<p> <p><span style="color: #808080;"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #993300;"><strong><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;amp; font-size: 11.5pt;">"A journey of <span style="color: #808080;">1037.4miles</span> begins with a single silly suggestion...and ends in John O'Groats&rdquo;</span></em></strong></span><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;amp; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;amp; color: #000000; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #003366;">Ancient Chinese proverb. </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: #808080;"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;amp; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;amp; color: #000000; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #003366;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #003366;">&nbsp;</span></p> </p> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="line-height: 140%; font-family: &amp;quot; COLOR; font-size: 11.5pt;">It has been some journey. On the 24 September 2011 the team set out from Edinburgh at 5am to drive to Land&rsquo;s End. Arriving some 600ish miles and over 11 hours later we donned the bikes, got our photos taken and then began the cycle to John O'Groats in&nbsp;the far North East of Scotland. The scale of the journey ahead dominated my thoughts. It was going to be epic!</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: #003366;"><span style="line-height: 140%; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Arial&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></span>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color: #003366;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Arial&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Some two weeks later I would roll into John O&rsquo;Groats having cycled 1,037.4miles, the length of the country. An amazing experience that is hard to capture in words. Along the way there were times I wanted to give up and get off the bike, and other moments were it seemed to be just perfect to be cycling.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="line-height: 140%; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Arial&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt;">The monumental journey was undertaken for <em><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Arial&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;;">HOPE Worldwide </span></em>and particularly for the <a title="Bhuj Primary School" href="http://hopefoundation.org.in/education/coh-bhuj.aspx"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Bhuj Primary School</span></a>, Gujarat, North West India. A great project that helps children gain education to help them through the rest of their lives. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="line-height: 140%; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Arial&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt;">The generous donations toward Hope Worldwide are one of the most inspiring aspects of this endeavour. The goal was to cycle 1,000miles and to raise &pound;1 for every mile cycled. In the end I cycled a little more than the 1,000miles and everyone has been super kind to sponsor me more than I had expected. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; background: white; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="line-height: 140%; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Arial&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt;">Some of this epic journey is captured in images, you can view them here: <a href="http://on.fb.me/nSbuNr"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://on.fb.me/nSbuNr</span></a></span></p> <p><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Arial&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Thanks for all the support. It means a huge amount to me, HOPE Worldwide and the children in Bhuj.</span></p> <p> <p> <p><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;amp; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt;">Chris </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;amp; color: #003366; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;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&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p> </p> </p> </p> <p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> </p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> </p> </p> </p> <p> <p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> </p> </p> <p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> </p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color: #808080;">So please dig deep and donate now.</span></p>