Sixt rent a car blog » Local Events

Sixt Sponsored Bike Wins Award

David Jackson — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:13:29 +0000

The bike started in its first practice a little shaky but hey ho went good enough to qualify for a 4th place grid start averaging an initial practice speed of 69.83 mph lapping out at 46.4 seconds per mile , the first race saw the bike leave the grid in a crowd of bikes and thunder to a 6th place finish with an increase of average speed now standing at 71.52 mph lapping out at 45.29 seconds per mile . A lovely start for the bike Sunday however was a little different we suffered a humiliating heat. After complaining of a really big flat spot at 25/50% throttle we confirmed the fault was a sparkplug so a new set was put into the bike. This now meant that as we were unable to get the flying start we had so much hoped for, we were placed on the back of the grid, anyway the flag dropped the bikes went off into the distance and the vfr launched it way through the back markers to finish in a very respectful 7th place and again the average speed per lap was raised to 72.35 mph lapping out at 44.79 seconds per mile .

Every practice heat and race the bike got better and better as you will see from the above. It was also seen in the parade and Alex has now been asked by the paddock scouts to enter it this coming weekend in the formula 400 at three sisters race track in Preston . I am very proud of the results for a first run and its been commented that Alex is very much at home and at ease with the machine he is now booked in with Simon Harris our resident A C U race instructor for some intense track time at Llandow circuit to further our progress on the machine.

Finally the best news of all and it was a shock. The machine entered the technical officers bay and was delayed for inspection by about 30 mins or so none of us knew why but at the presentation of Saturday nights results Alex was awarded for having the best presented and prepared bike of the meeting

Our Sixt Cardiff car hire branch earnt some great publicity last weekend after sponsporing local racer Josh Jone’s Honda bike in the GP400 motorcycle racing championship held at Aberdare Park.

The bike started in its first practice a little shaky but went well enough to qualify for a 4th place grid start, averaging an initial practice speed of 69.83 mph lapping out at 46.4 seconds per mile. The first race saw the bike leave the grid in a crowd of bikes and thunder to a 6th place finish with an increase of average speed now standing at 71.52 mph lapping out at 45.29 seconds per mile, a lovely start for the bike.

Sunday however was a little different we suffered a humiliating heat. After complaining of a really big flat spot at 25/50% throttle it was confirmed that the fault was a sparkplug so a new set was put into the bike. This now meant that we were unable to get the flying start we had so much hoped for, we were placed on the back of the grid. The flag dropped the bikes went off into the distance and the VFR launched its way through the back markers to finish in a very respectful 7th place and again the average speed per lap was raised to 72.35 mph lapping out at 44.79 seconds per mile.

Every practice heat and race the bike got better and better. It was also featured in the parade and Josh has now been asked by the paddock scouts to enter it in the formula 400, this weekend, at three sisters race track in Preston. We were all very proud of the results for a first run and its been commented that Josh is very much at home and at ease with the bike.

Finally, and as a bit of a shock, came the best news of all. The bike entered the technical officers bay and was delayed for inspection by about 30 mins, noone seemed to know why but at the presentation of Saturday nights results Josh was awarded for having the best presented and prepared bike of the meeting.

You can see some great photos of the race and Josh’s Sixt bike on the Aberdare Park 2011 slideshow.

iTunes Festival is finally here !

Alex Fullard — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:35:44 +0000

From the 1st of July to the 31st of July at the itunes festival a collection of 62 different artists will gather to perform at one of the UK’s best venues, the roundhouse in London.

However, this is no ordinary festival because instead of one genre of music it has everything from Coldplay to Linkin Park.

The ticket system is also very different from a normal festival. Instead of the usual first come first served method of acquiring tickets, all the tickets for the festival are free, however there is a slight catch…

You have to sign up to say you would like a ticket for the festival but you are not guaranteed a ticket because your name is put into a draw. Not only do you not know if you will get a ticket, but you also will not know who you might be getting tickets to see. This is because this is also done by drawing names out.

So you could end up having to see someone you may not like, on the other hand this is a good method of giving everyone the chance to experience a live festival. People who may not usually be able to afford to go to a festival or just not be able to book tickets in time before them selling out. With this new system everyone has the same chance of getting a ticket to the festival however you will have to settle with what ticket you are given if you are lucky enough to get one.

