workshop. I used the lathe to machine the rod to the right size and then we were on our way," said Dr Penney.

On the way back another part split but Dr Penney carried out an emergency repair using a pair of Molynx molegrips - manufactured in Newport - which enabled them to get home.

Dr Hampton said they decided to help the hospice after reading an article in the Argus about the appeal.

Both men, who work in the Royal Gwent Hospital's chemical pathology laboratory, were invited to attend the scientific conference held in Prague earlier this year. "Rather than flying we decided to go in a rather unusual way and try to help raise funds for the St Anne's Appeal," explained Dr Hampton.

Our St Anne's Appeal ran from January to June and the Julian Hodge Bank generously promised to add another £50,000 if we reached our target of £50,000. Thanks to our kind-hearted readers, more than £60,000 was raised.

The money is being used for equipment and facilities at St Anne's which is Gwent's only in-patient hospice for people with life-threatening illnesses.

*PICTURED: Mike Penny, left, Dave Hampton (right) with St Anne's fundraising director Philip Stockley.