Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

What do you do think I said when a good friend from my Student days 40 years ago in York says. ‘Dave, do you fancy a 600 mile cycle for a week in June with 7 other folk from one end of France to the other and cycling up a Tour de France mountain stage at the end?’

Apart from the obvious wee sweary or two, I said yes and even managed to persuade my wife Alex to drive a support vehicle for us.

Why?  Well we’re doing it in support of the Walton Hospital’s The Home from Home Appeal .

The Walton, in Liverpool, is the only specialist neurosciences NHS Trust in the UK offering a world class service in diagnosing & treating injuries/ illnesses affecting the brain, spine & in helping people suffering from long term neurological conditions.
Patients come from not just the North of England & Wales but from the rest of the UK & Ireland as well. (some of you may have seen the TV programme about it-‘The Brain Hospital’)

We are all aware either through the news or via friends, family, team & work mates of folk who have experienced head injuries, trauma or who have been diagnosed with illnesses. This is often at short or no notice & can be an extremely upsetting & traumatic not just for the patient but for the family who have to drop everything to go to the hospital. 

What the The Home from Home Appeal is aiming to achieve is to immediately provide those relatives’ with accommodation so they can be very near to their loved ones & have at least one worry well & truly taken care of.

Please do read the other details about the appeal via the The Home from Home Appeal link including David Fairclough’s story.

I went recently with Alex to see the Walton & we both came away so convinced that this is such a worthwhile cause to support. Unusually, it is also a visible cause where you and I can actually see what our efforts and money is going to support at the end of the day.

I will be cycling with another 7 folk including 2 of the Neurological specialists who will confirm no doubt that I am certifiable.  I am looking forward to the challenge & have been working on my fitness cycling all over West and East Lothian and Fife as well as practicing my puncture repair skills.

The one thing, apart from survival and Alex's Rocky road biscuits, that will drive me on will be the fact that in so doing I will, with your help, be raising a ton of money for this fantastic cause The Home from Home Appeal .

Please give generously-donating to my JustGiving page is easy-just  click Donate in the top right of this page:  

Thank you for whatever you give.      Dave (aka Pensioner/Blackie)