Ali’s Charity Challenge  My aim in the next 16 months is to raise £3975 in a bid to climbMount Kilimanjaro.  The entire proceeds of my climb sponsorship money will go to Alzheimer to help them fight the battle against dementia.  I plan to raise my target using a variety of fundraising methods including; giving massages, running 10k's, knitting booties and hats, doing charity cycle's and charity walks. 

  

Just over a year ago my grandpa was diagnosed with dementia.  For those of you who have known sufferers of this disease, you will know only too well how sad a time it can be for surrounding family members to deal with.  It is my aim to raise as much money as I can for Alzheimer to allow their valuable and challenging work to continue in the hope that not only my grandpa, but other sufferers in the future can be given all the help available.

  

Dementia is an illness which affects the brain.  People with dementia gradually lose their memory and their understanding.  They become confused and often frustrated as they cannot do the things they used to.  Bit by bit, they become less able to look after themselves and have to rely on others for help. Although numerous research studies have been done, there is still no cure for this illness.  Inalone over 61,000 people have dementia.    The good news is that treatments are becoming available which may help the symptoms of the disease in some people.   Not only is Alzheimer ’s aim to improve the quality of life for people with dementia, but also to improve the lives of their carers.  My granny and grandpa will have been married 63 years this April, and as hard as it is for me to see my grandpa show symptoms of this illness, it is even harder for my granny, who has no escape from it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  Alzheimeruse the money raised to fund day and drop in centres, home based and community support, carer education and the production of information and advice for those affected. 

  

However these facilities cost money; for example it takes £50 to fund a day of respite care for one sufferer.  By 2031, more than 100,000 people inwill have dementia.  Unfortunately almost everyone knows someone who is affected – be it a relative, friend, neighbour or workmate.  So if you would like to see more money going to this cause then please donate here today and help the battle against dementia. 

 

  

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this, any donations will be received with great thanks

Ali x                                                                For more information on dementia visit www.alzscot.org.

 

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Thank you so much to everyone who booked in for a massage during the February break, your support is greatly appreciated.  I have thoroughly enjoyed dusting down my masage skills after a long break away from putting them to good use.  More massage appointments are available in Campbeltown at Easter, in Edinburgh/Stirling midweek and anywhere else in Scotland you can encourage me to come and visit you with my table at the weekends. Ali x

Thursday 1st April 2010 - Only 1 sleep to go till the first of my charity challenge cycles

Tomorrow morning, panniers packed with as little as possible, Mogie and I will be setting off on the first leg of our journey to the start of the Hadrian's Wall cycle.  101 miles in 3 days (we're praying the snow disappears and the rain doesn't hit us on day two - the hilly day).  The padded shorts are packed and the legs are trained as much as their going to be.  Wish us luck - I'll report back with stories from our adventure. Ali x

  

Hadrian's Wall Coast to Coast Cycle 104 miles (C2C Route 72)    Saturday 3rd April - Monday 5th April  2010

Saturday 3rd April Bowness on Solway to Gilsland (38.5 miles)

A fantastic first day on our adventure - somehow we managed to stay dry even though the showers were constanly on the horizon - in actual fact think I might have got sun burnt!  Brilliant combination of road and cycle path terrain.  Absolutely loved the first day, very relaxing (apart from our scenic detour through Carlisle city traffic - bit of dodgy map reading on my behalf).  Tough end to the day as the climb up to Gilsland took it's toll on the weary thighs, but rewarded with an amazingly luxurious bed and breakfast - cream eggs waiting as a treat - what more could you ask for?

Sunday 4th April Gilsland to Corbridge (33 miles)

Just as good a day as yesterday, still managing to stay dry and thankfully the hills were in the first half of the day, leaving the downhills for the afternoon (managed to reach our top speed today 31.4mph - squeels a plenty from me and my brakes!).  Had a lot of stops today to appreciate one of the main tourist stops on the wall; Vindolanda Roman Fort.  Very interesting to see holiday makers volunteering to carry out excavations to try and find more precious Roman artiefacts.  Final stop of the day in the most beautiful town of our trip so far Corbridge, just  a lovely, picturesque, well kept town, playing host to another excellent bed and breakfast.

