Tracie Green
Tracie Young for Little Havens
Fundraising for Little Havens Children's Hospice
Story
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig as deep as you can but I will be very grateful for any amount you can donate. I am passionate about the need to support Little Havens. This bike ride is going to be the biggest challenge I have ever faced so there has to be a very good reason (so good, in fact, that I've even persuaded my best friend, Sally, to do this ride with me so we raise twice as much!) Please, if you have a little extra to spare, visit www.justgiving.com/sallybeggs
Little Havens is THE children's hospice for Essex, as well as caring for children from London and parts of Kent and Middlesex. I have visited the hospice and it was an unforgettable experience. End of life care is obviously a big part of what they do, and that in itself is worth supporting. None of the children who come to the hospice are going to reach adulthood but some, because of their illness, may need the facilities for years to come. So the hospice is not just about sad times but about the quality of very short lives, for the children and their families. For some parents, time spent here is the only time they really get to just be mum and dad instead of carers. That time is precious.
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Little Havens Children's Hospice will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
So please sponsor me now!
Many thanks for your support.
Tracie
Iain, right up there in Fife, suggested I post the itinerary on here so y'all have some idea of what exactly is ahead of us. Here goes...
DAY 1: Cycle from Lands End through Cornwall on undulating roads 75 miles
DAY 2: Cross into Devon and over the tough climbs of Dartmoor 92 miles
DAY 3: Flat roads through Somerset; cross Severn Bridge to Wye Valley 98 miles
DAY 4: Undulating country roads via Hereford to Shrewsbury 90 miles
DAY 5: Flat, fast roads through Cheshire bypassing busy towns to Preston 86 miles
DAY 6: Long climb over Shap Fell and through Carlisle towards Scottish border 109 miles
DAY 7: Cross into Scotland at Gretna; mainly flat roads through lowlands to Kilmarnock 95 miles
DAY 8: Rolling hills along coast; short ferry ride and loch-side cycle to Inverary 90 miles
DAY 9: Tougher day via highlands and castles through Fort William to Loch Lochy 97 miles
DAY 10: Cycle via Loch Ness to rolling moorlands and Bonar Bridge 83 miles
DAY 11: Short tough day through remote hills and moorland to north coast 52 miles (half day...yay!!)
DAY 12: Pass beautiful beaches along coast; flatter roads to finish at John O’Groats 67 miles
I don't think this map shows that exact route, but it should at least put it into perspective!
UPDATED 12th AUGUST
I will email you one more time before the page closes down. PLEASE make sure you have sponsored me. What we did was pretty big for two busy, lardy girls and I can't waste a single opportunity to make some dosh for Little Havens.
So...the Natalie Imbruglia disc I promised ages ago is finally on sale. Here's the link. It went live Sunday August 12th and it's a 10 day auction.
ref="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280142719335&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=018">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280142719335&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=018
If for any reason it doesn't work, go to www.ebay.co.uk and type in the words Natalie Imbruglia UK Presentation Disc in the buy/search box. It's a low starting price.
Within a week or two of getting back off the bike ride I had dropped one to two dress sizes (depending on where I shopped.) I felt this was a blessing, a divine kiss from above for a good deed. If that's the case, someone needs to have a word in the big fella's ear about saddle aversion. I have only been able to face getting back on the bike once...and I was bored. And still numb. So I have piled half a stone back on and just had to proudly flaunt my flab and my re-acquired cellulite, poolside in Marrakech. Anyone know if Paul McKenna does a saddle aversion therapy tape?
STOP PRESS.....just heard from Mark Franklin, who gave me the Natalie Imbruglia disc.....he has a Gary Barlow one for me, too. So keep watching!
You'll be pleased to know I am closing this page down at the end of this month. For those of you who have been hearing from me for about 2 years now, I'm sure that's good news. Can I just ask you to please, please check whether you donated/sponsored me. If not PLEASE DO IT NOW. I endured a fortnight that was literally hell on wheels and it wasn't for fun. It was all for Little Havens and I promise you, I really suffered. I'm not a natural fitty, it only stopped raining for about three minutes every day and I shed many tears. Sally has set up a webpage where our full blog will eventually be, with some photos. We will let you know when it's set up...somehow, we've found it hard to relive it all just yet, plus we have been busy getting life, work etc back on track since May.
Updated June 19th
All fans of Dexys Midnight Runners, please take a look at the latest Ebay auction to raise funds for Little Havens. This was a very generous donation from a Dexys/Weller fan and, because of this, I auctioned my own disc. I just felt that if I owned this particular piece of memorabilia I would be loathe to part with it, hence I tried to match the gesture because I couldn't possibly turn it down. It's a silver disc for "Geno" - it kind of sells itself, doesn't it?
I would love to own this but Ebay rules forbid me trying to bid on it. So please, if you loved Dexys and their music (come on! Searching For The Young Soul Rebels is one of the best albums ever made!), make a bid. Imagine how cool it would be to have this hanging on your wall. If you know someone who loved them, let them know. It's all for Little Havens.
Updated May 22nd
I can't describe the simple pleasure of getting up and not putting padded underwear on (like I need any extra inches there, with an arse like mine!) Someone up there didn't look after us properly for the last 2 weeks because it's 23 degrees today...what's going on? Torrents for a fortnight and as soon as we get off the bikes, it's like Marbella! After two non-cycling days, my body has started to ache badly so I have wussed out of work til Thursday and spent some time with the kids (yes, even my daughter is speaking to me again...grudgingly.) And I just want to do girlie stuff now.
The disc auction finished last night - another £410 for Little Havens, which will appear on here very soon. There was also a special poignancy to the auction's winning bid, which I won't go into here but will come back to at a later time. Briefly, it has not only helped Little Havens but I have been given the opportunity to be part of a fundraiser for Cancer Research UK as a result. Not only that but it will be a way for me to show my appreciation to one of my sponsors, someone who gave money despite never having met me and who was very ill herself at the time (http://www.myspace.com/whobringsjoy)
Pls watch out for the Natalie Imbruglia and Dexys Midnight Runners discs coming soon, and I have been promised one from Dave Wakeling of The Beat, too. He also kindly said he would see who else he could rally for donations of discs etc. So hopefully plenty more money to come. I feel surreal and spaced right now but in a couple of days when normality kicks in, the fundraising effort will continue. If you haven't donated yet, pls think about doing it now. Thanks x
Updated 21st May 2007 - It's Over!
We made it!!
Never again...certainly not in 12 days. But we're home safe and sound, not without every bloody obstacle that could possibly be! There were days when we expected the swarm of locusts, plagues etc....
One of my hands has "Cyclist's Palsy" at the moment, something to do with a trapped nerve (Carpal Tunnel or summat) so typing is hard at the moment. I have no movement in my fingers, except grip (my fingers just collapse and bend when anything touches the tips!) Therefore, pls forgive all the typos altho I'll do my best to correct them. At some point over the next week or so Sally and I are going to put together a detailed blog with some of our photos, but I thought for now I would give you an overview of the trip.
