Thanks to Dave Gingell for suggesting a great way to disseminate info about this Africa trip to friends and past colleagues - a blog. It's a lot better than trying to email everybody all the time.

I've just finished work (2 days ago) and now it's time to really get down to the nitty gritty of planning this trip. The week's agenda is as follows:

• Monday: take the 101 to Rob to weld on brackets for the awning, and make a scaffolding-pole roof rack for the extra jerry can holders
• Tuesday: first pick up new headlights and a couple of other bits from Brookwells, then paint the truck, weather permitting
• Wednesday: take it to the LPG man to fettle the carbs, LPG and timing
• Thursday: up to Oxfordshire to the auto electrician, to fix the lights (currently all the lighting is jury-rigged off a cable running across the cab) and make the hazard lights work again.

The photo is a "before" photo of the truck prior to painting.