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Hi  -  I made it….Just!   Update on my cycle challenge adventure… and what an adventure it turned out to be!   Little had we known what to expect and some bullet point highlights and stats:   ·         Left Camden 6.45am, Saturday ·         Constant rain all day and 7 degrees C ·         Soaked feet and clothes by 1pm ·         Lunch at the best chip shop in Dunstable ·         Spaghetti style cycle paths in Milton Keynes were challenging ·         66 miles to  Newport Pagnell, arrived 7.30pm ·         3 punctures ·         1 broken spoke ·         12 mars bars, 8 snickers, 15 kit kats, 5 sachets of burner gel and loads of flap jacks consumed en route ·         Torrential rain and strong headwinds Sunday ·         Nearly called it off ·         Emergency risk assessment committee convened (due to family concerns!) ·         Committee gives green light after full English breakfast ·         Soaked feet and clothes by 10am and head winds slowing progress ·         Emergency risk committee has second thoughts and reconvenes ·         All clear to continue given after a couple of chocolate bars ·         Coffee in Leighton Buzzard at 1pm ·         25 mph headwinds on Sunday and only 5 degrees C ·         Punctures cause distress again ·         Flooded paths, canals and rivers attempt to thwart our journey ·         2 further punctures ·         Got lost in Northampton ·         54 miles to Leicester ·         Arrived at 6pm Sunday ·         Perfect weather on Monday!!         Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I managaed to do a 50 (ish) mile training ride on Saturday -  quite achy afterwards! More training needed!  Accountant gears up for charity cycling challenge A local accountant will be taking to the open road on two wheels as he attempts to cycle from London to Leicester in the name of charity this April. John Griffin, partner at Newby Castleman Chartered Accountants, is aiming to raise £1,000 for local good cause Menphys, which supports children and young people with disabilities, by getting in the saddle for the 125-mile trip. John comments: “Menphys is a client of ours and it is such a worthy cause that I thought it would be a great opportunity to raise some money for them. “I’m a fit and able-bodied person, but many of the users of Menphys’ services are not as able-bodied as I am. I’m therefore in a position to do something that raises money to support them, as well as raise awareness of the services they offer. “Originally I thought the challenge would just be a bit of fun, but it seemed like a great opportunity to raise some money so I’ve signed up to Just Giving and also have the support of Newby Castleman as my corporate sponsor.” Setting off from Camden Lock on Saturday 28 April and eventually finishing at the Newby Castleman head office on Regent Road, John will follow Route 6 of the national cycle network for the 125 miles, accompanied by brothers-in-law Peter Shaw, who works for the British Printing Federation, and Kevin Drake, a senior lecturer at University College in London. John says: “The whole idea came about at Christmas; we were talking about how much we were eating and how unfit we were becoming, then Kevin suggested we cycle to Leicester from London – we all agreed it was a great idea and after that nobody dared back out. “The route we’ve chosen will take us off the beaten path and along old canal routes which extends the mileage but will also make for a more pleasant journey. Thanks to my 16-year-old daughter, Eloise, who has kindly leant me her bike, I also get to use an up-to-date bike with auto gears, which will hopefully make the journey a little easier. “I’m now training hard for the challenge, which is becoming more enjoyable with the light evenings, and using every spare moment I have to try and improve my fitness levels.” John is no stranger to a cycling challenge, after taking up the hobby again following the Leicestershire Cycle Challenges in 2010 and 2011, which he took part in along with a number of other Newby Castleman employees. Help John reach his £1,000 goal by visiting <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/JohnGriffinL2L">www.justgiving.com/JohnGriffinL2L</a>. Menphys has been offering care and support to children and young people with disabilities, as well as their families, since 1969. The Leicestershire and Rutland-based organisation, which caters for those aged up to 19, provides number of services, including sports and leisure clubs, outreach services and additional support to a number of specialist nurseries. Visit <a href="http://www.menphys.org.uk/">www.menphys.org.uk</a> for more information. Newby Castleman is one of the UK’s leading independent accountancy practices offering a range of specialist financial services, business and tax advice for individuals and businesses. Its head office can be found on Regent Road, Leicester and a branch office is located in Forest Road, Loughborough. To find out more about its full portfolio of services, please telephone the Leicester branch on 0116 254 9262, the Loughborough branch on 01509 263500 or visit the website at <a href="http://www.newbycastleman.co.uk/">www.newbycastleman.co.uk</a> 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.

John Griffin London to Leicester cycle challenge for Menphys

John Griffin London to Leicester cycle challenge for Menphys

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