Surrey - Tipperary 2007

Update on the Fundraising

2007-09-13T06:50:00.001-07:00

At the moment I've only got a very rough idea of what the total amount raised could be as I'm still collecting money. It does however look like we could raise as much as £5500/€7700 which is excellant.

The Sean Kelly cycle jersey auction

The Raffle

The auction of the Sean Kelly cycle jersey alone generated €1750. And the raffle of the bike plus nemerous other prizes raised in the region of£2000 which is excellant. The bike was won by Bill Walsh and the auction was won by Sheamus Tynan. In a gesture worthy of Sainthood, Sheamus has donated the jersey to another auction which will inevitably raise even more money for Jack and Jill's.

The amount raised so far is way beyond any of me expectations so I have to say a massive thank you to everyone whos sponsored me, bought raffle tickets or donated monies through the just giving website.

Some pictures

2007-09-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Me and Chris in Henley after lunch on Day 1

On the road through Gloucestershire

reaching the english/welsh border

getting to the top of the Brecon Beacons

Everyone at the finish line at Ballydyole racing Stables

Day 5 & 6

2007-09-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

Day 5 was the trip from Llansawel to Pembroke. It was nice having a predominantly down hill run from Llansawel. I felt a bit weird coming down from the hills into a gradually more seaside environment. The air got thicker and warmer. After lunch at a very nice 'regulars' pub we set off on the last leg of the last day in Wales. The nearer we got to Pembroke the heavier, bigger and faster the traffic got, so to save me being run down by an 18 wheel articulated lorry we called it a day about 4 miles outside Pembroke Dock - much to my relief.

After the agonisingly long wait for the extremely shorts night sleep on the ferry, we disembarked and set foot on Irish soil. I met up with my mate Sam who was to be my guide on the last day. At just before 7 we set off - in the wrong direction and ended up taking a 10 mile detour. After that rather frustrating start we decided to stick to the main roads and what a good idea that was. We were flying along, had it not been for a breakfast stop; there'd have been a very large possibility that we'd have been early.

Any way, made it to Ballydoyle where we was escorted up the driveway to right outside the gates to the stables. Unfortunately due to the recent Equine flu outbreak and tightened security measures we went allowed near any horses which is a shame, but the fact that we were even let into the grounds of Ballydoyle itself is an honour bestowed to very few. I am very grateful to Aiden O'Brien for allowing us in.

At Ballydoyle I was met by Jonathan from The Jack and Jill Foundation who presented me with a signed Sean Kelly world championship cycling jersey which we auctioned later at the party (more on that later).

Day 4

2007-09-03T04:53:00.000-07:00

Left Abergavenny and headed out on possiby the worst road ever. A dual carriage way being widened and resufaced is not a very nice place to be. Being squashed in between a seeminglessly never ending line of orange cones and fast moving trafific was really quite scary.

Anyway, before long I was on the road that lead me through the Brecon Beacons National Park. The scenery was stunning and despite the ever increasing gradient and frequency of inclines, I managed to maintain an average speed of 15mph. When your overwhelmed by the views around you it's very easy to forget that your actually going up a steep hill.

The last leg before lunch was going over the top of the Becons which saw me climb to a height of over 1500ft and though the middle of the SAS/Army shooting range. When i finally got over the very top, the view was amazing, but was surpassed by the very long downhill stretch into Beulah. I have never been so fast on a bike in my life. The very sharp left hand bend came racing towards me at a speed faster than I aticipated and it was only a mixture of dumb luck and (thankfully) newly laid tarmac that got me round the corner.

After lunch I set off for the next stop point which was to be Llandovery. The route took me through the bottom bit of the Cambrian Mountain range. I'm sure the scenery was lovely. I, however, couldn't see any of it. The clouds had moved in thus stopping any chances of me admiring the passing peaks and valleys. The fact that I was cycling through cloud though did give the slate lined roads a very omnious, almost primeval feel and the hard inclines, steep declines and twisting roads made for very exciting riding.

The last hour or so of the day was plagued with wrong turns and cyling up wrong roads and I would rather forget about it, becasue it really did make me quite cross. I'm blaming the fact that all signs in Wales are in both English and Welsh, not on my lack of paying attention.

Home for the evening was Henllys B+B just outside Llandovery. It was a converted farmstead and was really very charming indeed. The views it possessed over the Towy valley were extrememly pretty. It was a perfect place to rest after a days worth of cycling though mountains.

Days 2 and 3

2007-08-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

Well I'm sat here in the bar of The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny, with a very handsome looking pint of Guinness sat infront of me and feeling very proud of myself indeed.

Today I got my first taste of 1:10 gradient hills and let me tell you, when your not sat behind an internal combustion engine its quite a daunting sight indeed.

But enough of that I've got day two to report on first.......

We sadly left The Plough in Clanfield (It really was a very nice hotel) after a great breakfast. I found it much more difficult to get into a stride cycling solo. I did however persist and managed to settle into a comfortable 13 mph average speed.