Novak Djokovic lives up to his name

Alex Fullard — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:31:10 +0000

The men’s final of Wimbledon came to an end on 3rd of July, thousands of people gathered to watch it and millions watched eagerly at home.

Novak Djokovic took away the profound title of Wimbledon Champion, after a truly masterful performance against a somewhat overwhelming opponent, Rafael Nadal.

Playing against such a skilful opponent the job wasn’t easy. However he stuck to the tried and tested methods of sending him wide and making him use his weaker backhand. This method worked and he came out on top to finish with a 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 result over Nadal.

Most of the game was evenly matched however in the seventh game Nadal committed an unprecedented double-fault before sending his forehand wide helping Djokovic to a crucial break. He took the opportunity given to him and won his first ever Wimbledon title.

You could say his reaction to his victory was somewhat strange. This is because he responded by crouching down, then took a single blade of grass from the floor and continued to eat the grass.

Later, when asked about his victory he explained that “It is the best day of my life. This is the tournament I always dreamed of winning. I think I am still sleeping, still dreaming. When you’re playing the best player in the world … I had to be on top of my game. I played probably my best match on grass courts ever.”

All in all Djokovic was immensely proud of the fact he had completed the impossible task he had been given, to beat the world number one, Rafael Nadal. Not only did he complete this task but also showed the flair and sheer determination not shown by many players of the modern game.

The men’s final of Wimbledon came to an end on 3rd of July, thousands of people gathered to watch it and millions watched eagerly at home.

Novak Djokovic took away the profound title of Wimbledon Champion, after a truly masterful performance against a somewhat overwhelming opponent, Rafael Nadal.

You could say his reaction to his victory was somewhat strange. This is because he responded by crouching down, then took a single blade of grass from the floor and continued to eat the grass.

The men’s final of Wimbledon came to an end on 3rd of July, thousands of people gathered to watch it and millions watched eagerly at home.

Novak Djokovic took away the profound title of Wimbledon Champion, after a truly masterful performance against a somewhat overwhelming opponent, Rafael Nadal.

You could say his reaction to his victory was somewhat strange. This is because he responded by crouching down, then took a single blade of grass from the floor and continued to eat the grass.

Sixt at Mille Miglia 2011

Inga — Thu, 12 May 2011 09:05:28 +0000

Sixt, one of Europe’s first car rental companies, is looking forward to its 100th birthday in 2012 with excitement. For decades, Sixt vehicles have been part of the “Mille Miglia”. Now the company is thrilled to again be one of the main sponsors and the exclusive car hire partner of the most prestigious classic car rally in the world – for all “Mille Miglia” drivers as well as for the “Mille Miglia” community.

From 11 to 15 May 2011, Sixt will play its part in the rally along the 1,600 kilometre stretch from Brescia – Rome – Brescia, offering all participants an exclusive transfer service: A modern fleet of Sixt cars will accompany participants, co-drivers, escort vehicles and the press. Some vehicles from the Sixt classic car fleet will also be at the starting line. Erich and Alexander Sixt will be behind the wheel of two Mercedes Benz Gullwings from 1955, Regine Sixt will drive a BMW 328 from 1937 and Konstantin Sixt will steer a Porsche Speedster from the year 1955.

In cooperation with BMW, Sixt will give away a MINI. BMW will donate a MINI Cooper Clubman Hampton under the motto “a MINI for the Minis”. The entire proceeds from the raffle draw will go to help the Regina Sixt’s Children’s Aid Foundation “Drying Little Tears”, supporting the construction of a children’s home in a poor area of Sicily.

Regine Sixt: “The legendary 1,000-mile rally has become a fixed part of our summer programme. I am proud to see the Sixt logo along the entire length of the most famous classic car rally. Experiencing how ‘tradition meets passion’ fills me with joy. It is a big challenge to deliver on the trust that the ‘Mille Miglia’ shows to Sixt.”

Sixt Fan Challenge at ITB Berlin

Inga — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:31:38 +0000

And the winner is…Vera RemoSch wins the trip to Miami with 491 „likes“ including a flight with Air Berlin for two, five nights at the W South Beach Hotel and one week drive with a convertible from Sixt.

