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“I’VE always fancied a 101,” 26-year-old Ben Marston tells me as he climbs up into the cab and fires up the glorious, burbling V8. “I think the Forward Control makes a great pair with my Lightweight, even if it is pretty wacky and looks like it was dreamed up by Land Rover’s Mad Hatter’s Tea Party department!”
Soon, snapper Craig and I are following Ben and the 101 through the floodwaters left by Storm Babet, as we head towards Cannock Chase for our photoshoot. The 101 wades through everything without a second thought, although mere mortals in ordinary cars are significantly more cautious as they watch the 101’s tsunami-sized bow-wave surging towards them.
Cannock Chase, located between Walsall and Stafford, is 26 square miles of ancient woodland and heathland. It used to be a Royal Forest, but nowadays it’s managed by Forestry England and is a hugely popular recreational amenity for the people in the surrounding area. As we drive into