For the second year running we have been short listed for a Virgin Holidays Responsible Travel Award, if we don't win soon we'll start to think it's rigged (or is that a little too arrogant...?)

But also, this was the world cup year!! The route Master bus was retired from service and the plan was to buy one, take it to Germany, sample the culture and the atmosphere while watching live football. It didn't go quite to plan. Jon Jon and Danny Vaz drove from England in an orange, clapped-out old banger. Sadly, like the route master, this too was to be its last voyage. Cruelly on its return to England, Liv broke it as she is a rubbish driver! So while Danny and Jon tore apart the autobahn, the rest of us, lead by captain Mark Scorer, hired a camper van in Stuggart. Four lads in a mobile home on a diet of pork and beer; friendships were made, broken and made again. Between us we saw a few games soaked up the Fan zones and dressed as Elvis.

But this is a place to talk about the developments of Quest, not to regale you with stories of "Our summer with Sven"! Best to move onto next year I feel...