Al’s taking Herbie to Monte Carlo to raise money for children’s hospice

Good luck to cruise ship sommelier Al Clinton, who will be setting off in less than two weeks to fulfil a life’s ambition which will raise thousands of pounds for charity.
Al, who works in The Glass House on P&O’s Azura, will be taking his lovingly reconstructed Herbie from his home on Merseyside on the 1,100-mile drive to Monte Carlo. With sponsorship and a flurry of celebrity-supported events in the UK, he hopes to collect at least £53,000 for Claire House, a children’s hospice.
Al will be taking a co-driver, back-up team and film crew along for the drive, which has been years in the planning. He first told me about it when we met on board Azura in the summer of 2010, but when I saw him in Oslo last year he was almost in despair because of organisational problems.
Everything is now on track. The car, a fully-restored 1963 Californian left-hand drive ragtop Beetle, looks as identical to the original Disney Love Bug as it’s possible to be, and is fitted with a racing Porsche engine.
Al says: “The opportunity to drive Herbie back to Monte Carlo is something I have wanted to do since I was a child. As a Liverpudlian I chose Claire House to be the recipient of our fund-raising. It is a remarkable place and this challenge has provided a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness and much-needed funds so it can continue to provide invaluable care and support for the 160 children and their families who visit the hospice each year”.
His boss, TV wine expert Olly Smith, will be hosting a fund-raising auction at London’s Classic Car Club on May 27. I’ll be at a dinner at Atul Kochhar’s Benares restaurant in the West End on June 4, and Marco Pierre White, also a patron of Claire House, has made his Liverpool Steakhouse Bar available for another dinner on June 7.
Olly told me this week: “Al is a devoted chap, full of energy, enthusiasm and attention to detail. That’s why he got the job as the Wine Host of The Glass House and as anyone who’s visited the bar will know,
“Al leads the charge every day that he works. I couldn’t be more delighted to support him and Herbie in their endeavours for Claire house Children’s Hospice and salute his determination and drive”.
YOU can help Al reach his £53,000 target by buying tickets for any of the events above, or making a donation online at JustGiving.