26th July 2009
Update
Sorry that we have been so long in updating this blog but as you will appreciate we have had to get this challenge up and running and ironing out a few problems that have arisen i.e. 1. Changing to a bigger van, 2. Buying a bigger tent, 3. Getting into a routine with my personal care and more appropriately we couldn't get onto the Internet.
A brief update:
Friday 18th / Saturday 19th July 2009
We arrived all tired and weary but full of excitement at the challenge that lay ahead (and indeed a challenge it has been so far!) in Penzance at 1am on the 19th July after a 17 hour journey from Newcastle. The delay was caused because we discovered that the van was too small to meet our needs and we tried desperately to rectify this problem however Eurovan did not have an upgraded van available until the Monday. The campsite owners at the Bone Valley Holiday Park could not have been any more helpful. They provided a strip light to help with putting up the tents as it was pitch black and drizzly and went stop further by bringing out the brews all round! All through this Mary sat in her van, sleepily over seeing it all not without the sneaky order of which of course we took no notice.
Saturday July 19th - The day it all began!
After a reasonable nights sleep and getting Mary up, which surprisingly still kept to the 3 hour routine despite being in a camping field, we all drove down to the Lands End Hotel to officially sign into the E2E route and Mary bought us all Lands end teddy bears! We were then greeted by the Cornwall RBL (Royal British Legion), standards at the ready for the official photographs at the signpost. We then went to the starting line and Phil and Mary began there awaited adventure at 2.30pm. It was decided that they would do only 12 miles that day as we had had a long drive down and Mary wanted the team to enjoy being at Land End. That evening we tucked into a Medieval meal at the Waterside Mead, an evening truly enjoyed by all despite the lack of disabled facilities. We are now signing off as it is bedtime and we have 40 miles to do tomorrow, but we can inform you that Alex is holding out well and Handycare should be very proud of him!
To be continued.........
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Update!!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
16th July
My good nights sleep
Before i go to bed, it is 2210 and i have to get up at 0300 for a 0530 start. i just want to close by telling you that my worse fear was that i would not get a good nights sleep. A stiff back was happening on while i slept on my stretcher...My best means of a bed because of the ease of moving and raising ... My bed at home is an electrical bed and i never get a stiff back or pain in my hips or lower back...Think said i, the answer maybe to raise your legs...right said i lets do a google search...I found a Harley 4028 Leg Raiser available from www.mrpillow.co.uk . It worked. A comfortable pain free and moring free night. I will report to you more on this leg raiser through this blogs
Deatils
Product Description
Manufactured to an ergonomically beneficial angle designed to support the back of the knee and heel whilst allowing the calf to relax.
Features
Takes pressure from the lower back and stimulates circulation
Eases symptoms of oedema, varicose veins, back pain and fatigue
Fitted with removable fleece cover
Spare covers available
Vans Are Packed
16th July
My hired Euro Van and my van are now packed
To day in Newcastle the sun has been shining down all day. Well part of all day...
This morning we sorted out all the stuff ready to load into the Euro Van. Half of our stuff was in the garage, half was out side the garage. Must have taken the best partof 4 hours before we patted ourselves on the back, well Addy and Jackie did, i cannot....being disabled and all that..
Anyway as i was saying, just as we sat down for a well earned cup of coffee and you can guess what happened next, the heavens open up and it poured down with rain and it poured down with rain...even the wet gear we had outside has now to be dried...still, the stuff that we could not get wet was in the garage safe from storms way.
At 5 o'clock the guys arrived to fill the Euro Van. The amount we had i felt we could get into the van easy. Wrong...The guys did get most things in but our plan of only having me and the two Alex's in my van. Wrong again. Philips bike will be in my van along with one or two other bits..
So there we have it. I have now handed over to my team, this challenge and i am now on board for the ride...May God Bless them all..
I have a great team, and if any team can become a World Record team, i have them..
As the next few days, weeks unfold, i shall write on my blog about the ups and downs of a World Record Challange..
To anyone living in Newcastle, Metro Radio are following me on my World Record attempt.
I am now closing for a while. See you all when i get to Lands End..
Bye for now...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
4 Days to Go
Only 4 days to go!
We are now on the final count down to the start of this World Record Attempt.
Jack and Molly go into kennels. I am off to the town for yet one more last shop. The house looks like a tip and has to be put into order. This evening we are watching a DVD of some one who cycled the E2E. That should be very lightening!
Keep watching this blog for up dates.
The picture is of my pups.
Please do not forget to donate to my charity, Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. With what i have seen on the news of out guys coming back from Afghanistan in a coffin, the work of the RBL is needed now more than ever.
Speak again soon.
Mary
Monday, July 13, 2009
Alex Arrives Today
Alex arrived at 1300 hrs on the 13th July 09
Today goes down in the history of this ‘World Record Attempt’ in so much as ‘Alex’ arrived today with lots of spars and guy to instructions us on how to change batteries, re-charging batteries, changing wheels. We hope that we do not have to change the motors. If we do, then Handicare will have to be called to the rescue.
Getting into the ‘Alex’ I am using for this challenge was for me, a quite an emotional time. All the planning, fundraising, praying and been told by people who should be supporting me, they would not be supporting me. Been told from all the people who are supporting me to go for it and be come a World Champion, take no notice of the others. There is so much I could put here, including trying out different modes of beds, I am still not 100% set on what I shall sleep on. If I had my way, I would take my bed I sleep on at home. Making sure that we had all have all the equipment, we need and all the equipment we do not need. Some will slip through the net!
I still have to see my Doctor for a final check up. This I am doing tomorrow. Take ‘Alex’ for his registration and number plate, if we have time. Go and burn some rubber in Alex. I think you get the picture.
