Day 8 and we've a long drive ahead to Turin - about 5 hours in the car. We have to leave early so are glad we were sensible the night before at the black tie function. This is not a timed stage however we need to be in Turin before lunch as there is an afternoon of special stages ahead there.

We also have commitments to Radio Scotland and are to be interviewed live on air on the Fred MacAulay show that morning at 10.10. Gordon does the driving so i can do the interview which goes well and gives us the opportunity to thank B4BMW A4Audi live on air for supplying us with the Mini which we have affectionately named 'Percy'!

We arrive in Turin without too many wrong turns, a surprise since my navigational skills are attrocious!

My motion sickness has been fine so far too as I have done the driving on all the windy roads that are the cause of my sickness (I'm fine on motorways - weird I know!)

After lunch, the special stages start and again involve crossing between cones within tight timescales and without knocking anything over - it is so much harder than it looks. Some of the Jobbers take it so seriously hanging out of their car windows, even opening their doors slightly to get the precise angles correct! Gordon and I don't opt for quite the same approach but are still riding high from our 6th place position 2 days ago! Positions are no longer revealed at the end of each day now to build the suspense. Competition is growing fiercer and fiercer.

In the afternoon we visit a local children's hospital where we have all brought lots of toys to hand out. The kids are there, many with their parents and some come outside to see the convoy of mini's which causes a lot of excitement. Our italian is not great but seeing the children smile at all the toys they are receiving we understand just how happy we have made them all. Its a great feeling and we leave to continue our convoy through the city feeling very pleased that we have been able to do something small to brighten their day.

 Turin is the place in the movie the Italian Job where the robbery happens causing the traffic to stand still! As a tribute to the film the Turin police allow the Mini's to convoy through the city for 1 1/2 hours causing traffic mayhem! We have police escorts all around us on bikes as we fly through the city, tooting and cheering. The local italians all wave and take photos - its a fantastic day and not one we'll forget in a hurry.

Rally position - still a mystery... they're not telling us but fingers crossed its top 10!