Final Final update....thanks to a few last-minute sponsors, including a generous donation by my employer we have reached the £4000 barrier. Thank you again to all who have sponsored us.

Final update and thank you

Cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats was an event with memories which will stay with me for many years to come, an unforgetable ride for the most worthwhile of causes. When I started collecting for Cancer Research, I had a fundraising target in the back of my mind which I would have been pleased to achieve - and I have to say that with the generous support of family friends and colleagues that the £2,000 figure was smashed well before we even sat in the saddle. Words fail me, and I cannot begin to thank everyone enough who has helped with our ride in some form or another, too many people to mention here but you know who you are. Whether we met you enroute, you helped with accommodation, directions, moral support etc or were one of the many who have sponsored us financially, the largest of 'thank you's' goes out to you all, we couldn't and wouldn't have done this without your help - one large joint effort. Over £3,600 for Cancer Research, i'm well chuffed..! Huge thanks everyone.

Progress Report

September 5th 2006 

Both arrived safely home in Northampton at 5.30pm.

September 3rd 2006

Guy  and Darren will I am sure publish some photos. of their epic journey either on this site or elsewhere. Darren's Dad has just sent me some pictures of them setting out from Lands End - and I thought that you may wish to see one.

They had a days rest in the Orkney Islands yesterday, and tonight they are back in John O'Groats. Tomorrow they are stopping over at a friends Dad and Mum's house in Brora, before heading to Inverness on Tuesday to catch the  flight home to Luton.

We all wish them a safe journey home.   

SEPTEMBER 1st 2006 

They have made it.

WELL DONE GUY & DARREN

At lunchtime, the following message was received from Guy - Currently in Reay, on the north coast. Absolutely stunning, but midges biting everywhere!! & Unleaded is £1.049 per litre.

At 18.14 this message was received -''We've done it! Left at 8.30am, arrived at John O'Groats at 5.45 pm. 84 miles today. Exhausted, my ankle (Guy) and Darren's knee needing a break.

To Orkney's tomorrow for a rest.

Please thank everyone who supported us, as without all of their backing, we could not have done it.

998 (ish) miles in 13 1/2 days''. 

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO GUY & DARREN -Please keep us informed of your progress on the cycle ride home  (I assume that's the plan ) --- and ------------------------------------------------------------------can you pick up a bag of potatoes and a loaf of thin sliced from Tesco on the way !!!!!!!!

 

August 31st 2006 - For those of you looking at the year 2002 AA map of Great Britain - please cast your eyes to map reference G4 Page 59.

Infact if you cast your eyes to virtually anywhere on page 59, just about the only location you will see is Crask Inn.

Crask Inn is a little hamlet, village, street ( I know not how to describe it ) - in the middle of nowwhere. 

Tonight the boys are staying  in a ' bunkhouse' at Crask Inn at a cost of £10.

I know not if the £10 includes dinner, breakfast, or for that matter 'use of cruet', however, I do know that Guy and Darren would be pleased if you could join them tonight for 'liquid refreshments' as they prepare themselves for the last EMOTIONAL push to John O'Groats, tomorrow.

Todays mileage was 51 miles, bringing the total to 915 miles.

What a fantastic achievement.

Three Important Points

1) If you have not made a donation yet - Do It Now  

 2) If you have not forwarded a link to this web site to friends in your address book - Do It Now

3) Make sure that you read tomorrows update ' cos with a bit of luck and a lot of effort Guy and Darren will be at John O'Groats. 

August 30th 2006 - Left Fort William at 9.30 am., cycled alongside Loch Ness and arrived at Dingwall at 6.15pm.. Camping tonight at Dingwall, 10 miles North West of Inverness.  

This report needs fleshing out somewhat !

Loch Ness Monster - locals reported sighting of large ugly object on bank of Loch Ness - turned out to be Darren's swollen knee!

Telephone call from Guy, intercepted by  mother in law.

M.I.L - have you had a good day?