Monday 5th April Corbridge to Tynemouth (33 miles)

A bit of a miserable start to the day but we couldn't be lucky enough to go 3 days without rain.  An interesting day with a variety of terrain and scenery from country villages to the height of industry along Newcastle's River Tyne.  Quite a few railway bridges and tracks to navigate our way across/over, all adding to the adventure.  Arrival at Tynemouth was welcome indeed but unfortunaltely the exhaustion and the gale force wind tamed our enthusiasm for photos at the finish line.  Great train journey back up to Edinburgh in the early evening before the most challenging cycle of the 3 days - Dunblane to Doune in the dark, rain and wind - horrible, but what doesn't break you makes you stronger, and this trip has made me stronger.  Roll on Gretna Green to John O Groats in July!

I'd like to say a massive thank you to a few people without whom this challenge wouldn't have been possible.  Firstly to my amazing friend Morag who initially suggested the trip, and who kept me going every second of the way over the three days.  To Morag's mum and dad who started us off on our adventure by driving us down to Bowness on Solway and checked on our progress at Vindolanda.  To my mum and dad, my sister and family, Kirst, Kat and Julie, who kept me motivated with encouraging texts throughout the 3 days, without your words my legs would have been a lot wearier.  And a final massive thank you to those of you who sponsored me for this challenge, you donations are gratefully received and massively needed by Alzhemer's Scotland, your money will make a difference to thousands of people's lifes in Scotland.  Thank you xxx 

Onwards and upwards - the charity challenge continues.

 

Sunday 25th April 2010 - Easter Massages

Thank you so much to everyone who booked in for a massage during the Easter holidays, your support is greatly appreciated.  Easter was an extremely special time for me and my family as we were delighted to help my grandpa celebrate the amazing achievment of reaching his 90th birthday.  We had a lovely family celebratory meal at Craigard in Campbeltown.  Everyone had a great day and grandpa seemed to really enjoy it admitting that he didn't realy feel much different than he did when he was 89, and he thought he was doing not too bad really for 90.  We all agreed wholeheartedly.  More massage appointments are available in Campbeltown in July and August, in Edinburgh/Stirling midweek and anywhere else in Scotland you can encourage me to come and visit you with my table at the weekends. Thank you again for your support.  Next charity challenge the Mull of Kintyre 10k on the last weekend of May.  The running shoes are on.

Ali x

 

Sunday 30th May 2010 - Mull of Kintyre 10k

Thank you very much to everyone who sponsored me to run the MOK 10k.  My body is in bits!!  We woke up to what you would call a glorious morning on any normal day - but when you're running round Campbeltown Loch the last thing you need is the heat of the beating sun and the wind coming in from the Laggan.  A massive well done to everyone who was running - because it was tough.  A huge thank you to Katie Ferguson - without whom I wouldn't have made it along the esplanade - you're a top class pacer Katie!  Didn't think I was even going to make it round the course after dropping my water at the second water station - dehydration was a killer today, but somehow I managed to get a new PB of 47:47 (1:26 off last years time of 49:13 - absolutely delighted).  A big thank you also to everyone who was out in support including dad, Carolyn, Andrew, Iona, Ailie, Kat, Angus and Archie, Julie and the MacDonald clan, Fugey and to anyone else who was there clapping away - it makes a huge difference when your dying!  A big massive conrgratulations also to mum who beat her 10k PB, to Darren who hammered the 1/2 marathon, to Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Rodger who made a great team effort, to Val who was an absolute champion coming in well under the dreaded 3hrs - what a star and finally to my fantastic wee cousin Laura who retained her title as women's 1/2 marathon champion - all they could see was the smoke coming off her heels- well done Laura looking forward to seeing you on the front page of the Courier!.  Next 10k - Stirling in September - so the running shoes are getting hung up for now and the cycling cleets are back on.  6 weeks till Gretna Green to John O' Groats... what's that noise I hear in the background... ah yep...that'll be my legs screaming!!!

Ali x

 

Friday 25th June 2010 - 10 days to go till I start the next big event!

I just want to wish Mogie and Joe all the best.  The two people who invited me to join them on their cycling adventure are due to set off tomorrow to start the mega effort of cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats (under no circumstances am I praying thanks to God that my summer holidays don't start for another week - I'd love nothing more than to be adding another 600 miles on to my next charity cycle :) )  I'll be joining Mogie and Joe for the Scotland leg of the cycle who are both also raising money for two very worthwhile causes.  Morag is raising money for the Stroke Association because sadly her grandpa suffered from a stroke and Joe who has been inspired by Graeme Obrey is raising money for the Scottish Association for Mental Health - if you are passionate about these two causes please help Mogie and Joe in their valiant efforst at  www.justgiving.com/moragcarmichael2 and  www.justgiving.com/Josef-Fuchs both sites tell you more about their charities.   Good luck guys - roll on a week on Monday when I can join in on the adventure. Ali xxx

