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18th Aug UPDATE.I have left my history on but have added at the end my thoughts on my completion of my ride.

I was born at Indian Queens in Cornwall in 1946, a CORNISHMAN, vare &viddy as my late mum would say, it means through and through.

My early working life took me to St Columb Major, Walkey & sons ironmongers and seed merchants. I used to cycle to and from work 6miles a day 6 times a week.

Moving onto the Co-op at St Columb Rd for a short spell then into the claywork industry before I joined the Royal Navy in 1968.

When I was shore side, about as rare as hens teeth I cycled to the dockyard from St Budeaux.I left the Navy in 1977 and due to unforeseen circumstances found myself and the family in rented accomadation and no job. I then worked as a steward at the Indian Queens Working Mens Club.

In 1978 I moved to the West Devon area working at the big house on Dartmoor where I remained until 2003. I then worked for Yelverton Taxi's until 2005 and then took over the firm until this present day.

I have been associated with Tavistock Football Club since 1995.Chairman in 1997 for a year and Secretary for 3 years.

I am also a Sustrans National Cycle Network Volunteer Ranger looking after a section of the Devon Coast to Coast route 27 Plymouth to Ilfracombe in Tavistock.

I became a member of Sustrans from the outset in the late 90's and volunteered straight away as a ranger.

I have collected nearly all of the long distance maps that Sustrans have produced and have so far completed Padstow to Bristol, Bristol to Holyhead, Bristol to Reading and back, The Devon Coast to Coast and most of the Cornish Way.

It has been my dream since the National Cycle Network was formed that I would want to go End to End.

A health scare in 2005 seemed to haveput paid to my dream. I have always had a weight problem ever since I joined the Navy and have yo-yo'dup and down ever since.

But in Oct 2007 I joined Slimmimg World, the weight started coming off and I got back on my cycle. My thoughts of going End to End returned and just after Xmas the decision to go was on.

The route that had to be taken on the Network amounted to some 1600 miles. I estimated it would take me at least 6 weeks to do in one hit. Icould not afford to take all that time off and so decided to put it into 3 stages.

It would give me three summer cycle holidays and something to look forward to for at least 3 years.

There was much talk about doing it for charity before I even started but I found myself immersed in getting myself and my cycle up to Scotland to even concern my self with fundraising.

However with two parts completed, John O' Groats to Newcastle 700 miles 08, Newcastle to Reading 496 miles 09 I am now up for the challenge of raising some funds for cancer research prior to my final part Reading to Lands End 2010.

There are two people in  Tavistock who are suffering from cancer and I wish to honour them with my fundraising and the husband of one of them has passed away and I wish that my fundraising will be in memory of him.

At Indian Queens there are no less than four people who are suffering or have suffered and i wish to honour them as well.

I intend to hold Karaoke nights at Tavistock Football Club and the Indian Queens W M Club in the New Year.

Slimming Worlds charity is the NSPCC and I will do something for them and finally part of my Yelverton Car business sees me take Special Needs children to Milford School in Plymouth and i will be raising some funds for them

I want to try and raise as much money as I possibly can to make a difference to all those who are diagnosed with this terrible disease.

Please sponsor me if you can.

Well the ride has now been completed. I  rode into Lands End on Mon Aug 2nd at 3-15pm having covered 430 miles from Reading with tears streaming down my face as the enormity of my acheivment started to hit home. It had been a ride of all the emotions that you could conjure up. I had breakdowns of my bike(no backbreak, a puncture in newcastle after I had put my bike together from the flight from plymouth and loaded it. Everthing off,  new tube on, loaded again it all takes time and puts you back.  Dogs, detours, losing ones way due to bad signing and having to read the map backwards travelling north to south instead of vice versa.

Some of my pre ride events went well. The Band concert at Indian Queens Pit was ok. Slimming worlds sponsorship in tavistock for NSPCC was well supported and the karaoke night at Millford Special needs School was well supported.

What disappointed me most was the turnout at The Red & Black Club at Tavistock Football Club where just FOUR people turned up along with the wife making six in total.

I did feel what have i done wrong at the time having sent out numerous invites to many people .

It would have been far better to have wrote out a cheque for £180 and gave direct to cancer research as opposed to giving it to the karaoke operator. But such is life. I am not bitter just disappointed.

And Again this just giving page just seems to be stagnant with very few donations.

But I have my memories and all my photos and dvd's of my journey and they will not be taken away.

Finally

THANK YOU SO MUCH for those that have given it is very much appreciated

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