I'm very tearful today. It was so, so hard - the most painful and difficult thing I've ever experienced. But I've learnt many things. I've learnt that you can find a way to do almost anything when it really matters; that I am stronger, more resourceful, more resilient and more bloody-minded than I ever realised; that knowing when to ask for (and accept) help is not a sign of weakness and if it gets the job done is nothing to be ashamed of; that the kindness of strangers is not a myth; and that the UK is stunningly beautiful and somehow I've missed that over 42 years.
Emotionally I thought I was prepared until, on the Monday morning at Paddington, Andrew turned up. He'd come all the way down from Sheffield just to see us off and I was completely overwhelmed. What a fantastic beginning. When we got to Penzance we met a few of the others at the the station. We did warn them that we would be the slowest every day....they obviously thought we were joking. They soon realised we weren't!
We have experienced everything, all the stereo-typical highs and lows, the tears and laughter - all the cliches, every one absolutely true. We proved on day one that we were the lame ducks; amateur cyclists with only 4-5 months riding under our belts and everyone else seemed to have been cycling for about 20 years! One guy was even there as a little warm-up for the Tour De France! (Hello Ben, if you read this....you're a sweetie but I'll never forgive you for not giving me a backie!) Gradually, we became incredibly disheartened and daunted by dropping behind everyone so soon, not helped by finding out that our bikes weighed a ton compared to everyone else's. We thought hybrid bikes would be ok but everyone else was on lightweight racers (altho I know I can't ride in that "folded in half" position.) Joe, who was part of the support team, persuaded us to ditch the panniers. He also talked us into letting him lower our handlebars and raise our saddles - very scary at first but he was right and it helped a lot in the long run.
As the days went on and our times were consistently slower than everyone else's, we felt inadequate at times, to say the least. But, perversely, we also felt more inspired to just get our heads down and survive, in spite of everyone and everything. We came home hours after everyone else, every single day. We were usually soaked, dripping with water we had been wearing for hours. One of the highs was the night we arrived at the other side of the Severn Bridge. We had cycled all day up a vile A-road towards Monmouth and when we got within a couple of miles of the bridge it felt like the longest day ever. We were dripping, lorries sprayed us, the light was fading and then we were wading in knee-deep, wet grass at the roundabout, desperately searching for the cycle path across the bridge. I texted Joe, who replied how proud he was and to keep going because he was just the other side of the bridge waiting for us. Eventually, we found the path and once we got to the bridge we were ecstatic, leaping around and taking photos. What a view! At the other side it was 7.45pm and Spurs were kicking off at 8 - so we accepted a lift for the last 7 miles. It was an important match! But Joe was so proud of us and I felt we had really achieved a lot. Special mention here for Joe; a bit fly and definitely the "live fast/die young" type - try to live to 30, Joe! By the end of our mammoth 12 day journey, he even texted me to say "Is there anything that doesn't happen to you??" - that should give you an idea of the adversity we faced (as if we needed any more handicap than being utterly crap!) We didn't want to hold the others up so most days we took our own routes and that meant finding our own water and meals, which we did. I was often hungry, tho, until the last few days when I started eating cakes a lot!
However... as the days went on, we seemed to earn a grudging respect for our perseverance. We even got applause a couple of times as we staggered in late at nights, sometimes as late as 9.45pm. There were days when the weather got the better of us. One day I came close to hypothermia - my very lowest point, because it came on what had started as a fabulous day (we kept up with the pack and showed we had it in us - I think they were all staggered.) A few days we had to ask for help - we weren't the only ones but we were definitely the very weakest on the trip.
Every day was different. I have been for a weird ride in a hearse with the most delightful and kind undertaker, been astounded by the committment of Monmouthshire Police (thank you PC Glynn Mason) to find a hit and run driver who knocked me off my bike (damaged bike and iPod -I was relatively unbroken but you'll have to wait for the full blog for that story!) and been embarrassed beyond belief to discover an old 'fan' was on the trip (jeez, what a disapointment I must have been to him!)
But the last day was mine and Sally's. Every single day we had come home last but we had only inconvenienced ourselves by missing support and dinner. However, on Day 12 we had to arrive no later than 2.30pm at John O'Groats, as there was a coach booked to take everyone back to Inverness. We couldn't face being pariahs and holding everyone up or - worse - getting a lift on the last stretch. So we got up at 3 and hit the road at 4.15am (it gets light very early In Northern Scotland.) The first 30 miles, thru mountains with cross winds, were just vile. We thought the uphill stretches were going to put our plans to rest. But by 9am we had crossed into Caithness. The roads from here were flatter and I found new legs. Desperate not to be overtaken, I pedalled like a maniac. I remember seeing a sign for John O'Groats - 9 and a half miles - and speeding off faster than ever, never coming out of top gear. I arrived bang on 12 noon. Sally arrived 15 minutes later and, despite having to get up at 3 to do it, we were first and immensely proud. Sally cried buckets. I was just so glad we had made a Herculean effort not to hold the others up and it had actually given us a day to be proud of. We had thought we would be "lapped" at some point so to actually finish first was a real buzz for us, even tho this wasn't a race, and we were half-cut on champagne when they all arrived around 2-ish!
One of the saddest things about being the slowest every day is that we didn't get to spend much time with everyone else. There were some lovely people on this trip, all a lot fitter than Sally and I! We didn't get to take pics of everyone or get to know them well. The last night we desperately wanted to stay out with John, Paul, George and Ringo (not their real names but sadly the best I can manage) but as we'd got up so early and worked so hard, it wasn't possible. But there were some fabulous, very fit, very nice people on the trip and we take our hats off to them all. Off the top of my head.....John, Paul, Russell, Andy (x2, maybe even 3), Chris ( a laugh a minute), Adrian (x2, slightly embarrassing), Steve (thanks for the drink, mate!), Carole, Lesley (who never stopped smiling or laughing), Elaine, Mark (smoked on his bike - whatta man!), Jo, Kevin, Martin...many others we didn't get to know. And of course, Caroline and Joe, who supported us and let us do our own thing.
The final word goes to GNER. If I can make one recommendation it is that you never, ever use this company. I have never in my life been as appallingly treated as a customer as I was by this company. A catalogue of failures, breakdowns, let-downs and appalling, rude service for a whole day. A very depressing and heartbreaking day for us, after the two weeks we had endured. Thank god for the one lovely guard (who's name we think was Keith) at Edinburgh, who finally took pity on our plight and was very kind, helpful and appalled by the lack of assistance we had received all day.
We arrived at Kings Cross to the open arms of Fleur, she drove us home to a fantastic reception at Sally's - we partied the best we could but ended up in Sally's bedroom by about 10, feeling surrreal and desperately tired. Today, I drove home and had big hugs with my son. My daughter tells me I'm much slimmer....saw a friend this afternoon who said the same, so people are saying the right things!!
If you haven't sponsored me yet, pls stop what you doing right now and do it! I have really, really suffered for the last 2 weeks. Abject misery, I promise you. We had an adventure, we met lots of people and saw more than most people on the journey did, but we worked bloody hard and, had it not been for Little Havens, we would have headed home on Day 2. Please, please sponsor me now. No, I mean RIGHT NOW, before you forget.