 

Gretna Green to John O'Groats Cycle (500+ miles) Monday 5th July till Friday 16th July

Day 1 Monday 5th July       Gretna Green to New Cummnock (57.85 miles)      5 hours 56 minutes

Absolute torture - I have never yet experienced a tougher physical challenge.  The cycle shouldn't have been that torturous but we were cruelly faced with a 17mph head wind for EVERY inch of the 58 miles.  Even when we were going downhill it felt like another uphill - the wind felt like someone was pushing you backwards.  We should have been cruising but we were so exposed there was no escaping the wind.  Every mile was a challenge.  To be honest there was more than one occasion when I was questioning my sanity  at having agreed to join Mogie and Jo on the cycle, every ounce of enthusiasm was slowly being sooked from my body.  We couldn't even make it as far as New Cummnock, we had to stop 4 miles short just because we couldn't take anymore.  A sorrowfull end to what should have been an easy day.

 

Day 2 Tuesday 6th July      New Cummnock to Gourock

(65.86 miles) 123.71 miles total       6 hours 15 minutes

Thank goodness for a new day - and a kinder weather man.  The wind was nowhere near as strong as yesterday.  When Mogie's mum dropped us off at the layby we'd finished at there was a slight breeze compared to the huge gusts we left the day before.  The 4 miles into New Cummnock were a pushover - but we all knew it wouldn't have been like that yesterday.  The rest of the day brought a combination of major A roads and some lovely B roads across the Aryshire hills.  Only one bike incident when my chain came off, but other than that the bike's feeling good - although Jo nicknamed it 'Titanic' today - it's becoming more and more apparent just how much of a difference a road bike makes, when I'm slogging it both up and down the hills just to keep up with Mo and Jo who are cruising along.  Damn the Bike to Work scheme!  Highlight of the day was definitely a short stop over at Nardinis in Largs for ice cream - if only there was a Nardinis after every 50 miles, that would speed me up.  Our last 10 miles into Gourock were wet, but we didn't moan because we've been lucky so far missing the rain. 

 

On a 5 day break now as Mogie and Jo have two weddings to attend, plus they deserve a well earned break after 10 days cycling in a row (over 600 miles). I personally am delighted at the prospect of a break - even though I've only been cycing for 2 days, with the plan being to hopefully toughen myself up - any suggestions are more than welcome xxx

 

Day 3 Monday 12th of July Gourock to Bridge of Orchy                    

(69.03 miles)   192.74 Total  6hrs 50 mins

The best day so far.  Beautiful sailing from Gourock to Dunoon which allowed us to follow the waterside scenery of the Cowal peninsula and most importantly miss out the torurous Rest and be Thankful - and thankful I was.  Cycled through Inverary and up to Dalmally before turning off the main road on to the Glen Orchy B road.  It was great being off the A road with the sun shining we were able to stop and appreciate the scenery and enjoy the climb up to Bridge of Orchy, where we stayed the night in the bunkhouse there.

Day 4 Tuesday 13th July    Bridge of Orchy to South Laggan

(62.70 miles)  255.44 Total      5 hrs 4 mins

Another great day.  Thankfully coming in at Bridge of Orchy meant that we had missed out the mega hill from Tyndrum up to the start of Glen Coe, an absolute delight because after our first hill of the day we were pretty much downhill for a large part of the journey.  Quite a lot of road kill on the road today, saw and smelt 3 dead deers!! not nice being so close to the roadside isn't really good in that situation.  Turned out to be a lovely day by the time we reached Fort William, which let us appreciate the views and stop off to take some more photos.  Stopped for the day at South Laggan where we were staying in the Great Glen Hostel for the night.  Evening turned out lovely and we even managed to go for a wee beer at the floating pub down by the canal.  A great finish to a good day.

