30TH SEPTEMBER

OH MY GOD!!!!

WHAT A FEW WEEKS!!!!!

BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY PARTY WEEKEND, ARDBEG WHISKY AUCTION AND AMAZING GENEROSITY FROM MANY, MANY PEOPLE ACCROSS THE GLOBE IN SUPPORT OF THIS WORTHY CAUSE......

SO MUCH SO THAT THE FUND IS NOW AT OVER £32,000 (£33,500 INCLUDING GIFT AID) ....AN AMAZING AMOUNT AND OVER £7,000 MORE THAN OUR ORIGINAL TARGET!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH AND APOLOGIES TO ALL WHO I "NUDGED, KICKED, PERSUADED AND PLEADED WITH" TO SUPPORT ME IN MY CHALLENGE....

WE HAVE HAD WELL OVER 150 DONATIONS ON AND OFF-LINE....MARVELLOUS AND HUMBLING SUPPORT FOR AN OLD, FAT, BALD, UGLY BLOKE ON A BIKE .... BUT GREATLY APPRECIATED.... THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING AND REWARDING FEW MONTHS OF MY LIFE AND THANKS TO YOU ALL, ST. GILES HAVE SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL TO SHOW FOR IT AND I HAVE MANY MANY MEMORIES WHICH I WILL NEVER FORGET...

THANKS AGAIN TO YOU ALL!!!

RICHARD

6TH SEPTEMBER.

WE'VE NOT STOPPED THE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, WITH MY BIG BIRTHDAY ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY.....!!

MANY THANKS GO ONCE AGAIN TO SHIRLEY AND STUART ELLIS AND ALL THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR THEIR AMAZING EFFORTS ON SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST, WHEN THEY HELD A FUNDRAISING EVENING AT THEIR HOME, TO SUPPORT MY CHALLENGE....THEY RAISED APPROX £2,500, IN TOMBOLA, RAFFLE AND AUCTIONS (INCLUDING ARTICLES DONATED BY ARDBEG), WHICH IS NOT ALL COLLECTED YET AND SO IS NOT YET ADDED TO "OFFLINE TOTAL," BUT WILL TAKE US WELL OVER £28,000!!! ......... THEY ALSO TRAVELLED AROUND SEVERAL POINTS ON THE CHALLENGE TO BOOST MORALE, AND BRING SUPPLIES, WHICH WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED....KEEP WATCHING FOR FURTHER NEWS!!!

WITH A 6 BOTTLE CASE OF SPECIAL ARDBEG (KINDLY DONATED BY THE DISTILLERY) COMING UNDER THE AUCTIONEER'S HAMMER AT MY PARTY ...COULD WE BE THREATENING £30,000????????????????

 

19th June ... 10th and LAST DAY!!

GOT BACK TO UNICORN IN ONE PIECE AFTER 54 MILES OF WHICH, THE FIRST 10 WERE VERTICAL AGAIN,... BUT ZOOMED THE LAST 25 MILES!! THE PROSPECT OF THE UNICORN WELCOMING COMMITTEE PROVING VERY POWERFUL!!

ALMOST 480 LONG MILES COMPLETED, WITHOUT A PUNCTURE AND OUT OF THE 60 ODD HOURS IN THE SADDLE ONLY 2 HOURS OF RAIN (ON DAY 2!)

WHAT AN AMAZING 10 DAYS.....AND THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORETD THIS MEMORABLE VENTURE IN ANY WAY, BUT IN PARTICULAR STUART AND SHIRLEY ELLIS WHO FOLLOWED US FOR THE LAST 3-4 DAYS MAKING SURE ALL WAS WELL!!

MORE PHOTOS TO FOLLOW

WHAT A JOURNEY!!

I never thought this day would come

With crippled legs and painful bum

The bike is showing battle scars

A wounded seat and handlebars

From falling off with stupid shoes

When moving off from traffic queues

I’ve been through, rain and wind and hills

I’ve had my share of thrills and spills

I’ve seen mountains, valleys and lots of sheep

All wondrous memories to keep

I’ve watched donations rolling in

Which help each morning to begin

I thank you all for this support

But can, quite honestly report

That what kept me going through the miles

Was the thought of those who are in St. Giles

Thank God, Becci, for all her work in arranging EVERYTHING, driver John for all his valet-like attention and encouragement , my boys (and grandchildren for their love and concern), Sue (for her mid-trip visits, million calls and texts of worry and advice), Alex and George for technical support, and Stuart and Shirley Ellis for following me around for the last few days to make sure all was well!!! Thanks also to you all for the messages of and financial/emotional support for this crazy life-enriching experience.

And last of all....Kat...for the bottle of Ardbeg which gave me the inspiration....and for her brilliant idea to buy me some Marstons when I’m 70!! xxx

What a 10 days.............My body may want to forget it....but my mind never will!

 

18th June ... day 9

this was definitely a "day of two halves!"....

the first 20 miles were relatively straight forward, Rochdale, Oldham, Hyde and then we eventually hit Macclesfied.....in reasonable but tired shape....support on the way from good friend and biker, Pete who had driven up to give advice and encouragement, despite not feeling too good himself!! (thanks Pete!)

then came the last bit up to Stanley Arms at the top of the mountains.... 5 miles of vertical again......eventually arriving at 5pm!!! 1 day to go....Thank God!!

 

17th June ... day 8

forget yesterday....all I have to or want to say about today's , what turned out to be 56 miles journey, is, that i finished it, in one piece!!

it was a disaster which took over 7 hours from start to finish !!

day 8 completed and would be considered as "the wall" if it were a marathon!!

