Tom and Gaz at the end of the canal / road...Paddington Basin - London 13-4-08.

Well me and my old soul brother mucker Tom Hicks completed the gruelling cycle challenge down the canals (and some roads) of England last weekend in aid of Mary Stevens Hospice - Stourbridge. It was a real challenge as well. The first day proved really tough - over 70 miles and with nine punctures between us, and the bikes taking a real battering - some parts of the canal around the Warwickshire / Northamptonshire border being really hard going. My own (The Jink) having the front brake cable grip snap, then the gears selection got a bit mashed...me only being able to select 2nd and 3rd gear and having to keep stopping as they locked up. We soldiered on with the help of a couple of lovely people Diane and Farmer Dave - who helped get us back to civilisation so as we could get ourselves sorted and get to Blisworth in Northamptonshire - arriving at 9:30pm...like two mud men and completely knackered!!!

Punctures were a feature of the first day...and Tom set the precedent by having one before we'd even got to the canal in Wolverhampton to start the journey! His Dad (Geoff 'Massive Hands' Hicks) sorted it for him though...while Tom did his limbering up exercises..:-).

We set off from Wolves canal basin at 8:30am - slightly behind time...but raring to go and looking rather resplendent in our Tipton Town Football Club shirts...C'mon The Toon!


...Tom said goodbye to his Dad in case he never saw him again...!

We got a few soakings early on between Wolves and Brum but our spirits were high...but not as high as the tramps we saw under the M5 Motorway in Oldbury who were really on the juice early that morning...it was a kind of 'Gentlemen on Hard Times Drinking Club' we encountered (ha ha)...but they wished us well on our way!

Got caught in another downpour out near Solihull...and I had my first puncture of the day here. My front brake cable grip had snapped off earlier as well so the front brake was hardly usable. Set off again and soon we were out in the wilds of Warwickshire. Going well really - despite the weather...we were to experience all the elements this first day...rain, wind and sunshine.

Tom had his second puncture of the day around about mid-day...in the middle of a downpour!

Then the sun came out...the towpaths were a bit muddy but not too bad and although we were slightly behind time we were going well. Came to some moorings near Rowington called Tom O' The Woods - with a pub...well we'd got to stop here hadn't we :-)


...good nosh there as well - steak baguette went down a treat :-)

From here we had an excellent run down to and through Warwick and Leaminington Spa. Passed through Leamington about 3:30pm-ish...well on track (or so we thought) for getting to Blisworth (Northamptonshire) our first stop over point for about 6pm-ish.

As we passed through the junction with the Oxfordshire canal we turned left to carry on along the Grand Union Canal towards the Braunston Tunnel. I had my second puncture of the day here...back tyre...and I lost the locking nut off my gears...this is were the problems started. The banks were starting to become covered in bramble thorn branches. Tom noticed that he too had a puncture (his third) so the two of us were repairing punctures and then I had to sort my gears out. I could only select 2nd and 3rd gear. The tool bag on my bike broke - so the tools had to go into my rucksack...adding weight which was not good.

Got going again but the towpaths were getting worse and worse - like trying to ride through marshland - real heavy going...and I had another puncture (my third)!

Repaired this but the going was getting worse - the canal towpaths were really deteriorating as far as trying to cycle. We slowed down considerably. We'd got to come off the towpath at Braunston tunnel - we were told we were only about 5 mile from there...but this was wrong...we'd gone about 10 mile and still hadn't come to it. It was now about 7pm and we still had about 20 miles to go to get to Blisworth. I had another puncture (my fourth)!

We had two inner tubes left...my gears were locking up and my back brake block was damaged. We carried on a while further...and then both had punctures...AGAIN! It was now about 7:30pm and starting to go dark. We fixed the punctures - got my gears sorted again - still only 2nd and 3rd gear though...and managed to get the back brake working by using bits from the front brake. These repairs were costing us a lot of time.

We got going again but it was getting too dark on the towpaths and we were hardly moving with the state of them - so we decided to get onto the roads and do the remaining distance to Blisworth by road. We got onto the road...went about 500 yards and both had punctures AGAIN...loads of thorns in the tyres. We were stuck...no inner tubes left and having to try and repair them on the road side...it was now dark - about 8:30pm. This is were a wonderful lady called Diane came to our rescue with her friend Farmer Dave. He got us to civilisation (ha ha) with his Land Rover truck. Tom had fixed his puncture with a repaired inner tube...but it was my gears that were now the problem - the selector needed totally re-setting up I could not use my bike. We had to get to Blisworth - by now we were both completely knackered. We arrived there at 9:30pm in the back of a mini-bus...we were about 8 miles short of making it!