 

Day 5 Wednesday 14th July    South Laggan to Dingwall

(51.26 miles)  306.70 Total     4 hrs 4 mins

Another absolutely horrendous day - not quite as bad as Day 1, but not far off it.  It was wet and windy from the minute we left the hostel till the minute we were picked up by Stevie in Dingwall.  Plus the day contained my first nightmare of a hill, a 15% gradient climb out of Drumnadrochit that lasted for 3/4 of a mile  not good for the wearly legs.  Really didn't enjoy today at all, getting wet is bad enough but the wind just drains your legs and makes you feel cold.  There wasn't a point in the day when I could feel my hands or my feet, it got so bad near the end that I could barely brake or change gear because my fingers just wouldn't move.  Not a good day for the enthusiasm or motivation. :(

 

Day 6    Thursday 15th July Dingwall - Helmsdale

(60.01 miles)     366.71 miles total    4 hrs 46 mins

Sadly another horrible wet and windy day.  It rained from the minute we got on the bikes where Stevie left us on in Dingwall till we got off again 60 miles later in Helmsdale.  Today we encountered another good few hills, the second half of the journey is turning out to be the most challenging.  Had a bit of a chain disaster today - the carrier bag I was using to try and keep my pannier bag dry came off and got caught up in my gears jamming the pedals - bit of a nightmare to get out but thankfully no damage done to either me or the bike.  Kept up with Mogie all day today - had to push myself physically harder than I've had to so far...taking a mountain bike instead of a road bike was definitely not a good idea :(

 

Day 7 the Final Day Friday 16th July Helsdale to John O'Groats

(52.93 miles)   419.64 miles total   4 hrs 39 mins

Looking out the window at breakfast we were faced with yet another day of wind and rain!  If I could have stayed in the cosy bed and breakfast all day I would have.  Not only was the weather going to be challenging but we found out that the terrain was going to be one of the toughest too.  The Berriedale Braes!!  endless 13% gradient hills, I'm not sure whether the up or the down was worse - but one things for sure my brakes work - thank goodness.  Thankfully the rain decided to dry up by Wick so our aproach to John O'Groats was slightly more pleasant.  Finally we made it to the long awaited North East, and were cheered all the way down to the sign by our support team Sue (Mogie's mum) and Lisa (Jo's mum).  We were lucky enough to get it dry to have our photos taken by the sign (which we had to pay to be allowed to do!) and just as we were getting the bikes on to the back of the car the rain started again. I've never been so glad to have a lovely warm car to get in to.  Thanks Sue x

 

419.86 miles        12.96 mph average speed  

31.3 mph maximum speed     21,510 Kcals burned

40 hrs 34 mins and 55 secs cycling time

Avg heart rate 127 bpm   Maximum heart rate  175 bpm

and alot of blood, sweat and tears....oh and chain oil!

It'll be a long time before I'm back on the bike.

 

Dementia - The History (www.newsvote.bbc.co.uk) June '10

Dementia is an umbrella term which describes a serious deterioration in mental functions, such as memory, language, orientation and judgement.  It is named after the German scientist Alois Alzheimer who identified the condition over a century ago.  There are many types;

Alzheimers - which develops when the brain suffers from protein deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles

Vascular Dementia - which developes when the oxygen supply fails and brain cells die

Lewy Body Dementia - which developes when small structures develop in nerve cells, causing the degenration of brain tissue

Fronto-temporal dementia - which affects personality and behaviour more than memory

All forms of dementia are progressive; as the brain becomes increasingly damaged over time, so a person's symptoms become worse.  The only true way to accurately know whether a person has Alzheimers is to analyse their brain in a postmortem.  Trying to diagnose the condition when someone is alive can be difficult because so many of the signs are initially subtle, or shared with other illnesses.  Signs of confusion agitation or forgetfulness are what usually first prompt a visit to the GP.  It can take weeks or months if someone is in the early stages of the disease to receive a clinical diagnosis. This is because the patient needs to be monitored and tested over time to confirm it is dementia rather than another condition such as depression or a brain tumour.

 

Dementia cannot be cured, although there are ways of alleviating symptoms, including psychological help, art or music therapy.  But most attention is paid to the role three drugs can play.  These drugs, called acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, are better known as Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl.  These prevent an enzyme in the brain which aids communication between nerve cells from breaking down - which in turn may improve or stabilise the symptoms of the disease.

Dementia Numbers

821,884 people have dementia in the UK

15,000 of those are under 65

The total affected is estimated to reach 1 million by 2021

By 2051, it could reach 1.7 milllion

Women account for 2/3 of cases

Dementia currently costs the UK £23 billion a year

 

Many thanks to everyone that booked in for a massage during the summer months, it was fantastic to see so many return customers and also to meet so many new customers.  Your support is much appreciated.  Back in Campbeltown in October with more available appointments, or through the week if your in the central belt.  x

 

2 10k's in 2 weeks - upping the anti on the challenges!

