Keith Saunders
The Strolling Bones Charity Tour
Fundraising for Children's Hospice South West
Story
Keith and Pete have now started their journey, for regular updates, daily when possible please keep coming back to check this page!!
Our brand new facebook page - please click on the link below
24th July
Keith and Pete would like to say a huge thank you to all of their supporters (you all know who you are!) and to ask a teensy favour!! Would you mind sharing the link to our justgiving page with your friends, the more people we can all contact the better for our very worthwhile charity! Also massive thanks to Felipe and Michael at Moto Alte for all their help and advice and also all the fun they had with you!!
Keith's blisters have responded well to medication taken in the form of regular doses oral doses of claret! Sadly Janet has confiscated his passport so future trips may be complicated!!
21st July
Final day on the road. Up at 6am to go to Taunton for an interview with BBC Radio to plug the Justgiving website and our charity. Keith and Pete left Taunton at 8.45am and set off for Weston Super Mare,they made good time and arrived at 11am. Despite the fact that there were thousands of holidaymakers they were sadly not tuned into the charity and it was a struggle to get any donations. At this point I (Keith's daughter) must mention that no buckets or tins were shaken or rattled, it is an offence to shake charity tins............ no comment! (I do know of a Chelsea Pensioner who regularly raises thousands of pounds for charity at an annual event by calling out to people who walk by without donating, well done that man it can be soul destroying work!) Back to the update, Pippa from the Weston Mercury stopped by to interview Keith and Pete just as a huge cloud burst, they got soaking and Janet was not best pleased as she had just had her hair done!! Left Weston for our final stint at 2.45pm. Well, what an incredible journey, failure simply was never an option and in terms of miles we really did achieve our goal. Please keep on donating and if you have any questions at all please post them onto the wall on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Strolling-Bones-Charity-Tour
Here's the link to our BBC Radio interview http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p008vf07/BBC_Somerset_Breakfast_21_07_2010/
20th July
Monday morning Keith conquered the folding tent, he was delighted with it and thought it a real find; one of those that you literally throw down (ideal after days and days on the chicken chasers!) and it bounces and turns into a ready made tent. Unfortunately trying to fold it up and get it back into the bag each day was little short of a nightmare even though watching the spectacle made Pete fall about laughing every morning with the tent getting a little more bent out of shape each day. So Monday Keith realised how it was meant to go back into the back - BACKWARDS!!! Better late than never!
A great day in Minehead meant that Keith and Pete collected a further £386. Good journey to Burnham with only one puncture and another £60 was donated! The exhaust pipes have been decoked.....again! Exciting news is that the BBC are interviewing Keith and Pete this evening in Taunton providing there are no hiccups along the way, and their final day collecting on the chicken chasers will be tomorrow, Wednesday, in Weston Super Mare.
18th July
Getting into the centre of Barnstaple to shake the collection tins again was a bit of an adventure! Plenty of one way streets with Keith and Pete going one way and all the other vehicles the other way! They left at 2.30pm and arrived at their campsite near Minehead at 5.30pm after an encounter with the boys in blue who decided that being in second gear on a hill was 'kerb crawling' - I believe and official complaint to New Scotland Yard is on it's way - the cheek of it! Their pitch near the cliffside sounds slightly worrying, in Keith's words "Not a problem, we'll use the torch to find our way to bed. Oh no, the batteries are dead, we'll just have to negotiate our way on our hands and knees!" Oops! Steep hills to climb tomorrow too! Keith and Pete would also like to say huge thanks to the lads at Minehead District Social Club!
17th July
Keith and Pete had a great day in Okehampton which they said was a really friendly town. They left at 2.30pm and arrived at 6.30pm in Barnstaple.
16th July
After a very rough crossing Pete and Keith arrived in Plymouth! Motoring into Sundial Square was interesting to say the least but all good fun. At one point they passed each other going in opposite directions, one broke the law and did a U turn but I'm not going to say it was Keith...... After spending most of the say shaking the collection tins in Sundial Square they set off for Okehampton and managed to break their own speed record by covering 40 miles in an hour and a half, the flies in their teeth were a very unfortunate side effect!!
15th July (again!)
Keith and Pete have left Roscoff! I've just heard from Keith who says he's rather upset to have wasted a very nice glass of wine which slid off the table - the high winds have stirred the sea up somewhat and they are having a "very rough" crossing. Let's hope there will be plenty of people out and about in Plymouth tomorrow to fill up the collection buckets with lots of £s!!!
15th July
Please see photo of Keith & Pete's first view of the sea as they headed towards Roscoff. They are due to come back this evening on an overnight crossing. It's pretty windy today so I double checked that the ferries are running as normal which they are, it's only the high speed ones which are experiencing alterations to the timetable! Will post more news as and when it comes! Please also see link for their current location http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Roscoff,+France&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=14.044769,39.506836&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Roscoff,+Finistere,+Brittany,+France&ll=48.727209,-3.977051&spn=3.913646,9.876709&z=7
14th July
Guess who has arrived in Roscoff, and to be honest against almost all odds (that's me, Keith's daughter saying that about the odds, not Keith or Pete!)!! It's been a very slow journey today because of heavy winds and rain and both vehicles nearly ended up on two wheels! Time to catch up with a bit of washing and maintenance before getting onto the ferry to Plymouth tomorrow!
