Organiser David Greaves's page
The Master of the Universe Returns
The world has been a quieter place since the End to End finished. The quest for world domination was put on hold when the Master of the Universe, Robert Duckworth experienced an inter galactic glitch, when his high tec communications portal experienced a monumental malfunction sending him crashing into a lower stratosphere where he had to resort to piscatorial battering once again. Yes, he's been working in the local chippy. But stand by world - he's back - yes back in communication and ambitious plans of cycling across America are crossing the ether. By special request from his fan club, all pretty girls and Nigel, here is the latest sighting of the Master of the Universe.
The Cathedral Visits
The cathedral visits were the backbone of the ride. Each cathedral was a very important vertebra, a meeting point where PD Branch workers, the media, the public and the riders were welcomed by representatives of the church. It was a delight to visit so many magnificent buildings. I would like to thank Guy Taylor of the Harrogate Branch for all the time and effort he put into arranging all the visits and for the cathedral staff and officials for their kindness and hospitality. Collectively, the cathedrals were the spinal column through which our very important message was passed. To see the message being read for the last time in windy Edinburgh, please click HERE
An Important Message
To all the 120,000 Parkinson’s Disease sufferers in United Kingdom,
And to their families and friends
Parkinson’s Disease will be cured
Research is in its end game phase
A cure will be found
NOW is the time
To fund research into a cure
Pedal for Parkinson’s is riding
End to End to End Parkinson’s Disease
1000 miles Lands End to John O’Groats to help fund that cure
We need your help
The cure will be for everyone
Parkinson’s Disease will be consigned to the history books
If you have Parkinson’s Disease
or know someone with Parkinson’s Disease
Please help
Together we can cure Parkinson's Disease
Please Donate to www.justgiving.com/pedalforparkinsons2009
Every penny you give will go to research to find a cure
A message of support from the Archbishop of York
“Please accept my prayers and best wishes to all those participating in the End to End to End Parkinson's Disease cycling event on behalf of those diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. May you successfully raise awareness and complete your journey.”
With every blessing
J Sentamu
file:///C:/Users/Dave/Videos/2009-12-04(1)/MAQ00001.MP4
The Day Riders are the key to the success of Pedal for Parkinson's. The core riders attract all the publicity and the praise, but the day riders deserve all the credit for their effort, enthusiasm, team spirit and not least of all, their fund raising. They share the same goals and aspirations as the core team, some of them are PD sufferers, but all of them have the same united aim, to rid the world of Parkinson's Disease. The End to End riders, to a man, were united in believing that the day riders were part of the team and that they deserved a good experience. They had put themselves to a whole lot of inconvenience to be at the start at 8.30 in the morning. Some had left home at 4.00 o'clock in the morning and didn't get home until late evening. We were flattered that so many people had expressed a wish to come and ride with us for a day, or sometimes more. We promised that no-one would be left behind or struggle at the back by themselves. At the other end of the spectrum we determined to give the serious club cyclists a challenging day. That proved to be a tall order. We made so many good friends and we sincerely hope you all keep in touch. We would love to hear your accounts of your day. I would love to put them on the web site. Each rider committed to raising £200 for the fund, but from the snippets I hear some of you have raised considerably more than that. I look forward to putting your collection on the just giving site and see the total shoot up.
During the ride some of you expressed an interest in going end to end in the future.. That would be great. Don't wait to see what happens next year, let me know now and we can plan round it.
I hope I have included everyone in the picture. Let me know if I have missed you out.
Scottish Regional Manager, Andrew Sim, leads the way back to Edinburgh, after leaving home in Edinburgh at 4.0am to cycle to Berwick to meet the End to End team for breakfast, a 122 mile round trip.
The Team - "the best bunch of companions you could wish for"
L to R: Neil Manning, Rachel Connolly, David Greaves, Nigel MacVean, John Dickinson, Robert Duckworh, plus Bruce Lorimer
So - what made us all laugh?
If you would like to share the joke that was whispered just before the camera clicked which caused the reaction in the second picture and the happy team photograph in the first picture, just post a fiver on justgiving, send an email to davidgeaves@pedalforparkinsons.co.uk and I will send you the joke.
A tribute to the team
by David Greaves
I could not have wished for a better team had I searched from end to end of the land. As it was, they all volunteered at different times without meeting the other members of the group, so the chances of them all getting on was a bit hit and miss, but when they gathered for our training weekend, they gelled immediately. The secret of the success has been diversity, humour, tollerence and determination. With an age range of 21 to 64, a student and three old men, a computer wizz and a female firefighter, how could they have anything in common. But they did. They immediately gained the respect and admiration of the day riders by befriending them and supporting them and without being coached in the art of diplomacy became natural ambassadors for the project. Every one of them was a strong, fearless rider and all of them got stronger and stronger as the journey unfolded. I never heard one complaint about the difficulties of the ride or the aches and pains that are inevitable. The humour was constant, biting and reciprocal.No-one took offence, no-one caused offence.The days were spent in light-hearted chatter, interspersed with good humoured racing and mutual support. The back marker was seldom alone. Someone invariably dropped back to support them.
