Story
Part Un: In the beginning....
This is a story of a drunken challenge that went stupidly badly wrong. The story starts with two men (Will and John) drunkenly challenging each other to cycle to Paris. Will then asked me if I'd like to join him in cycling to Paris (note that I was at work at the time and sober), and I stupidly said yes. Hence, a stupid drunken challenge.
Somehow Jez also got asked if he wanted to come too. Jez is an Aussie, and has therefore never knowingly said "No" to anything that was either: a) stupid, or b) a challenge. So he said yes too. Then he asked his mate Dane if he wanted to come too, because if there's one thing an Aussie likes more than doing something stupidly challenging, its inviting a Kiwi to take part too, and then trying to beat them at it. Dane, being a Kiwi and therefore genetically unable to back down from a challenge with an Aussie, said yes.
And so it happened, which is where the badly wrong bit comes in. Badly wrong because in this case, unlike most stupid drunken challenges, we're actually going to do it. We're heading out on the 28th of May, and returning on Monday the 31st of May.
Part Deux: What's the plan?
As you may, or may not know, there are plenty of organised bike rides from London to Paris. If you raise a certain amount of money, you get to go, and you are guided on a organised route that avoids the biggest hills, a car follows with your bags, and you take a few days to get there at a leisurely pace. The sensible choice is to join one of these rides.
As you've probably guessed by now, we haven't taken the sensible choice. Instead, we're going it alone, armed only with a credit card, the stuff we can carry on our bikes, on a route devised solely with the help of the rough guide to France and Google maps. Our itinerary is as follows:
Day Un: Depart London Marble Arch, arrive L'Escalles via Folkestone, Calais and the Channel Tunnel (approx 90 miles)
Day Deux: Depart L'Escalles, arrive Amiens (approx 95 miles)
Day Trois: Depart Amiens, arrive Paris (approx 88 miles)
Total journey: approx 275 miles, estimated average speed 10 mph, total time in the saddle 1,640 mins.
Part Trois: Why?
Well, one thing is clear, this is not going to be a walk in the park (or a promenade au parc, as our gallic neighbours don't say). And that's part of the reason for doing it, we all need a challenge sometimes, stupid or not. However, it would be nice if our stupidity had some kind of positive impact somewhere. Which is where you come in; it would be rather splendid if we raised some cash for something useful somewhere.
In my case, I'd like that something useful to be the Hornsey YMCA, situated around the corner from where I live in Haringey, North London. Some of you might chuckle at that, but we need to do this, otherwise how are the local children going to grow up to be Firemen, Policemen, bikers, native Americans or construction workers?
More seriously, I'd like to raise money for something local to where I live, and for something where a small amount of money might make a difference. Hornsey YMCA provides affordable housing, sporting, recreational and childcare services for the local community, and this year is raising money for the following charities:
* YMCA charities (including the Hornsey YMCA Bursary Fund)
• * National Autistic Society (NAS), Barnet Branch – www.barnetnas.org.uk
• * Open Door (Young People’s Consultation Service based in Crouch End) – www.opendooronline.org
• * The FoodCycle Project (combines young volunteers, surplus food and free kitchen space to create nutritious meals for people affected by food poverty) www.foodworksuk.org
Part Quatre: What next?
If you can spare a few quid, or if you feel guilty because I've given money to your charity run in the past, please add a donation. Think of it as your good deed for the day, and dig deep.....! We'll be variously tweeting (apparently that's an internet thing) along the way, and I'll share details of how you can get up-to-the-minute bulletins on how badly it's all going closer to the date.
Please note, we are paying all of our expenses out of our pockets. Everything raised will go directly to the charity.
Part Cinq, the small print.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
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.
This is a story of a drunken challenge that went stupidly badly wrong. The story starts with two men (Will and John) drunkenly challenging each other to cycle to Paris. Will then asked me if I'd like to join him in cycling to Paris (note that I was at work at the time and sober), and I stupidly said yes. Hence, a stupid drunken challenge.
Somehow Jez also got asked if he wanted to come too. Jez is an Aussie, and has therefore never knowingly said "No" to anything that was either: a) stupid, or b) a challenge. So he said yes too. Then he asked his mate Dane if he wanted to come too, because if there's one thing an Aussie likes more than doing something stupidly challenging, its inviting a Kiwi to take part too, and then trying to beat them at it. Dane, being a Kiwi and therefore genetically unable to back down from a challenge with an Aussie, said yes.
And so it happened, which is where the badly wrong bit comes in. Badly wrong because in this case, unlike most stupid drunken challenges, we're actually going to do it. We're heading out on the 28th of May, and returning on Monday the 31st of May.
Part Deux: What's the plan?
As you may, or may not know, there are plenty of organised bike rides from London to Paris. If you raise a certain amount of money, you get to go, and you are guided on a organised route that avoids the biggest hills, a car follows with your bags, and you take a few days to get there at a leisurely pace. The sensible choice is to join one of these rides.
As you've probably guessed by now, we haven't taken the sensible choice. Instead, we're going it alone, armed only with a credit card, the stuff we can carry on our bikes, on a route devised solely with the help of the rough guide to France and Google maps. Our itinerary is as follows:
Day Un: Depart London Marble Arch, arrive L'Escalles via Folkestone, Calais and the Channel Tunnel (approx 90 miles)
Day Deux: Depart L'Escalles, arrive Amiens (approx 95 miles)
Day Trois: Depart Amiens, arrive Paris (approx 88 miles)
Total journey: approx 275 miles, estimated average speed 10 mph, total time in the saddle 1,640 mins.
Part Trois: Why?
Well, one thing is clear, this is not going to be a walk in the park (or a promenade au parc, as our gallic neighbours don't say). And that's part of the reason for doing it, we all need a challenge sometimes, stupid or not. However, it would be nice if our stupidity had some kind of positive impact somewhere. Which is where you come in; it would be rather splendid if we raised some cash for something useful somewhere.
In my case, I'd like that something useful to be the Hornsey YMCA, situated around the corner from where I live in Haringey, North London. Some of you might chuckle at that, but we need to do this, otherwise how are the local children going to grow up to be Firemen, Policemen, bikers, native Americans or construction workers?
More seriously, I'd like to raise money for something local to where I live, and for something where a small amount of money might make a difference. Hornsey YMCA provides affordable housing, sporting, recreational and childcare services for the local community, and this year is raising money for the following charities:
* YMCA charities (including the Hornsey YMCA Bursary Fund)
• * National Autistic Society (NAS), Barnet Branch – www.barnetnas.org.uk
• * Open Door (Young People’s Consultation Service based in Crouch End) – www.opendooronline.org
• * The FoodCycle Project (combines young volunteers, surplus food and free kitchen space to create nutritious meals for people affected by food poverty) www.foodworksuk.org
Part Quatre: What next?
If you can spare a few quid, or if you feel guilty because I've given money to your charity run in the past, please add a donation. Think of it as your good deed for the day, and dig deep.....! We'll be variously tweeting (apparently that's an internet thing) along the way, and I'll share details of how you can get up-to-the-minute bulletins on how badly it's all going closer to the date.
Please note, we are paying all of our expenses out of our pockets. Everything raised will go directly to the charity.
Part Cinq, the small print.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
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.