I took the cover photo three years ago when I used to go for regular five mile rambles with mum. At the age of 86, she is still physically fit, however, there has since been a severe mental deterioration due to diagnosed Alzheimers dementia. One Sunday morning last summer two policemen knocked on my door accompanied by my mother whom they had extricated from the central reservation of the M40 at Lewknor. She had spontaneously decided to pay me a visit & had caught a London bound bus which used the same bus stop for transport to me in Thame!

So, some sort of drastic action was required & social services were consulted with varying degrees of success. Ultimately we found a local charity providing care and support to help people live well with dementia at various sites in the Oxford area. For over five hours the incredible staff patiently facilitate games, quizzes, talks & sing-songs as well as a hot three course meal for service users. It is virtually impossible to overestimate the appreciation my sister & I have for this charity.

Looking through some of mum's old holiday pictures recently there was one of her next to a sign which said 'Uhura Peak'. This turned out to be the highest point in Africa, Mt Kilimanjiro, 19,341 ft above sea level which mum had summited at the age of 61, my current age! Now retired & rapidly putting on weight (thanks to my wife's wonderful cooking), I have decided to get fit to try & conquer this mini-Everest. I am going with a company called Intrepid & flying out to Tanzania on 5th October this year to start the 7 day trek.

I am funding this expedition entirely myself. Thank you for your interest & if you are able to make a donation, all proceeds will go to Daybreak Dementia Day Clubs in Oxford (https://daybreak-oxford.org.uk/ - Registered Charity No: 1113182). I shall be writing a blog on my progress so watch this space...Thank You

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Last month (28th Aug), six friends & I set off at 22.30 from a car park near Osmotherley (West Yorkshire) to attempt a traverse of the North Yorkshire moors (Lyke Wake Walk, 40 miles in 24 hours). By 04:30 the rain came & the wind blasted into us on those fickle moors. After 19 miles, we stumbled into an amazingly open pub & soon made the unanimous decision to abandon the quest. I was shivering cold, soaking wet & suffering cramps all over my body. I'd struggled up hills with shinsplints & breathlessness (having recently been diagnosed with mild COPD!). For a short period in the early morning I felt quite nauseous which added to my discomfort. Although this summer I'd walked the Aylesbury ring (33 miles in 16 hours) & the Cotswold Way (104 miles in 7 days), I now realise I'm not as truly prepared for this ultimate challenge as I should be! So now I'm going to start practising some Yoga to improve my breathing & core strength & try to lose some weight with a better diet. Stay tuned for further news.....