Background-

The BBC is throwing down the gauntlet to industry, schools, universities and anyone who has ever fancied themselves as an inventor or designer. Can you build a machine to beat our challenges and all the other competitors?

We will be staging four challenges spread over two large events to be filmed during the October half term, and that will form part of a major series to be shown on BBC Two in January 2005.

Anyone is welcome to enter, or just come and watch.

The competition is backed by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and will be a family day out. The emphasis is very much on hands-on engineering and fun.

The presenters are Fearne Cotton (CBBC and Top Of The Pops) and Dick Strawbridge. Dick is a past champion of Scrapheap Challenge and presented the BBC Two series Crafty Tricks of War.

You are invited to take part and form a team who can design, build and race a machine that can beat the professionals.

The races will take place on the Saturday and Sunday with the grand finals on the Sunday. Even if you don€™t want to take part in the races, come and see the fun.

Once we receive your completed form well send you an entry pack to confirm your place in the races.

Therell be a separate category for under 18s.

(I just got this off the BBC website, I agree, its a shame program makers cannot see their programs from a different perspective. This event does sound promising on the outline, if only they could make more of it! Even the website for it is rather tiny.)