British man driving himself around the world

A little more than a year ago, Roy Locock set out from his home in the U.K. with the simple plan of proving someone wrong. He had been told by friends that there was no way he could possibly drive around the world. But now, 14 months later, he’s not only through the most challenging part of the journey, he’s in the home stretch, having reached Regina, Canada yesterday.

Roy left the U.K. and drove across Europe, into Asia, where he eventually arrived in India. From there, he caught a boat to Australia, drove across that country, and caught another boat to South America. Turning is car north, he continued to drive, until he crossed into North America, eventually arriving at his current location in Canada. He’ll head east from Regina, eventually reaching the Atlantic coast, where he’ll grab one last boat back home.

Before setting out, Roy decided he needed to find just the right car to accompany him on his journey. He admits that he wanted to travel in style and look good on his long distance road trip. He eventually settled on a 1977 MG Midget convertible that he lovingly dubbed “Bridget the Midget”, a car that the he says he had wanted since he was a teenager.

The around-the-world drive isn’t just about proving his friends wrong however and it isn’t just about the adventure either. Roy is also driving for a cause, as he has been raising funds for UNICEF, a charity that met his two criteria, of having an international reach, and directly benefited children in the process.

With a little luck, Roy should be home in just a few weeks time. But he isn’t in much of a hurry. He has enjoyed his time on this journey, and admits that he likes the freedom of the open road. The question is, how many others has he inspired to get in their car, drive down the street, and just keep going, in the process.

[via the Lake Powell Chronicle]