A GROUP of 17 women from Ambleside went on the pull last Sunday evening - and hauled their way to a new record in the annual Kirkstone Pass Car Pull, reports Jane Renouf.

The three-mile route from outside Ambleside Tourist Information Centre to the Kirkstone Pass Inn (1,468 ft) includes the "Struggle" - the nickname given centuries ago to the final steep zigzag bends.

Not only did the group have to contend with the arduous route, but they also towed a Rover Metro 100 Kensington weighing more than 16cwt, plus a competitor at the steering wheel.

The women's time was one hour, seven minutes and 22 seconds, thought to be a record time for such a small team in the 20-year history of the event.

The team was eight members down on the usual contingent of 25.

The pull was sponsored by Westmorland Car Sales of Kendal which lent the Metro, and organised by Dave Reynolds of Ambleside Boxing Club with assistance on the hill from Robert Reid of Windermere Auto Centre.

At least £500 was raised for breast cancer charities, and now the women have proved their pulling power, it will be the men's turn on September 23, when local lads will be challenged by a team from Lancaster.

Organiser Dave Reynolds has also dreamt up a new record-breaking stunt for Kirkstone Pass - to lay a continuous chain of rubber bands from top to bottom, which will require 90,000 medium to large sized rubber bands.

Starting with just a mile, Dave is appealing to local people to turn out their desks and sort through drawers to help collect the 30,000 bands that he needs.

The record attempt would raise money for breast cancer charities.

Contributions of rubber bands can be left at the Boxing Club, behind the Golden Rule, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings from 7.30-8.45pm.