Full blog to follow at some point....and it will have the best (and worst) bits, I promise. Please just give me your money in the meantime.....please!
Tracie xx
Sunday 6th May ...Last Msg
Here we go, then, the last word. We've had a bottle of Bollinger tonight, one Sally had kept for a special occasion. It feels special tonight....so we'll need something pretty nice for when we get back. Saying 'bye to my little boy was really hard this morning. I can't bear being apart from him for almost 3 weeks. We hugged and kissed for about 20 minutes. I just know that if I felt I was going to lose that, I would be even more overwhelmed than I was this morning. How fortunate we all are who have healthy children, and wake each day knowing our children will thrive, Please take a moment to consider how much care and love is needed to hold a family together when life-threatening illness strikes. Little Havens means more than you can possibly imagine to those families...please see www.littlehavens.org.uk.... a life changing place, for when people's lives are changing in ways they cannot cope with. This is why Sally and I are doing this and why we keep badgering you for attention.
Wish us luck. Sponsor us. Look at the Ebay auction when I'm away. Do what you can. Please.
See you in a fortnight. x
See also www.myspace.com/tracie_young
May 5th - Probably my last update now...unless Sally and I have a few bevvies tomorrow night...
Everything is exactly as I knew it would be at this stage....bike service people claimed not to know this was the last service before I went and therefore didn't have the special tyre I asked for in stock for me. ("Well, when you said JUST before you go, I didn't realise it was JUST before.." )
My daughter has disappeared with half my belongings again...as usual...only this time it means I'm without them for two weeks. So I've had her phone cut off. Fair-dos. She's been warned 300 or 400 hundred times and this was really a dumb time for her to push the boundaries some more - I couldn't be more tense. The milk of human kindness will start to flow thru my veins again in a day or two, I'm sure, but anyone with a teenage daughter must be quietly cheering me on as they read this!
Still several people I had always thought were friends rather than acquaintances have spectacularly failed to even wish me luck or ask how it's going, let alone sponsor me. It's a bit tragic when people are so scared it might cost them something that they won't even wish a friend good luck,....not once, after 18 months of preparation. HOWEVER, I'm still overwhelmed by the huge number of strangers, as well as friends, who have wished me luck or donated or both. My phone has been going and email buzzing all day today. Thank you! And if you're someone who knows my phone number, please text me whenever you can over the next 2 weeks. I may not always be able to reply but I will read every message and they will help a lot.(Apart from my daughter...who has no phone...)
Update May 2nd - 6 days to go...
I have found a new method of coping with wind/hills that works even better than the music - swearing very loudly! It might look beautiful outside and the temperature is 20 degrees but the wind this week is the type that gives you brain-freeze when you breathe thru your nose! Went out for a short run in the countryside today and struggled to stay on the bike....so to any farmers lurking behind hedges etc who heard strange noises carried by the wind, along the lines of, "ooh, ba**ard!" or, simply "f***, f***, f***!!", that was me coping with the fresh assault every time I rounded a bend. The knees are bearing up ok tho.
My total is creeping up nicely and hopefully the disc sale starting on May 11th will really help. Be generous! Vinni inspired me and now the inspiration has spread because Mark Franklyn at Tindle Radio offered me a Natalie Imbruglia disc this morning, for 300,000 sales of her first album. Huge thanks to Mark and that disc will be auctioned on Ebay when I return (the seller ID for these special auctions is whywouldwepartwiththis, so if anyone has anything that would be coveted by others and you could bear to part with it for such a fine reason, please let me know.)
For the many of you that don't even know Sally and I, can I just give you a little insight into what an unlikely and scary thing this was for us to undertake.. We are probably the nearest you'll find in the flesh to Patsy and Edina (without the money tho, and we actually DO work hard!...). We have always liked a good few drinkies and being a bit disgraceful. Because we are hard-working, single parents with six kids between us, keeping fit has always been way, way at the bottom of a very long list of "things to do". In fact, so averse was I to exercise that when I walked past a gym it was like when Damien goes near a church....my flesh burned and the urge to be far way was overwhelming. (I actually still hate gyms...horrible places.) I haven't transformed into a fitness bore, nor am I the new Paula Radcliffe, but I have made a big effort and upped my fitness levels immensely. I just hope it's enough! I saw the doc today for a once-over, just to be on the safe side....got a completely clean bill of health, some inhalers and anti-histhamines....and the lecture about smoking was free.
Update May 1st - An opportunity to invest and help Little Havens (this is one for the Weller fans!
Ok, after a very generous donation of a Dexy's silver disc for Geno, for me to auction soon and collect the profits for Little Havens, I felt I had to match that...so, I am finally selling something that I've had for years and which I've refused all offers for in the past. One guy even said "Name your price", and still I wouldn't sell it. But on May 11th at 6pm the following auction will go live on Ebay (while I will be somewhere near Shrewsbury, with any luck!) The starting price will be £60 but there is a reserve and I want lots of money for Little Havens....you will have 10 days to bid from May 11th.
(Btw, when you get to the pictures....I have no idea why my nose looks so enormous! Trick of the light, honest, but very unsettling! The under-eye shadows and the wrinkles...they're all mine, sadly.)
EXTREMELY RARE STYLE COUNCIL BPI SILVER DISC AWARD
"Speak Like A Child" silver disc - Charity Auction.
An exceptionally rare opportunity to own an authentic piece of memorabilia - a fantastic collector's item for all Paul Weller fans.
The official BPI silver disc for Speak Like A Child was presented to only a handful of people. The one on auction here is one of those genuine, original awards and was presented to Tracie Young, who sang backing vocals on the single. So...how can I be sure of its authenticity and why am I selling it?
I'm Tracie Young and this award was presented to me by Dennis Munday of Polydor Records back in 1983, so I have had it for 24 years. It recognises sales of 250,000 copies of the single in the UK. Speak Like A Child was the very first Style Council single, it was released on 7" only and it reached #4 in the singles chart. I have some fantastic memories of those early days working with Paul and Mick, not least making the video for this single and doing the promotional tours for it. Until now, I would never have dreamed of parting with the disc but, as you are reading this, I am cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for an awesome place - Little Havens Children's Hospice in Thundersley, Essex (reg charity 1022119.) My friend Sally and I have raised almost £5,500 at the time of writing....but we want more. To verify who I am and the authenticity of of my involvement with the hospice, please visit www.justgiving.com/tracieyoung
This should also confirm for you that I am, indeed, the original (and named) recipient of this disc. It might also give you a laugh as you read about our exploits and struggles preparing for this gruelling trip. Mostly, it will make you realise that this disc isn't going for a song (sorry, no pun intended..!) There is a reserve on it because I would never have considered selling it had it not been for Little Havens, so making as much money as I possibly can for them is the priority. Be generous with your bidding....this is a rare piece of music history, remember, with special sentimental value to me. All the proceeds (minus Ebay charges) will be added to my Justgiving total for Little Havens. Bid, then bid higher, compete fiercely for it...and if you get outbid, club together with a mate and bid some more!
