It starts

On Friday 22.7.11 at 3pm, after an EDP photocall, our intrepid bunch of heroes, less your author and his motorcycling mate, set off from Long Stratton destined for Preston. At 8pm bus arrives, at 10.45 pm author and motorcycling mate arrive. Bring on tomorrow!

Bike packed, sponsorship flooding in, almost there ..

Yesterday we shattered our sponsorship target of £2,000 by going through the £3,000 - an amazing effort and still 2 sleeps to go!

If ever our small team needed inspiration to go with our excitement and nervousness just look at our online sponsorship page http://www.justgiving.com/John-Wilson10 and scroll down to the comments alongside 3 lots of £5 from each of the Wilkinson's children Thomas, Eleanor and Joseph. Not ashamed to say I cried like a baby and enough emotion to help push us over the Himalayas never mind the Pennines!

Immensely proud also of the pupils of Long Stratton High who have raised well over £500 in the last few days from non-uniform day, cake sales and bucket collection at the production.

Bike and kit now packed......can't wait for Saturday morning, bring it on!

The reason for the ride

Thomas Wilkinson was admitted to Addenbrooke's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in early January this year. The hospital and all the staff were superb in looking after him and treating his suspected Meningitis. He came through a very tough ordeal and was termed both a fighter & a miracle. He is now back in school fulltime and playing sport as he did prior to his illness. We would like to repay (in some small way) the hospital for its care and hopefully raise funds for some more equipment they are always in need of. Thankyou for your support!
The Wilkinson Family
Colleagues and friends are doing a bike ride between 23-25th July 2011. We are cycling coast-to-coast from Morecambe to Bridlington 170 mikes across the UK. Training has started....
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.+-

Thanks for those involved in yesterday’s latest training ride – 48 miles around the broads (shame about the wet start) with a nice pint to finish!

Breakthrough ride

Today the group managed Long Stratton to Southwold and back - 55 miles in just over 4 hours, an average of over 13mph - a huge improvement over our earlier training rides. Yesterday Preston, Marnie, Neil, Georgie and Jack Torn all went through a big breakthrough - a 50+ mile ride in wet n windy conditions on a lumpy course is not to be sneezed at.

2nd training ride

Tonight the group managed 18 miles in 1hr 20 mins - a great improvement on our first run.

A close look at the ride

I'm using an opportunity to visit the frozen north for a training ride today to try out the first 100 miles of our cycle ride. I'm about to set off from Morecombe and ride to Newton on Ouse, 5 miles west of York where I'm doing INSET for next 2 days.