Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Many of you will know my Wife Georgie fairly well, others might have just a passing knowledge of her, but all of you will probably be aware that she has been suffering from a brain tumour for some time now. She's had brain surgery twice and has just finished a six week course of radiotherapy. So let's get some of the serious facts out of the way first.

Only 14% of brain tumour sufferers survive for more than 5 years.

More people under the age of 40 die of a brain tumour than of any other form of cancer.

Brain cancer research receives less than 1% of the national spend on cancer research in the UK.

These statements speak for themselves really. I felt that I simply had to do something to try to straighten out this funding anachronism and the best way to do this is to try to raise as much money as I can, directly, for the right research charity.

Georgina actually signed me up for this challenge after I'd been grizzling about early onset middle-age, paunch and a general decline in physical prowess. So, come May I shall be mounting the old iron horse and spending four days pedalling from London to Paris, laying waste to the villages and farmsteads around me as I go. The journey will total 300 miles, but this does not include the English Chanel (my daughter did ask if I was going to swim with my bike).

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

UPDATE, 11TH FEB 2012.

Well, this morning saw me gasping my way up the Ridgeway in temperatures of minus three, in what could laughably be termed 'a training ride'. I cut the ride short, to a measly 22 miles because the black ice was so troublesome. I imagine the French won't have invented ice yet though so this does not worry me.

To more serious matters... Georgie seems to be recovering well from her radiotherapy but we need to keep our fingers crossed that it has 'done the job'. The scan to check how it all went will be crucial, but a while away yet. Meantime though she has asked me to try to publicise the following:

Brain Tumour Research through the Brain Tumour Consortium is calling on its supporters to sign a Government e-petition designed to trigger a parliamentary debate on how best to raise awareness and funding for those affected by Brain Tumours http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/17419

The petition was launched by Rachel Clark and has already attracted many hundreds of signatures but the Brain Tumour Consortium is backing Rachel’s petition in order to draw attention to the ‘three asks’ the Consortium have set out in their manifesto. These are to:

· Ensure early diagnosis and treatment by ensuring that clear guidelines on identifying the signs and symptoms of brain tumours, and on referring patients for rapid and appropriate assessment, are integrated into General Practice and Emergency Medicine Practice.

· Implement NICE’s best practice guidance by s etting a clear timetable to fully implement and audit the Improving Outcomes Guidance, or its country equivalent, in particular by ensuring that the Health and Social Care Bill maintains the progress made to date.

· Increase Government investment in brain tumour research and more accurately measure numbers of both primary and secondary brain tumours by publishing a detailed breakdown of site-specific brain tumour research funding from the Government and ensure that by 2014 at least 7.5% of adults with primary brain tumours are enrolled in randomised, controlled clinical trials as part of their therapy.

If you do sign up to the petition and would like to be kept informed of the progress the Consortium is making with the ‘three asks’ please do email them on btc@luther.co.uk c.c, sue@braintumourresearch.org and we will make sure we keep you up-to-date with developments.

Thanks for getting this far!

UPDATE 4th MAY 2012

I have been remiss in not having posted the following ages ago. I need to thank Richard Dening-Smitherman for his very kind loan of his proper road bike.
I had planned to do the ride to Paris on my 23 year old Peugeot Premiere racing bike. I thought I could swan into Paris wearing a beret and some plastic onions around my neck, over a stripy Breton shirt. The early stages of the training showed me quickly that I was going to have to take things a bit more seriously and that my kit simply wasn't 'fit for purpose'. My bike is not even a man's frame size, (it was my fifteenth birthday present) and the highest two gears did't work. I also intended to go helmetless, without lycra clothing of any type and importantly, without any sunglasses at all unless the conditions were Saharan.
This reluctance stemmed from a great fear of being seen as one of those awful cyclists with 'all the gear and no idea'. The sunglasses were I thought, just a big pose. Why wear them on cloudy days? Well the simple answer to that question is, if one doesn't wear them one's eyes are stuffed full flies after half a mile.
Anyway, Richard D-S has lent me all the kit (bar the lycra shorts...) and my trip will be far more comfortable as a result...
Thanks again Richard.