Guy - yes we cycled from ---------------

M.I.L. -(interrupting) - are you looking after yourselves?

Guy - yes today we ___________

M.I.L. - (interrupting) - what have you got for dinner?

Guy - we have just put the pot---------

M.I.L. (interrupting) - make sure that you eat plenty of fresh vegetables

Guy -

M.I.L. anticipated interruption - did I ever tell you about the time your father in law and I went to Scotland

phone goes dead!!!

Total miles today - 74 miles

    

August 29th 2006

Darren and Guy are both feeling tired tonight, not helped by Darren having a painful and swollen right knee.

They left Inveray at 9.15 am. and cycled through Glencoe, said by many to be the most beautiful place in Western Scotland.

They arrived at Fort William at 6.30 pm. having journed 79 miles, which makes their total mileage to-date a tremendous 790.

Keep going boys, the end will soon be in sight!

Readers - have you forwarded this web page to friends on your address book.

If Not -Why not? It isn't difficult.

 

 August 28th 2006  Quote

'Best day so far! To describe the scenery as absolutely stunning would be doing it an injustice.

Utterly amazing!

Saltcoats to Gourock, ferry to Dundoon. Alongside the bank of Loch Eck into the Cowal Peninsular. Round Loch Fyne to Inveray.

70 miles today. Sleeping in a barn at Argyll Caravan Park!!'

It's enough to make you put on your bike clips!

 

August 27th 2006 - The boys are camping for the night at Saltcoats, which is on the Firth of Clyde, opposite the Island of Arran.

Not an easy journey today, strong headwinds meant a difficult and tiring ride, but still they achieved an unbelieveable 68 miles.

The route took them on the A76 to Kilmarnock, then onto Irvine and Saltcoats.

One thing is or sure, if Guy said it was tiring, believe me it must have been tiring.

Have a good nights sleep tonight boys; lets hope that you have a following wind tomorrow.

Total Miles To Date - 641  

Wooo - Hold On Web Watchers - Julie (the Wife) has just come off the'phone to Guy - read for camping -STAYING IN A CARAVAN - what are you eating tonight dear? 'a nice bit of steak' .

S'pose they deserve it!! 

Reality Check  - I've just come off the telephone to Guy - the going has at times been really tough.

Guy has had some fairly nasty saddle sores, which are healing a little at present. He also had a bad swelling to the inside of his right ankle which restricted movement, and Darren has had a swelling to the knee.

On the upside. people on the way have been very kind with donations, help, and free or reduced overnight accomodation - and - having just dried off their clothes from todays ride, the heavens have just opened and it's thundering and lightening.

Volunteers for next year please?? 

August 26th 2006 - Leaving Ullswater at 10.30 am Guy and Darren cycled into Penrith, then onto the A6 to Carlisle and into SCOTLAND.

The day finished at 7.30pm,  7 miles north of Dumfries, when they pitched their tent at Auldgrith.

Put like that, it all sounds too simple. Until that is you look again at your maps and see just how far they have journed today, just how far they have journed since starting out from Lands End, and just how far they still have to go.

The going will I am sure get even tougher from now on, but the compensation will be the fabulous countryside through which they will be cycling. 

I am sure that you would like to join your fellow  web-site watchers in offering our heartiest congratulation on them reaching the important milestone of Scotland

Well Done Guy and Darren.

Todays mileage - 72

Total miles to date - 573

 

August 25th 2006 - After todays update I feel a poetic moment coming on:

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

So where are Guy  and Darren? & How did they get there?

Clue

Wordsworth's famous poem about daffodils was composed in 1804, two years after he saw the flowers walking by Ullswater on a stormy day with Dorothy.

The Answer

Preston to Lancaster, then onto Kendal in the Lake District for lunch, finishing the day at a camp site in Pooley Bridge on the bank of ULLSWATER.

80.2 miles today.

They are (only) 480 ish miles from Lands End.

Total miles to date - 500.7 - great !!