Stirling 10k Sunday 19th September 2010

Looking out the window that morning made me want to crawl back into bed.  It was one of those horrible drizzly dull days, where all you want to do is coorie in by the fire.  No such luck it was on with the running gear and head over the Forthbank Stadium for the start of the 10k.  The weather stayed miserable unfortunately but actually out of the three weather biggies I'd rather have rain than wind or sunshine.  If anything I think the rain helped keep me cool, because I was nowhere near as dehydrated as I was in the MOK 10K... and whether it was the weather or the training or the lovely crowd I don't know but I successfully managed to get another PB!!  47:30 my best 10k time ever.  A great feeling to end what set out to be a bit of a miserable day.  Thank you to everyone who sponsored me to do the race.

Inverness 10k Sunday 3rd of October 2010

Would you believe it another wet and miserable day.  The worst thing about it is lining up for the start - 15mins in the cold and wet does nothing to ease the stiff legs.  And to top it off my heart rate monitor watch stopped working at the 4k marker.  it had been playing up a bit in the last few months, but it couldn't have decided to die at a worse time.  I'm a bit obsessive with my pacing and have each kilometre set to a specific time - so when it broke I was all over the place.  Thankfully though me and another guy were running at a similar pace and he was constantly checking his watch, so I decided just to ask him the time at the next marker - which he kindly obliged.  But then we just seemed to keep running together, because we kind of got into a stride and because I knew he had a watch I thought it would be a good idea to stick with him, and we kind of kept each other motivated, everytime he upped the pace I would go too, and vice versa.  Everytime we came to another marker he would tell me our time and I couldn't believe how much faster I was running with him.  Kirsten's mum and dad and sister and neice were all there cheering me on at marker 8, which was great, and funny because Sebastian (my pacing angel) picked up on my name, so for the next marker he was totally like - come on Ali - very very sweat of him.  In the end we had a bit of a sprint finish which pushed me to my limits and resulted in me getting another PB!!  46:53.  I was absolutely delighted and gave Sebastian a massive hug over the finish line - maybe it was all fate that my watch broke otherwise I would never have run so fast.  Thank you Sebastian whoever you are - you were my angel on the day and I woouldn't have been able to do it without you.  Many thanks again to anyone who sponsored me for the race - doing 2 in 2 weeks was certainly challening but a fantastic experience all round.  Thank you also to my amazing support team, Kirsten, Stevie, Sarah, Mogie, Kat, Archie, brian, Irene, Julie, Sophie and of course Sebastian.  Also a massive congratulations to my best friend Graham Fuge who successfully completed the marathon that same day - an absolute hero - well done G x

Arts &Crafts Fair in Aid of Alzheimer Scotland

Saturday 25th of September 2010 - Red Cross Hall

Hosted by the Campbeltown Arts & Crafts Society

I was absolutely dellighted when the Campbeltown Arts and Crafts Society got in touch and asked me if I would like to be their next host charity.  Surrounded by beautiful hand made crafts I set up my massage stand at the fair - all poise ready to demonstrate the craft of massage and who better to demonstrate on than all those very talented crafters who use their hands day in day out.  Alongside giving massages my faithful team of helpers (mum, dad and sister Carolyn) were on hand to serve tea and coffee and sell the home baking we'd made that week.  I didn't really know what to expect on the day, but I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.  Getting to see the fantastic talent that we have in Campbeltown was amazing, but also getting to share my story with so many others who have been affected by Alzheimers was also a moving experience.  All proceeds from the teas and coffees, home baking and from the crafters table fee money went directly to Alzheimer's Scotland.  A massive thank you to all the crafters particularly Dorothy, Anne, Catherine and Marilyn - I had a great day and will definitely be going to the next craft fair in the last weekend in November to buy some Christmas pressie's.  Thanks you to everyone who came along and bought baking or made a donation, every penny counts. x

 

Thank you to everyone who booked in for a massage during my October week, I really enjoyed getting to catch up with my regular clients but also loved getting to know some new clients.  I'll be back on the massage trail again between Christmas and New Year if anyone's shoulders are weary from all that Christmas shopping.  Many thanks again to everyone who donated so generously.  Ali xxx

 