The Chilterns were very uneventful but did have a very nice lunch in a pub just outside Tewksbury. After lunch it was a quick hop over the M5 and a duck under the M50 before going into the old market town of Ledbury, which I managed to get lost in and spent the best part of 30 mins cycling back and forth from one end of the high street to the other.

Home for the night was The Leadon House Hotel and 'mother' for the stay made us feel very welcome indeed. Hotel was nice if not a bit twee. Had a trip into Ledbury for the evening found a proper locals pub with a mad barmaid and I swear to God, i could hear Duelling Banjos on the juke box. Had dinner in a cracking indian restaurant just opposite the pub however, as it turns out, mini cabs in Ledbury don't run past 9pm!!!!

Day 3.

Was awoken by a mysterious smell; especially to us city types....The smell of muck spreading is a most unusal alarm clock, after checking the bottoms of numerous pairs of shoes just in case. I gave up and went down for breakfast, which was good. The tea pot even had enough tea bags in it.

Left Ledbury and made my way into the heart of The Cotswolds which really are something special, especially when the sun lights up the fields of wheat and it shines like gold. Cycling through scenery like this makes it very easy indeed and the miles just roll by.

Lunch was at a pub a few miles from the England/Wales border. It did however, remind me of the pub from little Britain and the lure of asking 'Mefanwe' behind the bar for a Bacardi and coke was almost overwhelming. The menu was great though and we ate like kings.

After lunch with the Welsh Border a mouse fart away, I set off to encounter the most demanding cycling I've faced so far. Wales really is very hilly indeed.

I was over taken by a tractor carrying about a billion tonnes of hay which is really quite demoralising. The downhill run into Abergavenny wasn't.

Ok Uncle Phil and Grandad have turned up. Lets hope the next few days go well.

Day One

2007-08-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick message to let you know of my progress.

Day started off pretty slowly, the bike rack to carry the spare bike proved that once again instructions manuals are as misleading as they are rubbish.

Stopped for lunch at Henley which was nice except that on my way out of Henley i managed to fall off the bike in front of a traffic jam full of people. Yes i did look a right tit, sprawled out across Henley bridge.

The stop for the night is at The Plough in Clanfield which was lovely. the food is great, rich and fantastic. although take some Rennies. The need for Rennies after a meal is the sign of a good meal in my opinion :)

Roll on tomorrow..........

1 day to go

2007-08-26T04:02:00.000-07:00

well the day is finally here, tomorrow is the start, just a quick note to say thanks to everyone who's sponsored me and thanks in advance to all of those who are still going to :)

if you plan on using the just giving site you'd better be quick as it closes on tuesday

the WSP jerseys arrived the other day and turned out far better than i though they would.

see you all when i get back.

Latest News

2007-08-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

A few more developments to report regarding the raffle, two prizes have been very kindly donated. A paddington bear toy based on the original Paddington Bear has been donated by Steve Morton (who is also in my suport crew) coutesy of Ranbow Designs.

I've also had a signed shirt by Sean Kelly donated coutesy of The Jack and Jill Foundation.

Many thanks for those items.

An official finishing line at Ballydoyle Racing Stables has been granted to us by Aidan O'Brien. Ballydoyle is the world famous racing stables that has trained 8 out of the last 11 Epsom Derby Winners.

This is good because now there's a little story to the start and finishing lines. Cycling from the home of the Derby to the training ground that has trained the vast majority of the most recent winners.

Now there is a proper link between the start and finish lines which i think ties everything up nicely.

The Route

2007-08-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well I finally got round to sorting this out (with much help from my mate Tony) The long and the short of it is: It starts off flat gets much much hillier in the middle and levels out towards the end.

Details are as follows:

Day 1
Distance - 85 miles
Worcester Park to Clanfield

Day 2
Distance - 70 miles
Clanfield to Ledbury

Day 3
Distance - 58 miles
Ledbury to Abergavenny

Day 4
Distance - 72 miles
Abergavenny to Llansawel

Day 5
Distance - 66 miles
Llansawel to Pembroke

Day 6
Distance - 73 miles
Rosslare to Fethard

Total Distance 424 miles

There'd better be a Guinness waiting for me in Fethard is all i can say about that!

Training

2007-07-18T04:52:00.000-07:00

Just to prove that I am doing some...

Hopefully there'll be bluer skies on the tour itself. That and a tail wind

Radio Jackie

2007-06-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I was interviewed by Lucy of Radio Jackie. She asked about the journey and how I managed to get myself involved with it to begin with. So for those of you in SW London keep your ears peeled for the story throughout the day.

Thanks to Radio Jackie for the Airtime. It all helps towards raising as much cash as possible.

The Raffle

2007-06-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

I've had a few questions about the raffle so here are the answers.....

the raffle will take place in The Well Public House, Fethard.

The First prize is the Trek '07' 1200 road bike used for the event (with all worn bits replaced and cleaned so it is sparkly like new)

More prizes will be added soon I promise.

Tickets are £2.50/€3.50 each and are available now. You can contact me directly at peter.townsend@sky.com to send a cheque or 'donate' the amount through the just giving site but state in the comments page that you'd like raffle tickets.

