Britain's National Cycle Network

Morning! Something from Matt...

I cycled from York to Sheffield on Wednesday and back again on Friday to see our mate Tom. It was really gorgeous weather every day except for the wind, which was blowing against me at 17mph each day... just my luck.

... Oh and I also underestimated how far it was going to be, so after a pretty late night and very little sleep (Tom wouldn't let me get away with not going out in Sheffield) I cycled about 70 miles back to York yesterday.

But the main point is about the NCN... It's just amazing! There's a really inspiring 15 mile stretch of off-road cycle track that is beautifully smooth to cycle on , and it's populated by various public artworks, such as this, the 'Fisher of Dreams'. Very cool way to start and end my wee holiday!

There's a good network of cycle routes in Sheffield, too, apart from the fact that some of it is covered in broken beer bottles.

Basically I was really inspired by the way this part of the country seems to be commited to an intricate network of paths that are actually an efficient way to get from A to B -most of the cycle routes I've encountered are either confined to towns and cities or are very round-about, and slow.

I reckon the North of the UK is setting a great example and the rest of it, especially Gloucestershire, needs to get its act together and connect major areas with nice, well-surfaced, fairly straight cycle paths. There is the potential for us pioneering Brits to create something truly amazing!

Oh, and meanwhile, remember to sponsor us for WaterAid!

scuba is a legend! what a dude!

our biggest sponsor to date!

scuba has just single handedly brought safe water to an entire village!

you have just made so many people happy!

THANK YOU!!!!!

how the long awaited article in national newspaper made me cry!

Today started fantastically, went for an amazing cycle, just did about 30 miles around st andrews. there is a rather large hill if you are coming towards st andrews from pitscottie and i used to find it so tough to cycle up! really tough! but yesterday matt and i cycled up really quickly chattin all the way, i hardly noticed the hill was there!

i was so happy at this i couldn't resist cycling the same route this morning so i could pedel up this hill again. >:-)

so, i was really happy with the world early this morning...till i was informed about the Daily Mail article...they didn't include any contact details for us at all! made me feel so disheartened...and used. i really dislike newspapers!

i was so upset that i wasted so much time last week tying to get media attention and it all amounted to nothing at all that i was convinced i was no longer spend time trying to raise money. convinced that so few people actually care or think about people on this planet who are not as privileged as us that desperately trying to raise money was pointless.

lucky for me matt met me outside after my lectures with a flower gave me a hug and reminded me why we are puting ourselves through this.

so anyway, i am going to continue to try and convince people that supporting us to give to wateraid is a fantastic worth while idea.

so...tired but still determined (and not gonna buy a newspaper for a while). Claire.

thank you to everyone who has sponsored us! all those £10-£20 pounds has got us up to £430!

it really does add up!

tired.

It's saturday evening and i'm tired! this raising money is wearing me out.

I was just thinking of how fantastic will be when we are cycling along in the boiling heat in some remote region of southern spain, and we might pass a lake, a clear cold lake. We will just jump off our bikes and jump straight in, relieved from the heat! than get out and jump back on our bikes and continue pedeling to morocco! it will be bliss.

p.s if anyone has cycled through those mountains between france and spain some advise of places to stay or routes through would be amazing.

Never trust a newspaper

Not in the paper today!! BUT i'm assured i will be in the next few days...i made them promise and everything....so fingers crossed... >:-(
so we still only have £400 for WaterAid and all those thirsty children!

Anyway, that last post about the Daily Mail was a tad frantic... Basically Claire has written a letter to them about what students do with their holidays. Most newspapers' education suplements go on about students having massive debts and having to work 9-5 throughout their holidays; but Claire pointed out that there are those of us who do really good things in our free time, particularly charitable initiatives, and used our trip as an example of this...
...hopefully it'll get us publicity for our fundraising efforts too!

So if your interested, find a copy of the Daily Mail on Friday.

Cheers!

Matt.

WaterAid spends most of its money on projects in 17 different countries. These projects produce tangible results that can often drastically improve the quality of life for the people involved.




There are two main areas of WaterAid's work. The first is WATER... here is a picture of a Bangladeshi boy washing in water from a handpump paid for by WaterAid (right):









The second area is SANITATION... this is a pit latrine constructed in Ghana and paid for by WaterAid (left).






WaterAid is changing lives in practical and concrete ways, every day, for millions worldwide. So we reckon it's a charity well worth supporting!

For some more info on WaterAid, go to www.wateraid.org.uk/uk/

Oh, and don't forget to sponsor us!

more good news

such exciting news! things are getting more exciting everyday!

The daily mail is publishing a story about our fundrasing efforts on friday!

First sponsor!

Very exciting news... we recieved our first reply from all the count less letters we sent to businesses in and around cheltenham this morning!

A letter from Astbury & Co, with £50 for WaterAid kindly enclosed, as well as wishing us the best of luck.

This is fantastic!

Thank you Astbury & Co.

hope everyone had a lovely easter holiday, relaxing and eating chocolate eggs!
we had a rather more active break training for our summer cycle. we cycled from our universities in scotland to our home town cheltenham! 400 miles in 6 days ( plus an and an hour and 40 mins on 7th day). it was intense training which included getting snowed on in a cloud on the deserted, FREEZING!,yorkshire moors....oh and the peak district is really, really lumpy.

it was challenging and hard at times, but, as such advantures usually are, it was definately well worth the effort.

we are both back at university now and will be continuing our training by cycling around fife until we begin our expedition on the 1st of june.