In a short while I will also have for sale a BPI silver disc for Geno by Dexys. Watch this space (and check my other auctions in case it turns up suddenly!) This has been donated by a lovely scouse Weller fan named Vinni, who had already sponsored me for the bike ride and then offered to give me the disc to raise extra money. I know how treasured such items are so I felt I had to match that generosity....hence this little treasure is offered to you now.
Thank you....and please take a look at www.justgiving.com/tracieyoung
Tracie
IMPORTANT INFO
This is a valuable item so I will be sending it by parcel delivery/courier. Therefore, the costs listed for P&P are approximate - please note they are subject to change after the close of the auction, although I will endeavour to keep costs to a minimum.
Naturally, if you are paying by cheque, I can't deliver the disc until funds are cleared.
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Update 30th April - I'm ready for my close-up, Mr DeMille!
A few weeks ago, I was in the Maldon and Burnham Standard after the cheque presentation and tomorrow, Amy from Little Havens has organised for the Essex Enquirer and Southend Echo to do pictures for this week's papers. Thank god I was already seeing my hairdresser Adam in the morning! Guy from the Enquirer thought I'd be up for pics in my helmet....I thought I'd never start laughing. As I told him, I've got two weeks of Helmet Hair ahead of me - I can only embrace this sporty lark so much! The only reason I am doing these pics is in the hope it raises some more money for Little Havens. Everyone who knows me knows I detest having my photo taken, but if I must do it I want to look marginally sane and attractive...the idea is to get more money, not to repel people and frighten the elderly! I went to the hospice press office to get a t-shirt for the pics and I picked up a couple of collection tins for me and Sally while I was there, so they are also going on the trip - and everywhere else - with me now. And - this will make some of you laugh - Alex insisted I go to Aldi today because she said they'd got dirt cheap cycling gear in there. Me! In Aldi! We drove past Waitrose on the way...I felt a pang and the lure of exotic fruit and veg... but Alex insisted we go check out this gear and she was right. Cheap isn't the word! When I think what I paid for top brand cycling gear months ago, I could cry. I came out with armfuls of tops, gloves, padded shorts, fleecy jackets (in Spurs colours) etc for next to nothing AND a lovely lady who worked there made the first contribution to my tin! I know - I'm a horrible snob and I feel ashamed.
Finally, with some VERY heavy editing (because he's a lovely boy with a foul mouth) I must show you the email I got from Andrew today, which I think he sent to Sally, too. This IS actually loving support where he comes from!
Well hello Ladies (define at your leisure)
one week to go eh?
bet you are s******g yourselves,full of trepidation,nerves,self doubt, and for Sally, 'What the hell has Trace roped me into?'
Stop!
Bull***t!!
Both of you have trained hard and shared laughter,tears
and pain!!
Well,despite your insecurities, both of you,know you are more than capable of this.....the challenge of a lifetime!!!
If Dartmoor turns out to be a real *******, imagine that if you don't do it, your beloved Spurs (what's that all about?) won't get them points they need (football? don't understand!!)
Imagine the joy,euphoria, as you cross the finish line knowing you have done Little Havens,yourself,and all your sponsors' proud!!
I SO wish I could be at that point to welcome you back - to tell Tracie her arse hasn't shrunk and is still the size of a small European country,and ask Sally what the f***'s up with her hair!! :)
It's gonna be one hell of a journey,one neither of you ever expected to do in this lifetime,and I am SO SO SO proud of you both!!
I truly am envious of you both,and ,almost,inspired to do something myself
although neither of you need it....the very best of luck!!!! :)
Andrew xxx
Really, you didn't want to see the bits I cut out!
Update 28th April
3 games to go - Charlton, Blackburn and Manchester City. This is the only thing Spurs can achieve now this season; a place at UEFA next year. Sorry to my lovely mate Steve, who's a Charlton supporter, and to Alan Pardew, but we need to wop your behinds, even if you do go down. These last 3 matches are all happening while I'm away. Anxious times!
9 days to go...and it's anyone's guess what mood I wake up in now! It's either one of fierce optimism or - somedays - dread, terror and a complete sense of inadequacy! Thankfully, I'm having a real up day today, despite my face being a little sunburnt because we were out in the hot sun til 1. As per usual, the lure of my bed was too much this morning and so Sally and I didn't hit the road til 7.30. A bit nippy along the seafront, but beautiful - the sun was out, the tide gradually came in and Southend came to life and geared up for business. I know I sound like a travelogue but I've lived here for almost 11 years and am seeing things for the first time! Sally had a barney with a man who had abandoned his Alsation turds outside the beach huts in Thorpe Bay - Mr Angry chased her in the cycle path, furious that she had told him to clean it up. Then it was breakfast, before heading back out to do a short run in the countryside. (I love that I now call 30 miles + "a short run"!!) Today was only 33 miles in total but it was seriously hard work because the wind picked up after 9am so the resistance made everything extremely tough. I can't believe how much fitter I am than I was a few months ago! My stamina, confidence and strength are improving all the time. I'm gutted that I have missed so much training this last month because of working such long hours, but I was really encouraged today. My prep for this ride is better than I had realised. We celebrated by going for a massive lunch at an Italian in town - we are both constantly hungry and tired and completely unable to drink more than 2 glasses of wine without feeling plastered (I guess that's a good thing.) I am going to train hard for the first three days of next week, the bike is going in for a service on Thursday and then it'll just be an hour a day to keep supple until we head down to Penzance on Monday.
So...some positives for a change.
1. I am so much more adept and smooth with the gears now, which have caused me some angst. Some tweaking on the bike and that's come together nicely, along with the wrist pain.
2. Despite missing out on most of the training I should have done in April (which was making me extremely anxious and worried) I realised today I am very able to do this. I have come on in leaps and bounds.
3. The knee. Wasn't able to do physio this week but one piece of advice I got was to go back to a lower gear but pedal faster (this IS apparently, the Lance Armstrong technique.) so I stayed out of the third set of gears for most of today. I had to pedal a lot faster at times, and I was definitely slower but it was worth it. Apart from a little twinge, I did a very tough ride today with no ill effects like last week. I iced the knee as soon as I got in and kept a support on it for the ride. Might see a physio if there's time next week. No doubt it's gonna hurt sometimes on the trip but as long as I don't overwork it I hope I'll be ok. Also, someone offered to pay for my physio and to do two days of the ride for me if it turned out the knee was serious. I was touched...but I am doing every single mile myself! It's what I signed up for, it's what people have paid money for me to do...and I'm not cheating myself of the full sense of achievement, either!
A couple of lovely things have happened...I had a card from Little Havens this morning, wishing me luck for the trip. That put a big smile on my face. And my friend Andrew, who's not exactly having the time of his life at the moment, paid for mine and Sally's tickets to Penzance. I have exceptionally lovely friends.
