The Gumboots charity is truly awesome. It's a fairly small organisation that works directly with local people in community projects in South Africa. They all live in little shacks, many with no running water or electricity. Yet all of them have a great vibrancy and character. They just don't have the opportunity to get out and fulful their potential, which is where your very generous donations come in!!
So please sponsor us now!
AFTER
Dear all,
On Saturday 20th June, 5 cyclists and 1 driver set off from Lands
End. On Friday 3rd July at about 9pm, 2 of us crossed the finish line
at John O'Groats, welcomed by our one man mountain support team - Bob.
Between the cyclists: Richard Dai Thomas, Dominic Mahoney, Lara Gardner, Fuzzy and myself, we covered well over 3000 miles.
Richard Fuzzy Thomson, a legend among men, did the whole thing
covering about 1050 miles. Due to personal circumstances, I had to
skip the equivalent of a long day's cycling and covered in total around
900 miles It has been one hell of a journey. Here are a collection
of images and memories:
Day 1- (lands end- St Austell) Terry's large English Breakfast at Whitesands cafe, a couple of miles from Lands End.
Cornish hedgerows, wild flowers, mining chimneys, stone cottages,
tall hedgerows. The pain of those steep, winding ups followed by the
relief of the cool, shady downs.
Day 2- (St Austell- Totnes) Hay fever attack in Looe pharmacy,
scampi and a kind donation from the fruit and veg lady selling off
watermelon.
Lara's fall near Plymouth. A painful shock and nasty graze but fortunately nothing broken.
A delicious venison dinner from Chris and Lisa our hosts and fine
company including willow tree, roses, kittens and chickens (silk
variety with punk hair do)
Day 3- (totnes- honiton) A complicated morning mission to pick
up car from Padstow and bring it back to Totnes. Thanks again for your
patience guys. Mission culminated in me mindlessly putting petrol
into my diesel van. Fortunately, the ratio was not fatal so the tank
didnt have to be drained.
Lovely final hill of the day with large mushroom carvings amongst the pine trees.
Chocolate pudding, hot shower and a warm welcome from our Sudbury host, Richard.
The next weekish (Honiton-Northwich):
Long winding roads, lush rolling hills along the English Welsh
border and the river Wye; a fleeting greeting and a " how do you do"
from an old couple in herefordshire as they sipped tea on their
veranda; hundreds of rabbits and an equal number of road kills;
chasing cloud shadows; Breakfast with 100s of kids and carol singing on
PGL's christmas day (25th june); welcome at Nantwich of dipping swans
and quacking ducks.
Day 9 Funny story - It is just Fuzzy and myself for this
leg. After a long afternoon's cycling, we planted the flowery tent
discreetly in a farmers field, planning to be up and out before he
was. At around 11.30, awoke rather suddenly, as a red light flickered
on the canvas. I opened the tent, Fuzz and i waited... i was about to
close the tent when i noticed a small red laser dot on Fuzz's
forehead. Scenes from predator, came to mind.
Anyway, we decided that we'd probably been busted by the farmer
so i got out and headed towards the source of the beam to negotiate.
As i approached the drive, the car that was pulled up, skidded,
screeched and sped off. Were they afraid of me? Had they gone to get
back up? Were they locals hunting? or kids messing about? Either way,
we were left undisturbed for the rest of the night but that did put an
end to our off the cuff camping.
Last few days:
Blow out, puncture, lots of creative work with duck tape and
bungees ; epic Gilby hospitality in Kirby Lonsdale with local ales,
meats, donations and good hearty company; 140 mile day to Avington,
dynamic dreams, horses, more extreme highs and lows, dry stone walls,
haggis, william wallace monument near Stirling, geography lessons on
glaciated valleys, alto nimbus cloud structures and consequences of
poor town town planning in Cumberland.
On the penultimate day just beyond Inverness, there was a nasty accident. There had been thunder storms and the roads were wet. Fuzzy and Dai approached a cattle grid with caution. Despite the slow speed, they both came off the bikes. Fuzz buckled his wheel but was fine. Dai, landed badly and broke his hip.
It seemed unfair, after 700 + miles, for his ride to end here. Dai had a no-nonsense response and on seeing him in hospital, we found him philosophical and keen to get through the master sudoku book as quickly as possible.
It seemed unfair, after 700 + miles, for his ride to end here. Dai had a no-nonsense response and on seeing him in hospital, we found him philosophical and keen to get through the master sudoku book as quickly as possible.
Final Day Extract
After about 80 miles of cycling, we had our final refuel, scones
and bacon butties in Wick, 17 miles to go. It was a long straight road
towards the end. As we dipped over the hill a mystical island emerged,
rising up from the mist and the sea in the warm evening light.
Fuzz and i rode side by side- 2 gingers, 4 wheels, pedalling
towards their Eldorado. A sharp right and we awaken from our reverie.
A one-mile-to-go sign and the very bog standard village of John
o'Groats starting to unfold. The Utopian mirage had been the Orkney
islands.
As we arrived, the place was empty and we needed a wave from Bob
to point out the finish line. We crossed it together with fists
raised. There were manly hugs, elation and a great sense of relief.
It had been a journey of ups and downs, twists and turns.
Many thanks to :
1) My ginger buddy, Fuzzball for all his fundraising, route
planning, patience and resilience in the face of some difficult and
unexpected challenges.
2) Dai Thomas- for his multifaceted support- riding, funding our van and supplying us with food and drink at crucial moments
3) Bob- our driver, for his mapping, photography, encouragement and commitment and for driving all our equipment for a lot of the way
4) Lara and Dom for their riding time and fundraising support
5) Ang, Judy and Dave for giving lifts, lending bikes and galvanising support for the cause...
6) All our hosts- Dai, Chris, richard, Ol, Haz and the Gilbys
and a massive thanks to all you lot for your support, moral,
financial and otherwise. We have raised our intended 3000 pounds and the figure is rising. When converted into South African Rand, this money will go a long way towards supporting the staff and kids involved in these great projects.
( for more pics, please visit http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bob.moore/index.htm )
