Thursday, 7 June 2012

GETTING JACK HOME SAFE & SOUND


Over the years my cycling exploits have included John O’Groats to Lands End twice, Dieppe to Marseilles, the Camino Way. I’ve cycled over the Alps, the Pyrenees and travelled through numerous European countries on my trusted Dawes Galaxy. Along the way, I’ve taken hundreds of people to Paris on charity bike rides and supported over a thousand cyclists across the entire South Downs Way.
But, the challenge of getting Jack safe and sound across Scotland to Newcastle will be my toughest assignment yet. Given Jack’s condition it will be his toughest too.
Since Jack has had to retire from his plumbing job several years ago and given up his driving licence due to Huntington’s, jack has used a bicycle to gain independence. Those who live in Brighton & Hove may have seen him taking his regular Friday jaunt to Portland Road to see his old colleagues.
We have (hopefully I am not tempting fate), achieved our first goal which was to get Jack through training in one piece ready to arrive in Scotland on June 16th and thankfully his prostrate problem seems to have cleared up just in the nick of time and at least he should be able to sit on the saddle.
There is a team of eight starting the challenge. Simon & Jane Carpenter will be joining us all the way to Aviemore, Rob Davidson will be with us until Edinburgh and Julian Clemas will accompany us all the way to Newcastle. My wife and I (Denise), along with David Stamp will then leave Jack in Newcastle to recuperate for a week with his family, while we zoom south into the sunset on our bicycles to get to Brighton in seven days and complete the challenge.

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