Pete

Warspite Reunion

2007-06-04T02:01:00.001-07:00

On Saturday around 75 past and presesnt members of Warspite decended on Fancourt Hall to catch up and share old and new memories of their times at Warspite. More importantly presentations we given by Richard Hunt and Graham Nash (Sea Scout Leader and Fundraising Chairman) detailing the future of the group and updates about the development

It highlighted the urgency in which funds are required to (a)keep the group afloat and (b) keep the redevelopment project on course. I you are reading this and haven't donated already then i beg of you to click the link to the just giving site and pledge some money. Even if it's just a couple of quid.

I was there, bike and all and managed to come away with nearly £200 in sponsorships. So a big thank you to everyone who either bought raffle tickets or pledged sponsorship.

Tipp FM

2007-06-02T02:33:00.000-07:00

If you happened to be listening to Tipp FM on Friday morning you might have heard me chatting to their morning DJ Seamus Martin. I was on air talking about the ride and the two charities I'm supporting. At present this is the largest bit of media interest i've managed to get, so thank you very much to them.

Just Giving

2007-05-29T03:35:00.000-07:00

Cleverly using the tax free advantages a 'Just Giving' site gives us. Our very own page has been created at http://www.justgiving.com/surrey-tipperary_2007 so click on the link and follow the instructions to tax free sponsorship.

Many thanks

Pete

Another Sponsor

2007-05-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

Not only do I have financial backing now from WSP www.wspgroup.com but also Cycleopedia based in Surbition in Surrey have helped me out to. They're kitting me out with all the stuff I need to get me through the journey.

Check out their website www.cycleopedia.co.uk they're a great bunch with loads of knowledge between them.

As i said they're based in Surbiton and if you're considering a new bike I urge you to give them a ring.

Also Owayo custom sports www.owayo.com are in the process of finalising the design of the tunics and shorts for the journey. So far the design looks like this.

A bit more info

2007-05-11T04:54:00.000-07:00

The arrival date is the 1st Septemeber 2007 and a huge party is being planned.

It's taking place at The Well public house in Fethard and the more people that turn up the more money we have a chance of raising. We will be raffling off the bike see pic below amongst other prizes.

Also, I'm still looking for accompanying riders to join me for as long as they want, whether it be am hour or a day or even longer. email me at peter.townsend@sky.com for more info on where i'll be on what day.

The above email address can also be used if you want more info.

4 months to go

2007-05-01T04:11:00.000-07:00

Have been a busy beaver the last few months, bought the bike that I'll be doing the trip on and eventually become the main raffle prize. Got a Trek '07' 1200.

Done my first 'lengthy' training session the other day, got 107 miles under my belt now.

Things are moving forward now with regard to getting the tunics sorted to.

All thats left to do know is start getting the sponsorships in finalise the route.

Gathering a bit more steam.

2006-11-23T02:24:00.000-08:00

A date has been set so start saving up for your sponsorship donation now!

Monday 27th August - Saturday 1st September 2007.

Also Evans Cycles (www.evanscycles.com) have very kindly given us 10% off all their stock to help pay for the essentials; which is very kind indeed.

Still no official corporate sponsor as yet though.

Gathering Steam

2006-10-31T02:51:00.000-08:00

A cycle ride is planned by myself and one other, starting from Stoneleigh in Surrey to Clonmel in Co. Tipperary, via Holyhead in Wales.

The “raison d’etre” is that, as everyone knows, “It’s a long way to Tipperary”!

The ride will be raising money for two charities, one at either end of the route.

The beneficiary at the start of the route is the 1st Cuddington (Warspite) Sea Scout group. (reg. charity 305711)

This group is in dire need of rebuilding its headquarters at an approximate cost of £350,000.

As a group, “Warspite” offer training and development opportunities to the young people of the area, between the ages of 5 ¾ and 18 years. They strive to be as inclusive as possible by keeping subscriptions low and offering reductions or assistance to any families that might struggle.

Their HQ is now over 50 years old and cannot meet the expectations of young people in the 21st century. These requirements include the necessity to provide for both sexes (where scouting used, traditionally, to be male only) and, especially, the needs of the disabled. The current building is beyond repair or refurbishment so there is no option other than to redevelop if the group is to survive.

Local media will be engaged to cover the departure and the Scouts will accompany the riders on the first few miles of the route.

The Irish Charity that has been chosen to benefit is the Jack and Jill Foundation (CHY 12405), a fantastic charity that helps children, from birth to 4 years old, who are suffering from severe developmental delay.

The route through Ireland will include a stop in Naas, The administrative base of The Jack and Jill Foundation where we hope to engage the local media.

We obviously intend to maximise media coverage of the finish to the event in Tipperary.

Getting The Ball Rolling

2006-10-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

This website has been set up so all you lovely generous people can keep up to date with me in my quest to raise a shed load of cash for The Jack & Jill Foundation in Ireland & to help rebuild 1st Cuddington, Warspite's HQ in Stoneleigh, Epsom.

I plan to cycle from Stoneleigh in Epsom, through Wales to Holyhead, hop over the Irish Sea to Dublin, then drop down to Clonmel in Co. Tipperary in time for tea, albeit a few days later.