13th July
Keith and Pete are on their way to Roscoff!!
12th July
Pete carried out a lot of maintenance on the engines today, including cleaning out the exhausts, putting on two new tyres and oiling the chains. Meanwhile Keith helped out in the garden (never a dull moment!) by clearing all the brambles from a long hedgerow into a huge heap for burning, clearing the long grass and docks from the stream and after lunch cut down a paddock which was very overgrown with grass and large docks. All jobs finished at 6.30pm! They both agreed it was great to help such a lovely couple who have devoted their lives to caring for abandoned cats and dogs. Leave tomorrow morning for Roscoff!!
10th July
Keith and Pete are now in Corlay where they will be taking a couple of days out to rehaul the engines before taking the ferry from Roscoff to Plymouth. They are staying with Pete's friend Mike and his wife Kate who are a great couple, they take in stray cats and dogs and if they can't rehouse them they keep them for life. They moved to France from Portugal and bought 18 animals with them and fund hem from their savings and pensions! Keith says "Respec!"
9th July
Big lightning storm last night! Pete stood in the middle of the field with the kettle to draw lightning away from the vehicles but left his post when the heavy rain started (sounds like a missed opportunity for another shower!!). They crossed the river by ferry at Pellerin but took the wrong road out of St Etienne and ended up at Saveny. (You can get handheld GPS you know Daddy!) No signs in Saveny either but K&P crossed country as directed by a very helpful person. Huge joy as they overtook a combine harvester apologising as they went for flattening the farmer's corn!! More joy as they set off a speed indicator light at 36 kph!! Two tyre changes today and a total of 2906 kms travelled so far albeit not always in the right direction! After a very exciting day camp has now been set up in a field outside Redon.
8th July
Keith and Pete were very pleased to have showered and freshen up again! The engine problem turned out to be a blocked exhaust which was soon resolved and they set off again. Unfortunately a wrong turn out of Fontenay left them lost in the countryside for three hours! Keith spent much of the day wondering who took the Frenchmens bikes and onions away and replaced them with cars? He thinks the sooner the bikes and onions make a comeback the better.......... This evening they are camping just outside La Roche sur Yon and watching a big storm with lots of lightning brewing on the horizon! Please click on the link to see how far they've got
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Roche-sur-Yon,+Vend%C3%A9e,+Pays+de+la+Loire,+France&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=14.044769,39.506836&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FUIeyAIdH1rq_w&split=0&hq=&hnear=Roche-sur-Yon,+Vend%C3%A9e,+Pays+de+la+Loire,+France&ll=46.649436,-1.40625&spn=4.07261,9.876709&z=7
7th July
At 12.30pm K&P crossed the river at Blay, west of Bordeaux. They enjoyed a typical French baguette and cheese lunch but oddly didn't mention wine! Keith's front wheel suffered a puncture which went all the way through to the canvas but after stopping at four different 'pneu' depots along the way have managed to restock with three more! They have just stopped in Aulney, east of Noir where they are treating themselves to hotel accommodation for the night and as Keith says "I'll be showering three times to catch up!" There's a slight problem with one of the engines which they are hoping to fix in the morning. Please see photos for a great picture of the river!
6th July
K&P have now got to Arcachon via Bayonne and are heading towards La Rochelle. What an adventure! Driving along the coastal road they came across a man in his car completely stuck in the sand! Naturally they stopped and rescued him and gave him one of their cards. Will he or won't he make a donation to this massively worthy cause!?!?! (He'd better!!) Camping again tonight, limited comms as phone batteries are almost flat :( Tomorrow they head for lovely La Rochelle (If you're reading this Mrs Pete, Janet has emailed!!)
5th July
Pete and Keith have now crossed the border into France! They have set up camp for the night in Dantxarinea at the end of the N121B and plan to head for Bayonne tomorrow. Another piston and cylinder change for Pete's cabriolet as it wasn't pulling up hills which in the Pyrenees is really not good! Also cleaned out the exhaust as oil was blowing back through the carb. Pete's exhaust is now held on with bits of wire and Keith is still runing on the foam filled tyre! Travelled through Pamplona followed by a journey on the N121B. The scenery was fantastic, quite mountainous! Please see photos for the fantastic view we had today!
4th July
Have now arrived in Estella on the way to Pamplona (hopefully Keith and Pete will miss any charging bulls running through the streets!) After a good day the total number of kilometres covered is now 1690! Last night was very cold and windy. More new piston rings needed for Pete's cabriolet, but thankfully the ghia is going well apart from a second puncture which they repaired using foam in the tube, after 200 kms it's still going strong! Word to the wise, don't but Michelin maps for Spain, Repsol are so much better. Also in today's news, Pete ran over a rabbit but unfortunately wasn't the first so a stew was off the menu! Almost overtook their first tractor but he turned off, quite miffed!! They did, however, manage to jump two sets of red lights and break the speed limit with a back wind, the limit was 25 kph though :) They have also seen lots of pilgrims on their way to Santiago, a mere stroll at 850kms!!