The “most liked picture of the day” winners Lisa Weidemann (57 likes), Isabelle Tudi (385 likes), Charlotte Frnk (265 likes), Beata Tomczewska (229 likes) and Florian Müller (130 likes) receive day vouchers for a convertible from Sixt. We thank all participants for the great pictures and the creative slogans!
To all winners: Please send me (Inga von Sixt) a private message on Facebook.

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Catherine Hope — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:18:45 +0000

Saturday 26 March 2011 sees one of England’s oldest sporting traditions take place on the River Thames, London. The 157th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, now also know as The Xchanging Boat Race, will be shown live on BBC One from 1545 GMT with the big race starting at 1700 GMT.

The Boat Race has come a long way since its beginnings in 1829.It is now a major sporting occasion with up to 250,000 spectators watching the race from the banks of the river Thames and fans tuning in to watch the action worldwide. The exact route of the race and the best places to watch along the course are available online.

So how did this tradition begin and where did the rivalry between the two universities stem from? On 12 March 1829 two friends, Charles Merivale of Cambridge and Charles Wordsworth of Oxford thought of the idea of the challenge of a boat, the challenge was accepted by Oxford and the rest they say, is history. The race continues year after year as the loser of the previous year’s race challenges the opposition to a re-match and so it continues.

The race today is fiercely competitive and with Cambridge (the Light Blues) coming from behind to win the 2010 race, Oxford (the Dark Blues) will be looking to improve on their record of 75 wins to Cambridge’s 80 by clinching a win.

The crew have been announced and whatever the outcome, this year’s race will be memorable for 2 reasons. On the 30th anniversary of the first woman to cox a Boat Race, Liz Box will have the honour of coxing Cambridge and aged just 18 years and nine months, the Oxford cox Sam Winter-Levy will be the youngest cox for over 100 years. So whoever wins, it’s those 2 facts that you will need to remember for the next pub quiz!

Sheffield Mencap celebrates its Diamond Jubilee

Catherine Hope — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:08:49 +0000

Who would have thought that an idea by a group of parents of children with learning disabilities over sixty years ago, would still be going strong today.

In 1951 parents of children with learning disabilities got together and shared their ideas as to how to achieve a better life for their children. In 2011, some sixty years later, that passion and determination to improve the quality of life for children with learning disabilities and their families is still going strong in the work of Sheffield Mencap.

This year Sheffield Mencap is celebrating a fantastic achievement, it’s Diamond Jubilee. Based at Norfolk Lodge, Sheffield Mencap and Gateway help people to make the most of their lives. With the help of a dedicated support network and numerous volunteers they help people achieve the goals and dreams that they aspire to, be it finding a job, becoming a little more independent or making new friends. These are dreams that we all have at one point in our lives, it is just that the members of Sheffield Mencap have to overcome greater barriers on their journey to realise these dreams.

The services and activities provided by the team at Norfolk Lodge are available to anyone in Sheffield with a learning disability, including their families. Although affiliated to the national charity Mencap, Sheffield Mencap receive no funding from them. Fundraising activities are therefore an integral part of the team’s work at Norfolk Lodge and this years Diamond Jubilee is the ideal opportunity to raise awareness that Sheffield Mencap is a local charity relying on local support.

To help raise funds and awareness of the work that Sheffield Mencap carry out, many events have been planned for their Jubilee year. The fundraising events got off to a flying start with a balloon race. This took place on Monday 10 January, with the first balloon slip being returned to Norfolk Lodge by a lady in Hamburg, Germany!

The next event was a little less serene…….and a fantastic advert for local Sheffield music. Sunday 6 February saw ‘Poptastic Music Night’ return to West Street Live. A shining example as to how communities can come together to raise funds for a worthy cause, this night alone raised just short of £950. West Street Live and Mentholmans have always been great supporters of Sheffield Mencap and with their assistance, the comparing of Jason Richford and the formidable 8 local bands who volunteered their time for free – Sheffield Mencap are on their way to achieving their target of £60,000.

If you have the time to volunteer at any of the planned events throughout 2011, are a local business that has an idea to raise funds or if you would like to make a donation, please contact Gareth Hope or Lucy McKane on 0114 276 7757.

Sheffield Mencap is a registered charity (1056155) and operates without financial support from the national charity Mencap (222377).

Bollywood comes to Rotherham

Catherine Hope — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:16:37 +0000

The Orient Express Restaurant in Rotherham will be hosting a special Bollywood Charity Dinner on Friday 4 March to help to raise funds for the AHS Foundation.

