Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

On August 23rd 2008, I shall set out from Lands End on my  bike and head via the Lizard Point (Britain's southern most point) all the way up to John O'Groats via Dunnets Head, (The northern most point), a journey of approximately 1000 miles. I hope to complete the ride in something like 15 days. I have never been a keen cyclist so I have had to put in a lot of practice to get ready for this ride.

While I am riding I am hoping to raise money for BYHP, who do great work for young people in my area.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: BYHP (Supporting Young People in Housing Need) gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

I started training for this ride back in January 2008 having decided to try the ride back last summer. My first job was to shift the 2 stone I always manage to put on  between late summer and New Year. So my annual diet started on Jan 1st with me weighing in at just under 17 stone.

The idea was to do my usual Terry Paxton version of the weightwatchers diet and mix in some gentle exercise until I had lost enough weight to feel comfortable cycling. This worked well and by the end of the month I started riding my old Raleigh hybrid back and forth to work, and into Banbury at weekends to join Su on our shopping trips. This developed into longer rides around Buckingham and Bicester. The weight continued to fall off and by April, when I took possession of my new Dawes Super Galaxy (pictured above) I was starting to look a little fitter.

The diet carried on until early May by which time I was down to 14 stone 7 lbs. This was when Su and I went on holiday to Egypt where I managed to break my nose in the pool during a dubious competition. The cycle training idea had been to simply get used to riding up to this point and then on return from holiday start pushing up the mileage on my rides.

This was how things went, but only up to a point. Problems with my car meant that I spent several weeks with a courtesy car whilst mine was being looked at by the local garage, and so I couldn't take my bike into work on my bike rack, meaning I lost out of riding 20 miles each day). However a few long rides including rides to Milton Keynes, and Abingdon helped to get me used to longer distances, and also consecutive long rides helped to make it clear how hard the task is going to be riding 14 days on the trot at an average of 65 miles a day . At the time of writing I still have just over 5 weeks to go and I cannot wait for the off. Please sponsor me and help to make this an amazing event both for me and for BYHP.

Sunday 24th August 2008.    Day 1

The big start.  Set off from Lands End and rode via Penzance, &  Helston to the Lizard, before doubling back to Helston and on to Truro where I packed up for the day. (65 miles)

Monday 25/8/08    Day 2

Rode from Truro into Wadebridge, on to Camelford, and ended up at Holsworthy just into North Devon, before heading back to Bradworthy in the car to stay at my 2nd cousin Val and Brian's house. Feeling good and strong and the early aches and pains are not troubling me too much. (62 miles)

Tuesday 26/8/08     Day 3

Today I rode into Hatherleigh (Not too bad) then onto Crediton, for lunch. Afterwards thehills became a nightmare, and the going was pretty tough. Eventually made it to Tiverton and then across to the A38 and on to Wellington A hard day and only (56 miles covered).

Wednesday 27/8/08    Day 4

A much easier day today. Flat roads all the way to Bridgwater and despite some pretty big hills including the Mendips and a very bad one at Redhill, made it to Bristol. Then found my way up to the Clifton suspension brdge for some piccys. Then to finish on to Aust by the Severn Bridge. (64 miles)

Thursday 28/8/08   Day 5

Stopped the night with Karen and Keving and family. Thanks tov them for a lovely evening. Then it was back to Aust to start the days riding. Had heavy legs to start with. Severn Bridge was good. The ride to Monmouth however started with a gradual and tiring climb. The descent into Tintern was brilliant and the Wye Valley was beautiful. Ran into  the Monmouth show at Monmouth,before heading off to Hereford for lunch. After lunch we carried on towards Leominster. On the way Dinmore Hill was huge and very long.Didnt stop long at Leominster, so carried on towards Ludlow. Rode into town to discover the bridge on the way out had collapsed in the floods so had to retrace my steps. then on to Craven Arms, and finally on to Church Stretton, where we finally stopped & booked into the Bucks Head PH for the night.Very nice indeed. highly recommended. Had a chinese at the Beijing nearby, and after a nightcap went to bed at 2215.