Today I also received the tee shirts from Petal Back Clothing, see link on left. The ones I am to wear are easy to put on; they have my E2E logo on. Petal Black also had made especially for the team, tee shirts with a large mouse on wearing clogs. The wording escapes me at the moment. Thank you Petal Back Clothing.
So there you have it. Final count down to Saturday 18th July 2009 at 1400 hrs has now begun…
Speak again soon…
Friday, July 10, 2009
7 Days to Go
7 Day to go
With only 7 days to go we have been busy putting the teams information packs together and finalizing our route and accommodation paperwork.
In the teams information pack we have such information as letter from RBL giving them permission to collect for the RBL. Where they will be staying and a job description.
On Monday, Alex will be arriving here. He will be kitted up and fitted to my somewhat bent body. I lean to the right.
Even though I want to do this challenge in one Alex, I am been given a spare. HC do not want my world record attempt to end because Alex did not make it. Thank you HC.
With now only 7 days to go, it is now a matter of putting everything together. Fill packing boxes. Make sure that I have all my personal equipment. Cross all the right X’s.
This weekend I go out with Philip – my cyclist - on a training run, for the second time. We went out yesterday for the first time covering 22 ks. This first training run was on footpaths, main A roads and minor A road. I loved every moment of the time we spent.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
FairTrades Big Lunch Day
8th July 09
Big Lunch Day
While i am on my E2E i am going to try and get involved in the FairTrade Lunch Day. I shall be inviting anyone who wants to join us to share our evening meal and to sample FairTrade coffee and tea. I will report back.
This is FTs press release...
When Good Neighbours Become Good Friends
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. A groundswell of goodwill is spreading across the land as friends and neighbours come together for a common (and gloriously uncommon) purpose. With just under two months to go until The Big Lunch on 19 July, events up and down the country are starting to take shape. T he turn out on the day is currently estimated at around half a million, but as more and more people sign up to take part, that figure continues to grow.
The Big Lunch, the ambitious idea from the Eden Project, in partnership with MasterCard, and supported by EDF Energy and the Royal Mail Group, aims to bring together as many of the 61 million people in the UK to simultaneously eat lunch with their neighbours and put a big smile on people’s faces.
Whether it’s their prize-winning courgettes, secret-recipe homebrew or playing a mean set of spoons, finding out what our neighbours are made of is one of The Big Lunch’s great joys; forging firm friendships another. There are as many ways to get involved as there are people to turn up. From home-made art, cakes or beer, to garage bands, mini-olympiads and open mics, or simply showing up and having a great time with the people on your street, the possibilities are endless.
So far, over 6.900 lunches have been set up across the country, including:
· a 5,000-strong Big Lunch in Toxteth, Liverpool, hosted by Arts in Regeneration, which will see 5 streets transformed into an open-air gallery promenade with cultural food, film, football, art, dancing, choirs and buskers
· Garstang, the world’s first ever Fairtrade town twinned with the Ghanaian town, New Koforidua, and now twinning their Big Lunch too
· Sikh gurdwaras in London and Bradford will be sharing a magnificent curry for The Big Lunch through the institution of ‘langar’ - people from different religious and social groups cooking and eating together
Paul Twivy, CEO of The Big Lunch, commented: “Let’s all express our talents, get over our embarrassment, shake hands and work with our neighbours and realise that the neighbourhood where we live is the biggest untapped source of happiness we possess.”
Eden Project Chief Executive, Tim Smit, commented: “Imagine a summer's day on which millions of us, throughout the UK, sit down to have lunch together with our neighbours: in the middle of our streets, around our tower blocks and on every patch of common ground. The food, entertainment, music and decorations we will have grown, cooked, or created ourselves. This will be a day to break bread with our neighbours, to put a smile on Britain's face.”
The Big Lunch takes place on Sunday July 19, 2009. Looking for inspiration? Check out Easy Ways to Serve The Big Lunch, our multi-purpose high-energy manual packed with wild ideas and straight up facts (available for £2 from the website, Waterstone's, WH Smith, B&Q, Amazon - proceeds go towards the Eden Trust), plus our spread-the-word leaflets that will start a Big Lunch buzz in your neighbourhood. Visit www.thebiglunch.com for more information.
Ends
For Further Information please contact:
Rhona Hurcombe
07976 847594
rhona@thebiglunch.com
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
My FairTrade Day
Monday, July 6, 2009
"Alex Becomes..."
Alex becomes and Honouree Member of The Lands End to John O’Groats Association
I have just heard from Don of the LEJOG Association , that in view of the fact that Alex is going for a world record, he is to be made a Honouree Member of the Association. What greater accolade than that, except of course holding, a “Power Chair World Record”
As soon as I have got a few training miles in, I will report back to you.
Only 12 days 6 hrs to the off gun……
Friday, July 3, 2009
Official Paperwork
3rd July 09
The official paperwork.
In my email box today was the official paperwork from the Guinness Book of Records. This paperwork tells us the rules and regulation that the GBR lay down for my E2E to be recognized as a world record. The list is long and i have a lot of paperwork to fill in, notes to take, pictures to take and proof to obtain that i am where i say i am at the time i say i am. You get the message.
What this paperwork say, and this is very important to all E2E ers, that the E2E is now back on the books as a recognised world record. This means a lot to us all, and no more than the Lands End to John O'Groats Association who have world endlessly to have the E2E reinstated. Thanks Jack.
Tomorrow i do the final, if there is such a statement as final buying when preparing for the E2E, simple things like chopping boards, bread knife and two Orange mobile phones.
Now back to cheering for Murrey at Wimbledon...
Press Box
