Local rally driver Tina Kerridge Reynolds visited pupils at King Ely Junior to give a talk about not giving up on their dreams.

Tina, who lives near Ely and who has two grandchildren at King’s Ely Senior, is one of three women who competed in the gruelling London to Mexico World Cup Rally in 1970.

“In April, despite now being in her 70s, Tina will be testing her mettle in the 2017 London to Lisbon Rally alongside one of her original team mates, Bronwyn Burrell,” said a school spokesman.

“Sadly, their third team mate, Tish Ozanne, has passed away since the original race.

“Tina and Bronwyn are taking on this year’s rally in the same Austin Maxi that they drove in 1970. The two ladies nicknamed the now-renovated car, Puff, after the Magic Dragon, because it helped them ‘fly’ back in the 1970s.

“Tina, Bronwyn and Tish raced competitively in the 1970 rally, achieving 35th place out of 96 starters in London at the end of the rally’s European stages.

“They were backed by Marshall of Cambridge, and at the time, Sir Michael Marshall, now president of the global auto and engineering company, flew out to Lisbon to greet the car and crew.

“Three of Sir Michael’s grandchildren are all pupils at King’s Ely Junior, and were delighted to be asked to present Tina with a bouquet of flowers after the assembly.”