Tickets are priced at £20 and include a 3 course authentic dinner, entertainment, a raffle, auction and disco. All the proceeds from the event will go directly to the AHS Foundation, who provide support to communities which have been devastated by natural disasters. The proceeds from this particular event will assist in improving the facilities at the Medical Centre at Noon Bagla in Pakistan, the home village of one of the Orient Express’s chefs.

The evening kicks off at 7pm and anyone who has visited The Orient Express before, will know that this should be a brilliant night. The family run restaurant is open 7 days a week from 5pm until midnight and 5pm until 1am on a Friday and Saturday. Having recently undergone major refurbishment, the venue is spacious and modern and can certainly compete against local hotels and function rooms for those larger parties you may have planned – hence the number of weddings that The Orient Express now cater for.

The a la carte menu contains an excellent choice of dishes and should you not be familiar with any of the dishes on the menu, the staff are more than happy to take you through the ingredients and the preparation of the dish and recommend various options based on your likes and dislikes. If you want to sample a range of dishes you could always opt for the buffet menu, which is also available 7 days a week. Here you have a number of starters to chose from such as various salads, onion bahjis, chicken tikka and meat samosa’s and a diverse selection of mains with additional vegetarian options. The good thing about this is that you can try as much or as little as you like and if there is one particular dish that takes your fancy then there’s nothing stopping you going back for more – you can go back as many times as you like!

If you want to sample the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at The Orient Express for yourself, tickets for the Bollywood Charity Dinner on Friday 4 March can be purchased by emailing clair.barker@garnett-dickinson.co.uk with your daytime telephone. Further Orient Express reviews are available online.

Who ate all the pies?

Catherine Hope — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:57:47 +0000

Did you know that we have a British Pie Week? I certainly didn’t and as it is now in its third year, I feel that it’s something I’ve been missing out on!

We know that pies are not reputed to be the most healthiest of dishes, but they are tasty, hearty and just flipping lovely if you find the right one. Whether it is a chicken balti pie on the terraces at the football, mince & onion with mash for the family evening meal or pie and peas just to cheer you up on a cold and miserable day, we all have our favourites.

Need inspiration for a different pie every night? A dedicated website www.britishpieweek.co.uk has been set up to provide recipes and tips on how to make the perfect pie and provide pointers for restaurants and pubs to promote their pie offerings.

Don’t fancy making your own and need to cheat a little? Many major stores are planning special offers on their delicious pie ranges, including Lewis & Cooper whose delicatessen department will have offers available during British Pie Week, which runs from Monday 7 March until Sunday 13 March 2011.

If you want to eat out and enjoy a pint of real ale whilst tucking into you pie, then you may want to check out events in your local area, as there are plenty of gastro pubs making the most of the week with special pie menus. London is no except with participating venues offering the British Pie Week London Pub Grub meal deal – a pie and a pint basically. Costing just £10, the British Pie Week London meal deal is on offer from Monday 7th March through to Sunday 20th March 2011 at selected venues.

Argentinean Fine Wine and British Seasonal Food Evening

Catherine Hope — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:01:26 +0000

Fine British seasonal food, accompanied by carefully selected Argentinean wines. This is the special gourmet night to be hosted by The Empress of India, perfectly located in the heart of Victoria Park, on Wednesday 23 February 2011.

An impressive five course menu has been created that strictly consists of British seasonal produce and each course will be accompanied by a glass of Argentinean wine, which has been chosen to match each specific dish.

The Empress of India will be tempting your taste buds with a special menu consisting of pan seared wild Atlantic halibut, roast beef and confit legs of Yorkshire wood pigeon, twelve hour slow cooked leg of Saltmarsh lamb, Cornish Yarg and forced rhubarb crumble tart.

The menu including wine, is just £45 per person and with The Empress of India’s reputation for delicious hearty food, the evening is most certain to become fully booked very quickly. Tables can be reserved by calling Lauren Windle on 0207 242 9122 and the evening starts at 7.30pm sharp, although guests are invited to arrive beforehand to enjoy pre-dinner drinks.

Further special evenings are planned at The Empress of India throughout 2011, with a special menu for the British Pie Week from 7 – 13 March being the next treat in store.