Catering at the Kintyre Agricultral Society October Show

Saturday 23rd October 2010 at the Rhoin Farm

We were very kindly given the opportunity to cater at the recent October show, so the night before mum and I got busy in the kitchen making soup, filled rolls and home baking.  Early the next morning we headed out to the Rhoin, closely followed by dad to set up.  Thanks to Mathew and Catherine Ralston at the Rhoin most of the hard work had been done as we were graced with a fantastic straw bale serving area.  The urn had been on the go for an hour so was bubbling away all set for us to serve tea and coffee on what can only be desribed as a typical blustery wet Scottish morning.  however it didn't stop the regulars attending and we were soon kept busy serving all the frozen customers.  I'd like to thank John Armour and everyone involved in the Kintyre Agricultural Society for their very generous donation and also to everyone else who was extremely generous in supporting our cause that morning.  Alongside raising a fantastic £164.25, all three of us throughouly enjoyed being back in amongst the farming community.  A genuinely great day out. 

 

November  2010 WOOOPPEEEE!!   I'VE REACHED MY TARGET!!!

Wow I can't believe it, Carolyn phoned me tonight to let me know that my little target-ometer had just reached 100%, thanks you so much to Margaret and Andrew who pushed my total over into the 100% mark.  I am absolutely delighted - but I won't stop here, I'm determined to raise as much money as possible so that Alzheimer Scotland can continue the fantastic work and research that they do.  June is a long time away, so it's still full steam ahead.  Can I say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me so far, both financially but also emotionally, I wouldn't be anywhere near my target if it wasn't without you.  Thank you xxx

Christmas and New Year 2010

Many thanks to everyone who booked in for a massage over the festive period, it was lovely to chat to all my clients old and new.  I'll be available for more appointments in February.  Looking forward to seeing you then.

Christmas time was lovely with the family but sadly granny went into the hospital the day before New Years Eve with a bad infection in her leg ulcers.  Her condition deteriorated to the point where she dislocated her hip in the bed from thrashing about with a fever.  This resulted in her being transferred to the Southern General to have an operation to replace her hip.  The operation went well on New Years day but she is still up in Glasgow.  It's hoped that she will get home sometime in the second week of January.  In the meantime we are rallying as a family to visit in Glasgow and look after grandpa who is still at home in Campbeltown.  Although worried about his wife, he seems quite settled to be at home as long as he knows what he's getting for his next meal he seems to be fairly content.  We're praying that granny will be on the mend soon and will get home so that grandpa can go and visit her - he misses her dearly. x

Saturday 29th January 2011

It is with great sadness that I intimate the death of my granny; Catherine Isabella Margaret Millar on Saturday 15th of January 2011 at the Southern General Hospital Glasgow.  After granny's hip operation she rallied a little but only then to succumb to what was termed as 'Hospital Acquired Pneumonia'.  As a family we are at peace knowing that granny is no longer in pain or suffering, her body is at rest and her spirit is with God in Heaven. 

Her funeral took place on Wednesday 19th of January at Lorne and Lowland Parish church, therafter at the graveside before retiring to the Seafield Hotel.  It was a beautiful morning, blue sky, sunshine and a frost in the air.  The service was simple, meaningful and not least of all a celebration of granny's hard working life.  Grandpa continues to show immense strength even with his great loss. 

My fundraising work for his continued battle with Alzheimers becomes more important now than ever.  x

17th - 20th February 2011

Thank you to everyone who booked in for a massage during my February break, it was great getting to catch up with all my regular clients but also great to meet so many new clients.  I'll be back again at Easter.  If you haven't already booked in for an appointment you can do so by emailing me or contacting Carolyn.  Many thanks again to everyone who donated so generously.  Ali xxx

10th - 16th April 2011

Many thanks again  to everyone that booked in for a massage - this was my last week of sponsored massages and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has received a massage over the last 18 months you have not only helped me raise money you've helped me realise just how much I enjoy practising massage therapy...so much so that I've decided to book on to the sports and remedial massage course and continue massaging after my Kilimanjaro challenge is over.

18th - 21st April 2011

Walking the Kintyre Way - Training Walk for Kilimanjaro

63 miles in 4 days...and a few lessons learned.  Mental note to self don't tuck my trouser legs into my gaters!  Ended up in A& E with a serious phlebitit...ooops.  That and a few crackin blisters aside I loved doing the walk.  I was really lucky to have absolutely gorgeous weather, if it had been raining I might not have been so keen to carry on.  if any of you have ever considered doing the Way do it, it's a fantastic way to see the peninsula.

15th of May - 4 weeks till Kilimanjaro!

Oh my goodness I am so excited I am about to burst!!!!!