The star of the show was without doubt John Dickinson. The conventional treatments do not control his PD symptoms, in contrast to the other two of us with the problem. He struggles to walk without crutches, suffers with muscle cramps in his left arm and hand and often has trouble sitting or lying still. Put him on a bike and he is strong and determined. He managed to gain an amazing level of support from his friends and family who accompanied the ride for much of the time. He guided us all the way using a GPS, kindly provided and set up with a fantastic route by Andy Holdaway. He was joined by close friends Andy and Emma Holdaway from the start to Oxford, and was supported along much of the route by his parents and sister but most importantly Sara, John's devoted wife who provided endless support, energy and determination. Before the start, I promised I would get him to the end, and between us we did it. Well done John!. You are the true face of Parkinson's and the hero of Pedal for Parkinson's 2009.
Neil Manning and I became very close friends last year when we went end to end for the first time. He is essentially a quiet , gentle man when you get to know him well and one of the most loyal and caring friends I have ever met. He is generous, helpful and patient and is the first to give support when things go wrong. That is the side of him you get to know if you look past the facade,. It took the team a while to really get to know him, because the side that you meet is the quick-witted comic, the clown, the jester, the poet, the wordsmith and the actor. His conversations are a series of instantaneous razor-sharp retorts, word associations, limericks and sayings, mixed generously with a free-flowing dribble of gobble-de-gook consciousness. He kept us all entertained. That said, he is one of the strongest in the group and powers past the best of us. His fearless approach to downhills last year gained him the title of 'Downhill Meister'. When the going gets tough and he senses I feel tired, he quietly eases in front and drags me along mile after mile, his powerful legs driving his heavy, gererously equipped Harley-Davison of the cycle world effortlessly mile after mile. Two Parkies going end to end twice - not bad mate.
Nigel MacVean freely admits that he initially came along for the challenge of a long distance bike ride. He spends his retirement looking for new experiences, many of which are physically testing and End to End seemed the sort of thing he was looking for. As a long term friend, he and I had trecked together to Everest Base camp in 2001 and he heard all about our first end to end last year first hand. He was immediately excited at the prospect of a 1000 miles on a bike but he also decided to join to support me in my project. From the word go he set out his stall, planned his equipment meticulously and went hunting for a bike. It wasn't long before he returned from one of his regular visits to his second home in Spain with a beautifully finished high spec road bike and Nigel being the gent that he is to add a little bit of class it was discretely monogrammed. The red-walled co-ordinated tyres eventually proved to be his downfall. On the third day of the ride, he had a series of punctures that put him at the top of the team league table, a position he held to the finish. Nigel is a very methodical, organised person. He makes lists. His bag is always neatly packed. He is always first in the shower and always the first to be ready for breakfast and dinner.In a hostel dormitory of men, he stood out from the rest. He was the only one who lounged in bed in neatly pressed pyjamas, reading the Times. I swear he slept with his mouth closed. But everyone noticed a chink appearing in his organisational armour shortly after the puncture gala. Asked if he had repaired his spare tube yet he always answered, 'tomorrow'. That went on every day for two weeks. That makes you a PROCRASTINATOR Nigel, though I'm sure you'll tell me it's a continental habit you've picked up in Spain.
Nigel proved to be a competitive rider. In an attempt to oust me from my title 'Uphillmeister' (undefended) he paired up with Rob and went in for a series of sweaty charges up the steepest of hills in the hottest of weather - most ungentlemanlike. Unfortunately, they forgot that I had announced that the start of the official up hill championships commenced immediately we crossed the Scottish border and the title was never contested so in fairness I can't award the title to either of them. According to Rule IIIVXCiii(AzQf) part 13, that means I retain my title for another year.
Thanks Nige for your team spirit, diplomacy and friendship. But remember people, should you decide to do a tour of the country meeting Bishops, Canons, Deans, Mayors, Sherrifffs or celebrities, remember to let Nigel go first, cos he'll know them already - or his mother will.
I spent three weeks with Rachel and I still don't believe she's a firefighter. Could you concentrate on being rescued if she broke into your flaming bedroom in the middle of the night fellas?
But don't be fooled by appearances.Rachel is tough - er - in a nice sort of way. The guys in the group had been training for weeks, building muscle in preparation for the gruelling ride, but she has more muscle than all of us put together. It was quite disheartening, trying to break out of Cornwall and Devon, hill after hill after hill. Imagine how we men felt, half way up an endlessly steep incline, our high spec road bikes working at the limit, egos on the line,giving every thing we'd got, on last reserves, then smooth as silk, a doubled headed apperition of female form , one on a mountain bike, the other on a shopping trolley, glide smoothly by with no sound of breathing.
Rachel was very fit but didn't have the testosterone disadvantages. She was supportive and co-operative, calm and confident, level-headed and sensitive and worldly wise from her extensive independent travels.
I never saw Rachel cross or grumpy. She was always the same - broad smile, friendly comment and spontaneous laughter. She was always there to support the one at the back or she'd come alongside and chat if you were riding alone. She never tried to out-compete the boys (one 21, the other 60) in the hill races. She was too kind for that. Had she joined in, I fear they would have lost. She said she wasn't in a serious relationship, but she seemed very interested in a fellow we met in the harbourside cafe on the first night. And then when we
visited Leith on the way home and her harbourside cottage, I wasn't surprised to find a strange ship moored alongside the jetty. We'll miss you Rachel, wherever the wind blows.