Apparently, most people on the trip have opted to stay and celebrate in Inverness on the final night, so after much bevvying (ie. 2 glasses then out for the count!) we will get a train and sleep Sunday away, arriving back in good ol' North London on Sunday evening with (hopefully) a place in Europe to add to the celebrations. COME ON YOU SPURS!
PLEASE, PLEASE sponsor me now if you haven't done so already!! Any amount is welcome, however small or large. Sally and I have almost five and a half grand between us so far but we want more for Little Havens!
Question
Does anyone know why I have such a pathetic capacity for alcohol right now? I HAVE cut back but, in any case, my body seems to have taken care of that for itself...a couple of glasses slaughters me! Also, forgot to mention the one upside to all this (apart from raising the money) which is that I am freckled! I may not look as toned as I feel (actually I haven't shifted an ounce...constantly hungry) but I hope my face looks sun-kissed, not weathered!! Ha!
Update 22nd April 2007
Here we go then....in two weeks, Sally and I take our bikes to Paddington, get the train down to Penzance and meet up with the rest of the team who are doing LE2JOG. The next day we actually set off on the trip. I am feeling so many things, mostly terror right now, not least because I have developed a knee problem which bothers me lots...but more of that later.
Yesterday I did a 45 mile training ride. I was planning to do 55 miles on the seafront, all on the flat, but I left it too late to set off (I am so knackered, can't get out of bed!) so I started at 9 and after 16 miles (an hour and twenty minutes) the prom was already looking quite busy. So I went home and took care of some stuff that needed doing (it is my only day off, remember), had a row with my 16 year old daughter and decided I would go back out after the footy and tackle the same route Sally and I did last week. 94 minutes into the match and I was feeling gutted....a few seconds later Jermaine Jenas had me screaming til I was hoarse BUT with a point in the bank and a move up to 7th, I was all fired up to tackle those hills again. My daughter decided it was more than her life was worth to ignore me (as she usually does) and instead she came on the trip with me. We did exactly the same route; the long way via Shoebury, Wakering, Shopland and Rochford and then to the really hilly stretch - Hawkwell and Hockley and on to Rayleigh. I actually stayed on the bike for all the hills this time, although walking would have been quicker (actually, sending me by post would have been quicker..). I HATE HILLS...and I'm rubbish at them. But the only point where I gave in and got off was at the top of Priory Crescent as you go past Camp Bling. Even Alex had had enough and walked the whole of that bit - I just walked the bend at the top. 29 hilly miles in 3 hours 15 mins. 45 miles in total for the day. Also, clocked up my first fall on the A127...nothing serious, good reflexes saved me! Should've been a goalie!
The bad news? I have a real problem with my left knee. It's not an ache, doesn't feel muscular - it's a kind of pulling sensation above the knee area and underneath my knee-cap (a knee-cap which, incidentally, was dislodged to the back of my leg when I ended up under the wheels of a car aged 5). I haven't knocked it, injured it, fallen off etc so this is purely wear and tear or overdoing it and clearly not a good thing to be happening right now. I have absolutely no time to get to a doctor until the first week of May...plus, I suspect he's going to suggest the impossible, ie; stay off the knee/the bike.
An old friend of mine, a proper fitty, has given me the amateur diagnosis that I have over-stretched a ligament and recommended I see a sports physio ASAP. I know this is good advice but...when?? Working like a dog, sleeping like a log (there's a song in there, I feel....). I'm extremely worried. Overnight, the constant pain eased. This morning it was just hurting when it is bent with any weight on it. This afternoon, it has eased more but I can still feel it and know it'll be back when I do a few miles on the bike. I'm taking bromelain, applying emu oil/glucosamine gel....PLEASE - give me suggestions about how to ease/solve this, bearing in mind I MUST continue some degree of training, on or off the bike.
When I was riding along the seafront yesterday I saw Elaine, the super-fitty, who asked if I would like to do a 50 mile ride with her today. Firstly, very brave of her and showing a tremendous degree of faith after my poor showing last time I went out riding with her. Sadly, had to decline anyway as I work Sundays. And last night I got email from Carole, who is also doing the trip with her friend Lesley. We've never met - just exchanged a coupla mails and she tells me she is ready for the distance but dreading the hills and will be pacing herself. Good girl!! That was just what I wanted to hear! (I'm secretly convinced she refuses to do ironing too.....my kinda girl.) She also told me that there is a company in Inverness who will package your bike up and post it to you for £29. Me and Sal originally wanted to fly back but it all got so complicated because you need bike bags etc so in the end, my friend James sorted out a direct train for us and reserved the bikes. Takes all day but we figured we'd be pretty knackered and enjoy the rest. But we're now considering the flight option instead and getting the bikes posted back. We WILL be having a celebration in Inverness on the Saturday night first, tho. I just hope the pubs in Inverness have wheelchair access......
Update April 15th 2007 - "Just A Minute…."
http://www.littlehavens.org.uk/default.asp?id=444&ver=1
Over the last few days, panic has started to set in a bit. I have taken on a lot of freelance work in these last few weeks before the trip (through necessity!) and fitting in the training around the two kids was already difficult. I wanted to be spending these last 3 weeks intensively cycling – instead I will be working 6 days a week (roughly 75 hours with travelling) so I feel very anxious about the lack of time and daylight for training. I feel I am capable of the distances, despite not having done more than 30 miles yet and despite the increasing pain in my left knee – but, man, I’m worried about hills!
Yesterday, Sally and I planned a 32 mile trip out in theEssex countryside, stopping at the Little Haven Nature Reserve halfway (Little Havens lease some of their land to the Essex Wildlife Trust). Sally gamely decided to cycle from Enfield to Southend on the same day. She ended up riding as far as Rayleigh Weir but had got injured on the trip so I picked her up from there and she had a rest before we set out again. We eventually did 29 miles, returning in the dark but Sally, in total, did over 70 miles. I am so, so proud of her. Her foot and leg were massacred after a couple of nasty close-calls with cars (one parked in the cycle lane!!) but she persevered and came back out with me so I got a good ride, too. She is so fired up for this and I am going to be relying on her to boost my spirits and support me during the actual trip. She’s utterly reslilient and I’m so glad I asked her to do this. She’s going to be key to making sure I do it…and, of course, I will keep Little Havens in mind when I get desperate (which I will.)
Actually, I found the 29 miles fairly easy, apart from the knee and my aching wrists. Easy until…..the bloody hills! We needed water so we stopped at The Cock in Rochford to top up and thought it only polite to have a quick half a Strongbow while we were there. Unfortunately, we stayed for about half an hour, giving our muscles just enough time to atrophy before we rode off straight into some absolutely crappy hills through Hawkwell and Hockley. Before our break we seemed to have hit our stride but riding straight back out into hills just killed us. It was particularly crucifying to watch a couple of twelve-year-old boys on bikes just sail past us, as we dismounted and admitted defeat on the climb up to Hockley. A bloke walking by with his wife and push-chair shouted out to me “You’re leaving her standing!” I shouted back, “Yes, I always do. No-one pushes a bike like me!”