 

16th June ...day 7

today was probably the worst from a "hill-climb" point of view...many had warned me about Shap....and now I know why...

to give some kind of persepctive, at one stage, an RAF training jet sped through the valley 100 feet "BELOW" us!!!

many more hills followed to make day 7 a true test!! ... just over 48 miles in the end...taking us to around the 330 miles so far...

7 days down....3 to go....can the thighs last the course???

15th June...day 6

oh my God!! due to route constraints, it was 60.6miles today and the A75 was a death trap for 15 miles with 246,567 lorries blasting past 3 inches from my ass!! after we abandoned that road life got a bit easier, but the A6 from Carlisle threw many a hill my way....the good news is over 280 miles now behind me and only 4 days to go.....and thanks to you all, we have almost £22,500 on the board for St. Giles'....

 

15th June...day 6

Goodbye bonnie Scotland!

we'll be leaving Scotland later on,

just me, me bike and driver John,

it's been a memorable time,

with mountains high and lochs sublime..

with bumpy roads and many hills,

and raging streams by whisky stills,

but what will most stick in my mind,

is the pain that's building, just behind!!

Thank you Scotland for a wonderful few days!!

 

14th June.....day 5

much better today!!...looks like the Council in Dumfries and Galloway at least had a spirit level in some areas and actually surfaced the roads here and there....so almost 45 miles in 3 hours 20 minutes!! and beautiful scenery and weather!!

back-up van had a few problems today as I passed him parked in a lay by after 10 miles only to see him fast asleep!!!

but, after all we completed the half-way mark, almost unscathed..

big day tomorrow...Dumfries to Penrith...approx 56 miles...and plenty of hills.... watch this space!!

 

13th June .....day 4

Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!!!! 38 miles today of steep hills, rough roads and gales!!! I was destroyed at the end...

Only the close attention of the back-up van kept me afloat!!

The first 10 miles getting out of Paisley were uphill with red traffic lights every 200 metres!! and then it got worse!!

When (if) I get back, I am sending a spirit level to the Highways Agency in Scotland!!!

4 days down and 6 to go!!

 

12th June....Day 3

shorter day today from Tarbet.....starting with 18 miles of beautiful cycle paths hugging the "Bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond!"

Followed by a tough, wind-swept busy road into Glasgow, including a "private" ferry accross the Clyde, to Renfrew, in what looked like a floating skip!...but day 3 completed in one piece and 145 miles behind us!!

11th June... Day 2!!

left Lochgilphead at 10am after buying tool kit!...(forgot mine!!!)

the 25 miles to Inveraray were VERY tough, but NOTHING compared with the afternoon 19miles through what seemed to be the Swiss Alps to Tarbet!!! 48 of the 49 miles were uphill and Scottish rain came to drench us!!! however, 2 down, 8 to go!!!

legs beginning to feel the strain!!

(photos to follow!!)

10th June.............the big day!!!

leave the Harbour Inn at 0915 am and arrive at Ardbeg distillery at 1030am for the tour and tasting!! (14 miles) leave after excellent hospitality at 1230 and did the 24 miles to the ferry at Port Askaig in less than 2 hours!! arrive at Kennacraig at 1745 and the last 19 miles to Lochgilphead were tough...weather was amazing....especially for Scotland!!

8th June

the bike leaves for bonny Scotland!!

7th June...........3 days to go!!!

John collects the van and the loading process begins, ahead of his departure for the hills at 5am tomorrow!!!

the excitement builds!!!

3rd June....exactly 1 week to go!!!

training slowly winding down now to give "sensitive areas" a rest!!

donations rolling in...but we need MORE!!!

2nd June training update!!!

completed two 50 mile rides at the weekend without any fractures.. so all looking good!!

please donate now!!! ...........................

see below!!

Hi everyone!!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

It will come as a major shock to most of you, but in September this year I will be 60 years old!!!

Obviously, I couldn't let this major milestone go by without arranging some kind of ridiculous challenge to prove I am still a young man with all my faculties working well!!

As my boys and Sue will tell you, one of my many weaknesses is whisky and when I was given a bottle of Ardbeg, by a lovely young lady (thanks Kat) the idea of a cycle challenge to or from the Isle of Islay came to mind.

So, we have now fixed it and I will start my challenge, of just short of 500 miles of cycling, in Islay on Thursday 9th of June 2011, hopefully arriving without the aid of an ambulance at the Unicorn Inn, Newton Solney on Sunday 19th June (Enshallah!)

To make the most of this AMAZING EFFORT, I have registered on the Just Giving website and have nominated St.Gile's Hospice, in Lichfield as my chosen charity and hope to raise an UNBELIEVABLE amount of money for them, to help in their continued efforts for those who are sadly, very ill indeed.

Please feel free to give as much as you can afford (or more if you wish!!) to support this wonderful charity and to make up for what is likely to be a very sore backside for weeks to come...

Rest assured that all the expenses of the journey and challenge will be paid by myself (or sponsors) and that no costs will be deducted for this from your kind donations.

 

We have added "Gift Aid" facility so that should you be a UK tax payer, then the donation will be boosted accordingly.

I will be updating the site as we go along and we will be reporting a daily "blog" (whatever that is!) as to my progress, during the journey...

Whatever you donate will be very gratefully received and hope we can make this a very successful challenge and prove a valuable contribution to St. Gile's!!

 

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.