One of my main aim in doing this was to raise awareness of Leukaemia and raise funds for ELF who support the excellent work of the Haematology Centre, based at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, for the benefit of patients in Devon and beyond. The ultimate vision is to try and make leukaemia history in the South West. It is organisations like these who raised money which enabled me 6 years ago to recover from Head and Neck Cancer to be the reasonable, staid, sane and quite dull character you see before you. Without people like you the research needed to make some treatments possible would not be round now. So a personal thank for me and those future generations will benefit from your charitable donations.
I recall my own cancer treatment and in particular the chemotheraphy which I often described as an oxymoron. Today I had an update from the dad of James and yesterday on the progress of Ruby who so bravely waved us off on Friday night but has been confined to barracks due to an infection. Without sharing the full details with you it brought home the bad old days of my treatment in 2005. I was 41 these guys are 6 and 8, and when I heard that a young “ward” friend had passed away and James was sad it really struck home to me that the ultimate vision “to make leukaemia history” is a worthy vision.
Together lets kick “Leukaemia’s arse”
I wish I could get excited about today’s trip other than the news of funds raised was fantastic but today was mainly about driving on a long motorway from Varazze to Pisa with a bit of beach thrown along the way as we came down the West Coast of Italy. Highly recommended for a beach holiday but unlike the Pizza restaurant we stopped of at lunch I hope that they will be able to serve Pizza next time. The Monty Python "Cheese shop" sprang to mind.
As I reported yesterday Myrtle is only carrying two adults now as I felt that the weight of the extra person and luggage was flogging Myrtle and with another 231 miles to do tomorrow and then 1200 miles back to St Malo next week common sense prevailed and agent dig dropped off at the train station
We have driven 1024 miles overtaken 4 cars, yes 4 and today 5 lorries and 1 truck, on two occasions managed to get over 60 mph! We have refuelled 6 times and needed an engine oil top up. There have been zero road rage incidents and many admirers of Myrtle and too few of the Wing Co! So the girl has done good as some Football Managers may say. Today we have had 192 web viewings compared with 111 yesterday and the website has been viewed over 1500 times, thanks to retweets from Welsh rugby legend Scott Quinnell and Wessex RFC old boy Matt Hopper now of England and Harlequins.
Fundraising news went well today, slow uptake on the justgiving.com site but a count of the Poachers leaving party bucket which as also used at Wessex RFC gave us a nice £213.66. So that makes at 2130 this evening with gift aid the justgiving site showing £1501.62p, Cash in hand awaiting banking £312.22 plus further gift aid of £25 and the kind donation of £500 from Radmore and Tucker we have a grand total of £2338.84. I am aware that the Poachers Inn bucket has been doing very well and with associated collections in and around the stadium I would be really sad if we did not reach £2500 by close of play on Saturday, in fact I know we will.
Junior officers tend not to understand too many cultural things including a World Heritage Site, at a young age in particular Pilot Officer Hackers who when seeing the 12th Century engineering masterpiece said disappointingly “is that it....I thought it was bigger”
Alas we could not get Myrtle close enough to the tower without the risk of being shot by the Police so I gave that one a miss as would hate to miss the rugger!
Alas we could not get Myrtle close enough to the tower without the risk of being shot by the Police so I gave that one a miss as would hate to miss the rugger!
Keep attacking !
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