So, I’ve given myself a stern talking to (as I was feeling a bit despondent) and Sally and I agreed (again) that, whatever the others on the trip might be capable of and, however fast they might want to go, they will just have to accept that WE are going to go at our own pace. We are doing this for the hospice. We’ve raised a lot of money so we have only one obligation….to complete the journey. B**ls to anyone who says we are too slow. Lance Armstrong we ain’t….but we ain’t quitters either. We know it’s not a sight-seeing trip but when else are you going to get the chance to pass through most of the country and be able to see it? We are going to revel in the experience, support each other through it and stay focussed on why we are doing it. It is really, really tough – much tougher than either of us had realised. We may not be right good ..but we’re here….and for two weeks only we’re doing the Full Monty!
For those of you who don’t receive The Yellow Advertiser, please, please see this link below.
http://www.littlehavens.org.uk/default.asp?id=444&ver=1
PS. Without music I couldn’t do it at all. My iPod has become key to getting through hard bits. In case you’re wondering what gets me through, I will attempt to give you an idea. But even I look at my playlist and think, “Hmm…. Eclectic.” As long as it’s melodic but driven and pumping in some way, it works!! It includes everything from Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick to The Cult (!), New Radicals (of course), Scissor Sisters, Orson, Maroon 5, Hard-Fi, Prince, Dexys, McAlmont and Butler, Kosheen - right the way through to The Whispers, Earth Wind and Fire, Daniel Bedingfield, Alison Limerick and the new Macy Gray with even a bit of Bananarama, Chumbawumba and Darius for good measure. The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Tymes…even Nicole Kidman’s hubby gets a look in and I ain’t country, but it rocks and it keeps me going.
Update April 1st 2007
This is an April Fool Free Zone.
This month is my big test. I have 4 and a half weeks now to vastly improve my fitness and distances but I'm feeling confident. Tomorrow I'm tackling a 33 mile ride and by the end of April I need to have done the 55 mile circuit of the seafront at least three times. Hill training is being taken on completely separately! The organisers did suggest that we should have reached a 60-70 mile training ride in the weeks before we go, but i think 55 is going to have to do for me and still makes me about 5000% fitter than I was a few months ago. Took my bike to Bike Doctors on Southchurch Avenue and they have adjusted my saddle and the difference is like cycling on a cloud, held aloft by angels! Sure, after twenty miles-plus it's gonna start aching a bit, but it's so much better and won't hold my training up anymore. Also, my sweet little Liam has filled my iPod with 6 hours of "surprise" music for me...songs he knows I love that he reckons will help me to enjoy the training rides more. So, if the wind will just drop a bit I'll be in 7th heaven. For the next two weeks I have to go out really early to avoid traffic and holiday day-trippers on the prom and the seafront is breezy enough at any time - but at 6am it's flippin' gusty and I have been ditching the cycle helmet in favour of a woolly hat. F..f..freezing.
I would just like to give a mention to a donation I received last week, following my meet with the Round Table guys. As I have mentioned on this site and in my emails, I am touched by and immensely grateful for all donations, but I can't help being extra moved when people who don't even know me put their hands in their pockets. Iain from Windy Windows (no Bensons thanks, luv, gotta think of those hills..) was at a customer's house the day after the cheque presentation, got talking to her about where he'd been the night before and she gave him a tenner to donate to my fund because she thought it was a brave (ie.stupid) thing to do and an extremely worthy cause. So many thank to Mrs Laura Peake in Windsor, who doesn't know me from Adam but knows a good place to spend a tenner and has a big heart.
This seems an appropriate place to say thanks again to all of you, for every penny you've given for Little Havens, for the networking you've done on my behalf, the use of your websites and contacts to publicise what I'm doing and get me more donations, for gifts that have been donated, favours to help us with raffles etc...and all the other ways you have helped me to reach the amazing total above. And I have no intention of letting that be the final figure x
Update March 28th 2007
It's been quite a week. Foolishly, I am still avoiding hills although I know within the next few days I really must start working hard at them, as Dartmoor is the first part of the trip....don't want to come undone on the first day! But my distances are ever increasing, and with great ease. I have a beautiful route right on my doorstep. I can cycle between Shoebury Garrison and Leigh on Sea on a cycle path or the prom, with fabulous sea views and a fresh breeze...I even picked up a few freckles today! I don't get bored going up and down the same 5 and a half miles over and over....the scenery is spectacular, I'm never far from the loo/lunch/puncture refuge and I can easily keep count of the distance travelled. But hill-work is essential and I have to do more of it. The knees twinged for the first time today. Nothing severe and generally I'm bearing up well and taking lots of glucosamine, cod liver oil etc plus some other things which have been suggested.
My biggest stumbling block is the pain/numbness etc in my saddle area...everything between the coccyx and ...ahem....further forward. So I have looked into this quite extensively - not just anatomy but the position I ride in et al, and I have now concluded I need a gel saddle or, at the very least, a wider one. I'm working all day tmrw but on Friday, getting a new saddle is my priority. But now the good weather is back I am loving cycling again. Once I have my earphones in and the sun is shining, I love the freedom of it and am really appreciating the beauty of what's going on around me.
So then...to the MONEY!
Last night, I went to a pub called The Prince Of Wales in Stow Maries nr Sth Woodham Ferrers. I arranged to meet Ian from Dengie Hundred Round Table 1045 there...and a posse turned up! What a fantastic bunch of guys. As Round Table, they work hard all year to raise money and then distribute it to local causes. With any luck, they will now make Little Havens one of their regular recipients as I was able to fill them in on what goes on there, much of which people don't realise. Special thanks again to Mark Evans (mark@mreifc.fsbusiness.co.uk) who has been on board with my fundraising from the start and has been instrumental in getting my bike and now this fantastic donation of £1000! I was a bit wary, turning up to meet a bunch of strange men in the backroom of a pub in the middle of nowhere. However, firstly there was female solidarity in the form of Samantha (who will be Mrs Chris in August) but the guys were all brilliant and, had I not had to drive, I would have been bevvying all night! So, thank you to Chris, the dummy salesman; Scott (thank you sweetie, being old enough to be your mum was JUST what I needed to hear!); Al, a farmer nicknamed Luckypants (and apparently single, ladies, and farmers are all loaded, aren't they?); Mark....a very handsome policeman (but there's something they weren't telling me!) ; Andy the only 9-fingered treasurer in the county; Iain, who made me feel less of a leper by smoking...and who's company is allegedly called Windy Windows....sells itself, doesn't it?; and Ian, who I discovered nothing about but who gets to be in the picture instead, handing over the cheque. It was a great evening for me and I found the words "thank you" completely inadequate.
N.B. Please note, these guys have an annual event which this year is happening on June 30th, with a Robbie Williams tribute act. It's at Dammerwick Farm and I will bring you the details as soon as I can. Dengie Round Table are the business, as is Mark Evans. I'm sore but happy tonight.
I'll leave the last word on this to Ian Wyatt, who was amused by being described as "a lovely man" but here's the proof I wasn't wrong.......(extracts from his email to me, which I'm sure he won't mind me reproducing.)