Now for the rest of the poem ( the bit you did not learn at school )

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:-
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company:
I gazed-and gazed-but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils.

Educational as well as informative - eh!   

August 24th 2006 - Ever cycled through the centre of  a main town or city?

Ever cycled seventy three miles in a day?

The boys left Whitchurch at 9.00 am and cycled through the centres of Warrington, Wigan and Preston, to safely arrive at their campsite for the night at Longridge - 5 miles north east of Preston at 6.00 pm.

They said 'we cant believe it that we made it unscathed' . We said ' well done' . 

Todays Statistics

Start Time 9.00 am

Finish Time 6.00 pm

Todays Mileage 73 miles

Total Miles To Date 420.5

FANTASTIC  - and - a big thank- you from Guy and Darren for all the messages of support. 

August 23rd 2006 - remember what it was like biking a couple of miles to school in the pouring rain?

'Not very nice'   I hear you say ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 what a polite bunch of readers you are!!

Well, today the boys cycled from Hereford, into Shropshire, through Shrewsbury to Whitchurch.

Seventy Four miles in pouring rain and strong winds - have another look at a map - long way isn't it.

Guy said - ' not the most pleasant days cycling but we made it ' . Bit of an understatement I reckon>

Lets give them our support by ' telling a friend' .

How?

Click on the link above, or send a link via your  standard E Mail.

 

August 22nd 2006 - Would you believe 78 miles today in 7 hrs. 15 minutes. Have a look at a map whilst reading on, and I am sure you will agree that the boys are doing a 'grand job' .

From Cheddar Gorge through Congresbury, onto Clevedon, across the River Avon into Bristol, across the Severn Bridge into Wales. Then, up the Wye Valley ( which Guy says was absolutely stunning ) to Monmouth and Hereford.

If you want to visit them, they  are camping tonight in Moreton on Lugg. If you have a message then e mail me on JOHN@jmalin.plus.com and I will pass it on.

and - for the record - total mileage to date - 273.5 - what an achievement!!

NEWS FLASH - First puncture of the trip - Guy - just outside Bristol - well Guy's bike!

August 21st 2006 - Did you know that it is 77 miles from Mortonhamstead to Cheddar (Somerset). Well Guy & Darren must be painfully aware of this lesser known fact!

Why - because todays journey took them through Dartmore to Exeter city centre, onto Cullompton, Wellington. Taunton, Bridgwater and then Cheddar.

I wonder if they had Cheese for dinner! 

August 20th 2006 - Our intrepid cyclists reported a hard days riding today, and they were not kidding! 78 yes 78 hilly miles through Truro, St Austell, Liskeard, Tavistock, across Dartmore to Mortonhampstead. A total time in the saddle of 8 hours 15 minutes!!!

No camping tonight - staying in a B&B - who can blame them.

August 19th 2006 - Having decided to set off a day earlier than originally planned, Guy and Darren completed 40.5 miles today, from Lands End to Three Mile Stone, a small village 3 miles north of Truro.

Both feeling good after the first leg of their journey, with only one minor incident to report - Darren suffering a snapped chain!  More to follow tomorrow.

Thank you for visiting our sponsorship & donation page.

Between August 20th and September 5th 2006 we’ll be cycling the length of the UK in aid of a most worthy cause - Cancer Research UK.

There are few people who haven’t been affected by Cancer in some form or another during their lives, either personally or through a friend or relative.

Cancer is common – over 270,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the UK and Cancer Research UK are working hard to improve our understanding of cancer and develop better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat this disease.Whether you’re donating £1, £100 or £1,000, every single penny is greatly appreciated, however when deciding how much to donate, we ask you to bear in mind that this is a 2 week cycle marathon of just under 1000 miles and I’ll probably have to remain standing for at least a week afterwards!!

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Cancer Research UK will receive your money fast and, if you are a UK taxpayer and agree to ‘Gift Aid’ your donation, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

We’ll keep this page updated with progress during the ride.

Many thanks for all your cheques, cash and pledges to date, the total is growing!