In the months since then Miriam & I have been the unwilling passengers on a roller-coaster of grief and sadness the like of which I could never had thought possible before Lizzy became ill - but we’re also on an extraordinary journey of discovery and enlightenment; a journey that has revealed a sense of strength and purpose that again we could not have anticipated, and for that gift I am eternally grateful to my beautiful daughter.

With this in mind, and aware as I am of the unbelievable efforts made by my wife to raise funds and awareness that benefit the fight against childhood cancer, I have taken the plunge and, perhaps foolishly, agreed to take part in the 2015 Prudential Ride London & Surrey 100 Mile Race.

I can feel the rising panic in my poor old bicycle, and so must now start to get into some sort of shape other than amorphous. I therefore ask that all those who knew & loved my beautiful child stick their hands in their digital pockets to support her poor old Dad during his hour of madness…

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.