3rd July
Have reached Burgos, travelled many miles unfortunately not always in the right direction!! The potholes in the area could be used as landfill and K&P have suffered two punctures and are expecting more of the same! Unfortunately the lunchtime chef lost the frying pan so lunch had to be delayed until the evening!! Check the link to see how far we've travelled! http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Burgos,+Spain&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.496064,78.662109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Burgos,+Castille+and+Leon,+Spain&ll=42.326062,-3.691406&spn=6.870012,19.665527&z=6
2nd July
Up at 6.30am to leave Salamanca before rush hour, having no clutch meant there could be no stopping for traffic lights or roundabouts! Once K&P had left the city they managed to sort the clutch problem by 10.30am! Arrived Plasencia and now camping in the woods. 1200 kms covered so far!!
1st July
Arrived in Salamanca. Today started off with a little chat with a very helpful Policeman who insisted on Keith and Pete buying motorbike helmets..........can't see those lasting long somehow! The police were extremely helpful again later onlater in the day and stopped all the traffic so Keith and Pete could travel back down the motorway the wrong way............oops!! Broken down in the city centre so first thing tomorrow we will be carrying out repairs before setting off! Please click on the link to see how far Keith and Pete have travelled:
30th June
Reached Vilaformosa today, and running total is now at 810 kms!! Unfortunately getting lost and taking the wrong road out of Sabul has contributed a few more!!
29th June:
20 kms from Castelo Branco! 560 kms covered so far and just sorting out camp and dinner, Pete is cook! One mountain today took 90 minutes to climb, downhill somewhat faster!! Please take a look at our pictures for a great view taken today!! Link to Google Maps showing our journey to date http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Castelo+Branco,+Portugal&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hl=en&cd=1&geocode=FRWqXwId066N_w&split=0&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=6.881357,14.941406&hq=&hnear=Castelo+Branco,+Portugal&ll=39.774769,-7.426758&spn=7.141079,19.665527&t=h&z=6
28th June:
Reached Evora after an eventful day! Keith and Pete were pulled over by police for driving on the freeway, their papers were checked and as pretty much everything was in place they were allowed to carry on with good wishes for the rest of the journey! More breakdowns but it looks like the problem has been found, there was no vent on the fuel cap! FIngers crossed again. Camping out for the first time tonight!
27th June:
Left Varjota 0900hrs, arrived Castro Verde late evening after lots of breakdowns. 4 lugs later.......replaced coil........replaced condensor and housing...........replaced cylinder head and piston!! Think Keith and Pete will sleep well tonight!!
Pre journey trials:
Forks all straightened, time to get serious! Covered 40km in two hours, leaving tomorrow. There's no going back now!
Rode around the garden, unfortunately Keith lost control of his chicken chaser, hit the wall and buckled the forks. Sorry Pete, back to the workshop!
Huge thanks to Paraby Communications, Milton Road, Weston Super Mare for the loan of two walkie talkies which will enable Keith and Pete to communicate with each other! Much easier, safer and far more reliable that than shouting and gesticulating!!
Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.
At Children’s Hospice South West care is given to children who have illnesses which mean they will die before reaching adulthood. Expert care is given to them, their parents and well siblings. Despite the serious nature of their work, the hospices are joyful places filled with love and laughter. Funds are needed to sustain the vital services these hospices provide to families in their hours of need. The Precious Lives Appeal has been set up to raise funds for Little Harbour which will be the charity's third hospice; like Charlton Farm and Little Bridge House it will offer 24 hour palliative care and end of life care, also support for parents and well brothers and sisters and help and advice in bereavement. It was granted planning permission in March 2009 with completion to be at the end of 2011. Little Harbour will cost over £5,000,000 and with your generosity will become a reality! So here's where Keith and Pete come into the story...............
Keith and Pete are about to set out on the journey of a lifetime to raise funds for Children's Hospice South West. Not content with a parachute jump, or sponsored walk they will be leaving Vilamoura in Portugal on June 29th 2010 for an amazing journey of over 3,000 miles riding the bone shaking and minimal 'Chicken Chasers' you see in the picture. They will be camping each night taking with them only the bare minimum of essential items as with the engines being smaller than most modern lawnmowers there is not much capacity for extra weight! The Strolling Bones Charity Tour will take them through Portugal and Spain, over the Pyrenees (double check those brakes work!) and through France where they will board the ferry in Roscoff to head for Plymouth, followed by Okehampton, Barnstaple, Minehead, Burnham-on-Sea and finally reaching our destination Weston Super Mare where we will be collecting with the team from Children's Hospice South West on 21st July 2010. Collections will be made throughout the journey!
Regular updates along with photos will be made for this intrepid journey, and your support with any donation however small will mean the world to us!!
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 - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
Thanks a million (now that really would be great!) Keith and Pete