When my father died, my mum asked for any donations to be sent to Chestnut Tree House.

So a few years later when she passed away it seemed that she'd want the same for herself. In the meantime my family & I had moved to just around the corner from their Havant shop, & I'd like to mention what a pleasant & friendly place it is to visit, as well as being such a good cause. Thus there seemed nowhere better to raise money for when I started to contemplate my Mid-Life-Crisis cycle ride. I may not have the energy to do things like this for too much longer:- My other projected ride along the old Iron Curtain & on to Istanbul is beginning to look quite unlikely now!

I've always loved cycling, even at the age of two I used to charge along, flat out on my pedal trike. I think it was probably a speed-lust originally.

I'm intending to cycle from the most Easterly point of Britain's mainland:- Ness Point in Lowestoft, Suffolk, to the most Westerly:- the Ardnamurchan Peninsular in the Scottish West Highlands, just to the north of the Isle of Mull. A journey of 676 miles (in theory!) that will take me across Norfolk, round The Wash & up through Lincolnshire. I'll then cross the Humber at Goole, & cycle through York. Almost all on old paved railway lines, & quiet country lanes, on which I'll continue up  and along the Pennines & across the Scottish border. I'll eventually emerge from the hills at Biggar and head to Lanark. From where it is surprisingly easy to follow a route on country lanes most of the way around the east side of Glasgow before heading into the empty-ness of the Trossachs & across the West Highlands, to the extremely remote peninsular at Ardnamurchan. It will then take another 50+ miles and two ferry journeys to get back to Oban & it's railway station, from where I can finally hang up my cycle-clips and catch the train home.

Well everything's arranged for my start next Monday (the 18th). B&Bs are booked, and I can pretend to justify my smart new bike. I'm intending to average about 60-70 miles a day for 11 days, and so cross the finish line on Thursday 28th of May. Though there's another couple of days cycling (and an ascent of Ben More) before the ride finishes after a total of 730 miles.

Much to my pleasant surprise I won't be cycling alone. Chris Dart, a friend, is joining me for the first 4 and-a-bit days as far as Haltwhistle near Hadrian's Wall, and another friend; Mike Johnson will be joining me for the last few; across the Trossachs and the West Highlands. I'll be tackling most of the Pennines on my own, so no-one will be able to see me if I walk  up any of the steep bits; I'm intending to follow part of the Tour de France route North-westwards out of Leyburn in Wensleydale, and should climb to well over 1500 feet three times that day.

We intend to visit a few places of interest (in addition to the odd country pub), and I hope to be able to forward a few pictures whilst en-route.

I'd really like to put in a mention of Sivyer Cycles in Havant. What a useful and helpful little shop.

In memory of my parents, Beryl & Martin Bond who I will miss forever.Thank you, Peter Bond.