"Thank you for bringing the work of Little Havens to our attention.
It was great to hear some of the other guys thinking of how we can help the centre further. I will certainly be talking to Amy at Little Havens today to start the ball rolling with this in mind. We have our first full Event Committee meeting next week and it will be good to bounce around as many ideas as possible."
"I should just like to say that handing a cheque to you last night was a great honour and makes all of those cold December nights walking around the villages of the Dengie with Santa's Sleigh a very worthwhile experience indeed. From all of the guys we wish you all the best for your Challenge and a safe return"
Updated 26th March 2007
£3135......that is the total that will show up on here in just a few days time, when I have collected a cheque for £1000 from Dengie Hundred Round Table 1045. (http://www.roundtable.co.uk/tablepage.php?table_no=1045)
I've just had a phone call from a lovely man called Ian Wyatt to tell me that they allocated £1000 to my fundraising before Christmas and are now ready to present the cheque, hopefully this week. I am so thrilled and my aching backside feels better already! As soon as I have the cheque in my hand, the official total above will include that figure.
Sally and I went training with Elaine, the real pro, at the weekend. The conditions were horrible. The wind made it painful and it felt like it was all uphill. Hopefully the weather will improve and make training better now as we have a LOT of hard work to do to reach optimum fitness by May. But Elaine, whilst acknowledging that we are not ready, did say she was impressed by our dogged determination to struggle on and not quit. I think pain and stubbornness were all over our faces!
My legs are covered in bruises. The cycling shorts are not doing much to stop my aching bits. Thank god I've already had children because after two weeks of this and 900 miles, if a man so much as looks at me I will cry. How very fortunate that they are not exactly beating a pathway to my door at the moment.
When it gets really bad, I remember how much has been donated on here and what it's all for and somehow, I keep going. But this is, without doubt, the most gruelling thing I have ever done. I have no doubt that everybody else on this trip is going to be super-fit, super-fast and leave Sally and I for dust, but we are quite prepared to stagger in hours after everybody else each night. We're not racing, we're just making money for Little Havens and we'll do it in our own sweet time - ba**s to everyone else!
Updated 20th March 2007
Two things.....successful training ride at weekend (see Sally's page for details) although I realise I have a lot of hard work ahead of me over the next 6 weeks.
And.....why weren't you singing last night??? Now look what's happened!!
P.S. Dengie Round Table have been in touch and are making a donation so hopefully, by the end of next week, I'll have the details of that on here and my total will rise nicely!
Updated 14th March 2007
I'm hoping to have some excellent news about my fundraising in the next few days so please keep checking back.
Latest Update 12th March 2007
A little late in the day, I have realised that being on an actual bike which moves along the road, with traffic and everything, is really quite scary. Yes indeedy, I was very scared when Sally went flying off her bike and kissed the tarmac. Nothing a minor skin graft won't sort out, although it can't be pleasant for a vegetarian to see her legs resemble the raw ingredients of a shepherds pie. Sally is so terrified of being knocked off her bike that she went out in brilliant sunshine shrouded from head to toe in lime green hi-vis, like a day-glo Dipsy on wheels.
So when a car came up behind her, the driver was so dazzled he was temporarily blinded. I think he looked away to save his eyesight and ended up on the other side of the road. Sally presumed he was just giving her some space, gave him the thumbs up.... and fell off. Could have been worse though. I think only one of his retinas was burnt away completely.
We were supposed to be going on a 30 mile trip to Broxbourne on Saturday but the day didn't go at all as planned. We did make several trips, all of them to Halfords (in the car). Keen as we were to get out on the bikes, we just couldn't seem to get round a few minor inconveniences - securing the handlebars, fixing lights without breaking the brackets, playing hunt the spanner etc... It must be said, the service at the Enfield Halfords is the nuts. Special praise to a bloke called Glen who tackled the problem of the bike carrier for the car. I could have learnt fluent Swahili before I sussed out how the thing went on (and it turned out it was broken anyway.) But the niggly problems persisted all day. On our final trip to Halfords, by which time we had our own team of personal shoppers, I was feeling more than a little upset and frustrated. A very nice assistant (who, thankfully, had obviously lived a bit) shed some light on the last of our problems and I expressed my relief rather effusively. As he commented, "We pride ourselves on being experts and giving good service, and it's always nice to hear customers thank us. But, my dear, I have waited a lifetime to hear 'F**k me, is that all it was??'" Bless him! A few final tweaks from Sally's friend Aryeh and we were good to go. However, it was dark now....but Sally decided to cycle to the Co-op anyway for some wine and fags!
Oh ye of little faith! I can hear you all groaning, wondering what the hell you have committed your hard earned cash to. Fear not, we did hit the road the next morning (literally in Sally's case!). It was fantastic to finally be cycling in the outdoors, with sunshine, scenery ...and a breeze. The trip to Broxbourne is now happening next Saturday. However, the niggly problems weren't over because I discovered this morning that, despite spending twelve thousand pounds and 36 hours in Halfords, they had neglected to tell us that the bike carrier only works with crossbars....and we have ladies bikes! So tomorrow, I have to head to Halfords in Southend (I will watch my language) and buy a false crossbar (bringing our total spend to £12, 014.99) and I have had to leave my bike at Sally's til Saturday. I am bikeless and back to indoor training til then. But next Saturday it's a 30 mile trip for sure and Sally has cleverly picked a route with a pub at the end of it to make sure we get there!
I have made contact with a couple of other women doing the trip, one of whom lives in Westcliff and is a proper fitty....marathons and everything. So, always one for a bit of routine degradation, I have arranged to go on a training ride with her in a couple of weeks. Between now and then I will be pedalling furiously up and down the seafront so I don't look like a complete muppet with Elaine, who is cycling for the adult hospice, Fair Havens. Yet, despite all the problems and the fact that a lot more training is required, the biggest obstacle seems to be the travelling arrangements to Penzance and back from Inverness. A Bank Holiday and a Sunday....not helpful!
Finally, we realised something you can all do to encourage us and it won't cost you a penny! Our beloved Spurs failed to finish the job properly at Stamford Bridge on Sunday but they'll sort that out at the replay on Monday 19th. If you could all root for them please, here's how it will help us. They will then play Blackburn in the semi, and win, thus going to the final....which is on the last day of our journey. On that last day, when our legs will be seizing up and the freezing, hilly wilderness of Scotland will make it feel like we're cycling up Mt Everest, what could possibly make us want to get there more than the reward of arriving in time to see our team win the FA Cup? We will be up at 5am and on the road to John O'Groats so we can get back to Inverness and find a pub with a TV in time to see the match!
