Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

It was late September 1976 and I returned to Finland after a holiday in Scotland. I was facing my second winter in Scandinavia and I needed to do something to keep warm during the winter. Hibernation was not an option, so I grew a beard.

Nearly 35 years later I still have it and, with the exception of 2 weeks in Corfu when I shaved off the beard and kept the moustache, (I hope nobody has a photo), and the time 1977 when I was rushing to tidy my beard before going out on a date when a shaved off half of my moustache, I have remained hirsute.

It is time to see what I look like without the fuzz; however I am not prepared to lose it lightly. I have set a target of £500 to be donated to Christies Cancer Charity. When I have raised £250, I will reduce the beard to a goatee. At £400 it will reduce to a moustache, and at £500 I will be clean shaven. The goatee and moustache will each remain for a week or until the target is met. Whatever takes longer.

Have a look at the photos of me – as I am now and, using the magic of Photoshop, what I will look like at each stage.

Will I grow a beard again? I don't know. What I will guarantee is that I will remain clean shaven until the end of the summer.

So please dig deep and donate now.