As you may know I do rather a lot of cycling. Nine years
ago, whilst sat sunning myself in a café with good cake, a bee accosted me.
This bee was not after my cake, but a favour. It turns out he was one of the
mass of bees stationed at Henstridge Airfield to support the work of the
Somerset and Dorset Air Ambulance. Although he enjoyed his trips out and gained
immense satisfaction from the work done, he was looking to broaden his
horizons.
He had found limitations to the amount of buzzing around
he could do in one day, and got far too hot and buzzy in a car. He had tried
holding onto cars, but got blown off as they picked up speed, and then had to
avoid any following car as he tumbled around in the air flow. It appears that
after extensive research that riding on a bicycle was just about the ideal
combination of outdoors and airspeed for a bee to take.
He turned out to be quite a friendly bee, as bees
go, and is quite persuasive. The upshot of this is that he wanted to travel the
length and breadth of the country, and by looking through car windows at road
atlases had decided that Land’s End to John O’Groats was not enough and he
wanted to travel via the four cardinal points: The Lizard in south; Lowestoft
in the east; Ardnamurchan Point in the west and Dunnet Head in the north.
So we made plans and we did it. We did 1350 miles in 14
and a half days and it rained on 13 of those days. Our blog can be found at
http://gregcycle.blogspot.com/2010/
The other day in the warmth of Easter there was a mad
buzzing at the door. Mr L.E.Bee is back. Apparently, although we raised money
for the air ambulance, it appears that they have only been and spent it, and
they are going to need to put some fuel in soon and he wants another adventure.
(He said coins in the meter, but he is a bee after all).
So we are off again at the very end of August for me to
cycle while he shelters from the rain. This time it is Dover to Durness, the
opposite corners to Land’s End to John O’Groats (bottom right to top left).
It’s not much shorter than the traditional End to End and we have to play with
the traffic close to London. He has agreed to fly up the hills, guard me from
wasps, and not to complain when it rains.
In order to motivate me and Mr LE Bee in this madness, we
would ask you to sponsor us both in aid of the Somerset and Dorset Air
Ambulance. Being a bee, he can’t carry much and carrying coins one at a time
back to Henstridge is very hard work, so he would prefer paper money or
cheques. I on the other hand will take the loose change from you pocket as it
all helps.
We
both thank you for your kindness.
Ten years ago, my cousin’s 13-year-old son, Elliot, was
hit by a car while waiting for the school bus, killing him. The Air Ambulance
attended. The last ride was for him, so is this.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dover-durness
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