Puffing Annie Bike Ride Around 21 Steam Railways of Great Britain from the 3^rd of August 2010-3^rd September 2010 for the New Cancer Unit at University College Hospital In London

UPDATE - Puffing Annie is on the road! Check out her blog at

www.puffin-annie.blogspot.com

Looking at the above heading you must wonder why the choice name Puffing Annie.

Well our family love Steam Trains especially my mother in law Maureen Spurgeon So I have decided to ride my Recumbent Bike 1,360 miles to raise funds for the above two hospitals.

 Despite all of her work as a writer, teacher of creative writing  journalist, and teacher to special needs children privately. Maureen found time to take her son autistic/ aspergers  syndrome sufferer Nigel and husband Douglas on holiday. They went to Steam Railway stations in England and abroad, with her taking her work along as well (she never stopped ). When my youngest daughter became old enough they started to take her with them as well.

 

Sadly 3 years ago in January 2006   during a routine blood test she was found to have Ovarian Cancer. Maureen had to have a hysterectomy operation. Two weeks before the operation  Maureens  husband Douglas passed away suddenly at home. Despite the shock she managed to sort the funeral out in quick time to still be able to go in for her operation.

 

After the operation Maureen had 2 separate courses of Chemotheraphy and many visits to the specialists at the Oncology Department in Huntley Street London. After a year and a half the specialist in June 2007 said that the cancer was slowing down and they would give her a break of 6 months.

 

Sadly on the 21^st of September 2007 Maureens youngest  sons birthday she was rushed into University College Hospital she was very ill. The cancer had spread to her bowel and they couldn’t give any more chemotheraphy. Despite all of this Maureen could still give orders to her publishers and other people she worked with. I was up and down to her most days from Stevenage as I became her secretary/carer.

 

Maureen was in the hospital for a month  and a half and then she was transferred to the North Herts Hospice in  Barnet North London by ambulance  on the 29^th of October 2007 she didn’t want any fuss so I went with her as escort.

 

The staff at the Hospice were fantastic even though she was with them for less than 24 hours.

I said goodbye to her that night and said that I would bring her son Nigel to see her the next day as he hadn’t seen her since she had been taken in on the 21^st of September.

Sadly my husband Trevor who was  Maureens  other son received a call the next morning  to say that she had passed away.

 

This ride is a thank you to all the staff of these two units that helped her and us through a difficult time.

Iwould like to say a big thank you to Kevin Dunseath of Dtek in Little Thetford (where I purchased my recumbent trike).The lads at Inspired Cycle Engineering in Falmouth who designed and built the bike and gave me technical help.

A big thank you to Shaw Pye who helped me with my training from the start, and gave me lots of encouragement for the massive task ahead,Joma for doing my physiotheraphy when the muscles got too tight,Trevor my husband for coming out as support vehicle when I was trying out theroute to U.C.L.H. and lastly Stuart Monks from Fitness First Roaring Meg who is going to keep me going with the training.