For those of you who have not been receiving the regular Team Johnston fax updates the bad news is the Ben Fogle has officially dropped out of the team due to "other commitments". It is of course too late to train a replacement for Ben - something that is especially disappointing in light of the high level of competition that there was for places on the team.

 

As many of you will have guessed, this development renders the original plan to complete the course in a Canadian canoe, completely impractical. Rather than attempt to square the circle Dr Dre and I have decided on a radical change of tack and we now intend on completing the entire course in a horse and trap. In doing this we hope to raise money for maternity worldwide - a charity that works to reduce mortality in child birth in sub saharan Africa.

 

At the last Team Johnston AGM it was agreed by 2 votes to 1 (Fogle against) that the most efficient way to complete this task would undoubtedly be for myself to ride standing up in the cart, wearing top hat, tail coat and stove pipe trousers while distributing carnations to the children of Brighton as we ride past. Dr Dre will ride in the front of the cart and will maintain control of the horse at all times.

 

While this has certainly caused some raised eyebrows during our track training sessions at the East End Stadium, in adopting this approach we are confident on completing the course in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

 

Please give generously  - it costs as little as £15 to support a safe birth in Ethiopia - and then bathe in the all too fleeting feeling that just for a moment you too are a part of Team Johnston. Although just to make it perfectly clear, you're not.