Forget the royal wedding, the big event in Carlisle this weekend is the Pirelli International Rally which will bring 120 competing crews, not to mention an estimated 1000 marshals, service personnel and journalists, plus a horde of enthusiastic supporters, streaming into the border city, filling every hotel, guest house and B & B to capacity.

The Pirelli International Rally has long been one of the countries top motor sporting events, it has been included in the British Championship for the last 20 years, attracting the leading drivers in Britain and from abroad and this year the event organisers, Cumberland Sporting Car Club, find them catering for competitors in three other championships, most notably the British Historic Championship which brings a horde of glorious sounding machines from yesteryear out driving in anger once again.

Based at Carlisle Racecourse, the rally starts on Friday evening and heads North to the forests around Newcastleton, where there will be a rest halt in the village square that is being eagerly looked forward to by the local community. The action on Saturday switches to the giant Kielder Forest where the competitors face a long, hard, gruelling day before they reach the finishing line back at Carlisle Racecourse.

Spectators are welcome to come and see the cars in action and to join in the start and finish ceremonies at Carlisle Racecourse or get a close up view of the cars and their drivers, take photographs or collect autographs at the Newcastleton rest halt.