Thanks to Steve for updating this site for me over the past few days.

Monday 1st  September 2008 . Day 9 saw us heading out of Gretna and making for Sandford just south of Strathaven. A pretty good day in whiuch we took time out to visit the memorial gardens for the Locherbie air disaster. Its amazing to think it was 20 years ago this December that the plane crashed on the town. A fair bit of rain at various intervals, but all in all a pretty good day and we ended it at a lovely B and B at Boghead and a great meal at the poachers in Kirkmuirhill.

Tuesday 2nd September. Day 10. We headed out from Sandford up past East Kilbride and around Glasgow, over the Erskine Bridge and off through Dumbarton, past Alexandria, where some time during the day there was an armed robbery at a bank in the village. Thankfully we didnt see it. Eventuaslly we made it to Loch Lomond. Wow!!! It is beautiful. We eventually made it to Tarbet and i carried on alittle further to a farm 1/2 way to Crianlarich where we stopped and headed back to Arrochar on the banks of Loch Long for our B and B. went to a local hotle for a grab a granny night before heading off for early bed time at 1030.

Wednesday 3rd September.  Day 11 Onwards towards Fort William over themountainous stretch between Crianlarich and Glencoe. It started out quite rainy and i thought I was in for a really hard day. in the event the rain cleared and i was left with breathtaking views of the mountians in and around Rannach Moor and the Pass of Glencoe. WE made it to Fort Willima in good time to do a bit of shopping in the town centre for some whiskey and fleeces and then we were given a lovely welcome by Yvonne and William and their son Sam, who is quite a character. The plan being to eat with Yvonne William and Sam, before heading next door to Murial's house where she has agreed to put us up. Such hospitality. We English have a lot to learn!! 

Sorry for the belated updates but I couldnt get access to a computer until now.

Day 12. Thursday 5th September 2008
Travelled from Fort William along the A82 towards Inverness. This meant running alongside Loch Lochy, the Caledonian Canal and then Loch Ness which is sooo long!! The weather stayed fine until after lunch which was at Invermoriston, when it rained. Not too bad and the rest of the journey passed fairly uneventfully and I arrived at inverness by late afternoon.

Day 13  Friday 6th September 2008.
Possibly the hardest day of the whol;e ride. For the first time the wind was right ni my face, and there were several laborious climbs including over the Black Isle. My spirits sank and the day became a real mental challenge. The car broke down at Tain and I called a garage out to it. They fixed it with a new coolant temperature sensor, and after putting the car on the diagnostics computer, I was over £50 lighter. About 1/2 hour later the engine protecor fell from under the car and i had to stop riding to fix it back onto the chassis. All in all a very trying and tiring day, which had really tested my mentaL resolve. Wefinally ended up at Helmsdale with Su's Mum and Dad who had joined us for the last day and a half of the ride.

Day 14 Saturday 7th September 2008
The last day!!!
Started promptly at 9am, and headed off into ythe headwind with some huge up hill climbs, including the Berriedale Braes, which i think included the hardest climb of the whole trip. I made it without stopping and can now say that no hill ever beat me on the whole trip. I turned off the A9 at Latheron and rode across some of the most barren moorland in britain to Thurso, which was 23 very hard going and dull miles. At Spittal Hill just outside Thurso i saw the north coast and the sea for the first time. We stopped for lunch there and carried on into the afternoon. I made it to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of mainland Britain mid afternoon, turning back straight away with John O'Groats firmly in my sights. The last 13 miles passed very quickly and I finally roade into the John O'Groats hotel car park at about 4.30pm to a champagne reception from Su and her parents, and several other passers by who came to join in the celebrations. So after 14 days and 941 miles at an average of 14.4 mph, I had finally made it!! All in one piece with only 1 broken spoke and no punctures!!! What a wonderful experience. I loved it and am so sad it is over. What next???