We've had your money, now what we need is to hear you all singing......"COME ON YOU SPURS!!" (for the next three matches, please xx)
Msg Updated February 20th 2007
What a response! In one day I had enough donations to reach my minimum. Thank you so much to everyone, I appreciate you taking the time to read my wordy, nagging emails and then just doing it. All donations count equally from my point of view....Little Havens benefits from every penny and there's nothing in it for me except the feeling that I'm being encouraged and that doing this was a great decision....but I would like to say a special thank you to the anonymous donor who gave the exact amount needed to reach the £2000 milestone. It was a fantastic feeling. But, ever the contrary mare, I now want to push on and keep adding to this figure so the great work at Little Havens continues. It was a privilege to visit the hospice and an astonishing insight into the actual work they do and facilities they provide. Keep it rollin' in! I'll keep pedalling.
Msg Updated February 19th 2007
Thanks to everyone who has donated since my last update. I have been mostly focussed on training since Christmas.... and I'm getting there. Having established I'm pretty fit for a lazy, lard-arse smoker I now need to spend the next couple of months working on distance training. I am almost at my minimum with the fundraising now but I'm afraid there will be some begging emails going out in the next day or two. As always, if you have already given I am grateful beyond belief but maybe you could do a little fundraising for me or just recommend this site to someone you know who might have a couple of quid to spare. Today I heard from the organisers of the ride. There will be 26 of us but the good news is that mostly we can go at our own pace, as long as we arrive at the same place eventually within each day of the trip. Yippee! That means Sally and I don't have to feel ultra competitive and can be tourists! The really scary news is.....the training so far has been hellishly uncomfortable (I'll spare you the details) and I am now at a point where I have to buy......the dreaded cycling shorts! I am consoling myself over this by reminding myself how much better they will look on me in a couple of months than they do now (think Trace and San in Viz!! I'm aiming for Angelina in Tomb Raider by the end of May.....)
Msg updated 10/01/07
Happy New Year to everyone and a massive thank you for your donations. It was thrilling enough to reach the first thousand but in December, mostly thanks to G and his forum members, the spirit of Christmas went in to overdrive and I'm almost at my target. I don't know many of you but I am just overwhelmed at your kindness. Thank you also to the lovely people who responded to my shameless bit of plugging enclosed with my Christmas cards. Your donations are part of the figure seen below as "Amount Raised Offline".
It's amazing to see that over £250 (so far) is going to be paid by the government, on top of your donations. That money doesn't even show up as part of my total but will be collected by the hospice because of the tax relief on charitable donations. Excellent!
Msg updated 16/12/2006
Today is my daughter's 16th birthday. I'm officially old(er). I'd like to say I was a misguided teenager and gave birth at 13 but the even sadder truth is that I am actually old enough to have a 16 year old daughter. So can you imagine how hard it's going to be for a poor, decrepit old biddy like me to cycle (uphill!!) the length of the country? But it's going to happen and money is my main reason for staying driven. Come May, I will keep up with the pack and complete this ride in 12 days because I HAVE to raise lots of money for Little Havens, for all the reasons above, and more. I'm terrified and excited.
Msg update December 2006
My heartfelt thanks to everyone who is donating through this site. I am genuinely touched, especially for the donations from people I've never even met! (Thank you to Dennis Munday and everyone associated with his website www.shouttothetop.com ; G in Manchester www.thejamrestart.co.uk ; Iain in Scotland www.wholepoint.co.uk , for their help with so many of these donations.)
You really wouldn't believe what an amazing feeling it is to check your email and see one that says, "Someone has sponsored you via Justgiving..." Sometimes, when I read the papers or just have a bad day, I lose faith in people but this fundraising has reminded me of the kindness & goodness in most people. I get such a buzz from knowing people have thought about why I'm doing this, want to help and have said it with money, gifts, best wishes and support.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO ....
Tabula Rotunda Lodge No.8607 in Southend - Sent me a cheque for £250 for my bike. Yep, I'm a complete amateur who didn't even own a bike when I agreed to do this and these Fab Freemasons decided to give me the money for my bike. I'm completely awestruck, it's so brilliant and has taken a lot of pressure off me.
Mark Evans, MRE Independant, Bradwell On Sea - Completely influential in getting the Fab Freemasons to buy my bike. Mark, who has been my trusted financial advisor for several years, heard what I was doing and said "No way are you buying the bike yourself, I'll get it sorted." And he did. He's good like that. He gets everything sorted.
Adam Sloane, proprietor of The Big Yin salons, Southend
Billy Moore of Central Hairdressing Academy, Southend
Adam and Billy raised £280 for us by holding a raffle at their Xmas bash at Bar Blu in Southend on Sunday 17th December. It was a great night too....the Southern Comfort was flowing (guess I'll have to give that up soon if I'm going to make it all the way to John O'Groats!)
Keymed, Southend - As per their impeccable reputation, they were only too happy to donate an MP3 player for me to use at a forthcoming event. I'm sure it will help me to reach my total and I would like to express my thanks again for their generosity and commitment to being part of the local community.
Waitrose, Southend - Again, this fantastic company is known for its support of Little Havens and other community needs. My thanks to Mr Cattell and the partners for their wonderful donations, including a DVD player. Every gift is profit for the hospice and further inspiration to me to do well in May.
Asda, Shoeburyness - Another very generous donation of a DVD player. Your kindness and willingness to support a vital local service is so appreciated.
Chelmsford Car Auctions - Many thanks to everyone there who helped to raise money with the Big Breakfast Show Trade-Up a few months back. Thank you, Sara, for donating the car. xx
Debenhams, Southend - Many thanks to the management here for donating a gift I can use at events. I continue to be amazed at how many huge companies are willing to support local causes.
Sainsbury's, Southend - Thank you so much for the gift voucher and your lovely letter. Any chance of Jamie Oliver catering an event for me??
Tesco, Southend - Another voucher, so thank you very much. A great prize which I can use wherever I hold a fundraiser. Brilliant, thank you for your support.
Old Vienna Restaurant, Leigh - Again, such a nice letter and a meal for two offered as a prize for me to give at an event (I'm organising something for early 2007.)
.Best Music Quiz Ever...Mon 30th Oct.
A huge thank you to everyone who turned up for this. It was great so many of Sally’s friends supported her, but I’m especially grateful to all my friends and colleagues who travelled miles out of their way to help make this a success and raise lots of money.
The landlord of the venue wasn’t exactly accommodating, was he? He made a lot of money over the bar but let us all swelter in a very hot room with poor lighting, not enough seating…and he didn’t even throw in a bottle for the raffle! Needless to say, we won’t be using that venue again although, apart from the endless sound of breaking glass behind the bar, most of the staff were nice and did a good job on the night.
It seems everyone enjoyed themselves, despite the quiz being very tough and there being one or two problems. The heat was one…we did get to the bottom of the feedback problem which developed suddenly towards the end of the second half; that turned out to be the highly witty Pete Bristow with the rim of his glass…..oh, how we laughed…. ??
So…the next one will be in the Southend area, it’ll be a teensy bit easier and probably a couple of rounds shorter as we really had to motor at the end of this one. But thanks to all my friends who came; we worked hard to give you a good night for your 3 quid and we hope you’ll come to our other events….watch this space.
Grand total for the music quiz, after prize money….£334. So, Sally and I each have another £167 towards our total. We’re getting there!