It's been over six years since I lost Mark, my partner of 27 years. As I lost him to the ludicrously named diffuse large B cell non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, I have taken the equally ludicrous decision for a lazy old man and bike from London to Paris.

I will be helped along the road by the story of my friend Debs. At 38 and the mother of three young children, she was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic leukaemia and was given five years to live.  Two years ago, just when time was running out, Debs underwent a drugs trial at St Barts. Which has been a success and left her with no detectable disease.  It's too late for Mark, but I want to help people like Debs who can benefit from research and drugs trial, by raising as much awareness and money as I can to fund research.