Next day we were both up at 7am repairing inner tubes in our hotel room - I then had to more or less strip my bike down and try and re-set the gear selection up. If this failed I was going to have to get the bike to some sort of repair shop...probably in Northampton about 7 mile away...and if they couldn't do it i was going to have to get a new bike!!!

It took until 10:30am to get my bike in some sort of usable state - sorted the gears although I was going to have to be careful...and fixed the puncture...and made the back brake a bit more secure and usable . We rolled out of Blisworth at 11am.

Tom seeks divine intervention with the bike repairs!

We had to do a bit on the roads after we left the Walnut Tree Hotel in Blisworth on Sat 12th because the Blisworth Tunnel is about 2.9km long and has no towpath through it. We needed to get some supplies from a bike specialist shop and decided to bike to Milton Keynes to get new inner tubes, brake blocks and to get a new tool bag for my bike...we also didn't want to get stranded on a remote canal bank somewhere if my gears packed up again. We biked 15 mile to Milton Keynes...and about 5 mile around it (horrible place) until we found a Halfords - unfortunately with extortionate prices! Anyway - the way my shoulders were feeling because of the tools being stuffed in the top of my ruck sack I'd have paid almost anything for a new tool bag for the bike...the relief was something else! Gave the gears another check over and away we went...but I'd forgot about getting my front brake fixed so my training shoes still had the job of helping me stop!!!

We headed off again down the canal heading toward our destination of Hemel Hempstead where we were spending Saturday night in a B&B - The Alexander. We did nearly 50 miles on Saturday and arrived in Hemel Hempstead about 6pm...ready for a shower...chill out...a meal and a few beers!

Sunday 13th after a hearty breakfast (thanks to Morag at The Alexander B & B) and a check over of the bikes we're ready for the last leg of the journey...from Hemel Hempstead to Paddington Canal Basin in London. We cycle off through Hemel and a right dodgy roundabout system in the middle of the town. We get onto the canal on the outside of the town and get talking to some local barge owners who tell us that a mile or so outside of Hemel heading south the tow path ain't much good and advise us to use the roads to Watford and get on there...so we did.

From Watford and into Harrow when Tom has the idea of going to Wembley Stadium to get some pictures done in our Tipton Town tops...wicked. So we hit the roads from Harrow to Wembley...and Tom got a puncture!

We didn't realise there was a charity game at the stadium that day (Sunday 13th was also the day of the London Marathon...but we'd done a marathon of our own) Wimbledon were playing Corinthians, so as we got near the stadium the were loads of fans about. We had a great reception from some Wimbledon fans who were taking photos of us once they'd heard about our charity ride...we of course also informing them of the great TTFC...C'mon The Toon!

Tipton Town FC @ Wembley Way...and Sir Bobby Moore gives us his blessing.

We left Wembley and re-joined The Grand Union Canal for the last leg of our journey about 8 miles to Paddington Canal Basin where we were met by Tom's brother Andy and his girlfriend Adele plus Tom's old mate Neil and his girlfriend Anna...and Champagne - get on!

Later in the evening - after a much needed soak in the bath at Neil's lovely Shoreditch Apartment...and Tomazco blagging some of Neil's clobber (typical K-Ford Pikey ha ha ha) we were ready for a few pints...and to do an interview live on BBC Radio WM with Saul Abner on The Wolverhampton Show via our mobile phones.

On our travels that evening we found a wicked pub called The Albion...an oasis for Baggies fans down the smoke and the gaffer made a real fuss of us asking us to sign his guestbook and presenting us with a bottle of plonk for our efforts.

The Albion pub in Hackney...Neil, Andy, me and Tomazco enjoying a pint.

A casualty of the trip after serving me well over the years was my trusty old Adidas trainers...who had acted as my additional brakes for most of the trip...they were consigned to Neil's dustbin ...the soles being wafer thin after the journey here's a pic in their memory:-)

We returned home courtesy of Virgin Trains giving us free travel back on Mon 14th. Finally here's a pic of my trusty old steed 'The Jink' - named after Celtics flying winger of the 60's and 70's Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone. Battered and due a rest...but not beaten...sounds a bit like me and Tom :-)

MASSIVE THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT HAS SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED US - ESPECIALLY ALL AT TIPTON TOWN FC - OUR FAMILY's and FRIENDS AND OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON...we wanted an adventure and we had one...and we've raised over £2,000 for The Mary Stevens Hospice in Stourbridge in memory of Tom's father-in-law Roger Brookes. Anyone wishing to add a donation via our on-line web site can do so at www.justgiving.com/rogbrookes

Thanks again...GARY & TOM

THE WRONG WAY DOWN

Wolverhampton to London Charity Bike Ride in aid of Mary Stevens Hospice - Stourbridge.Charity Fund set up in memory of Roger Brookes

Okay groovers as you know me and my funky Soul Brother Mr Tom Hicks are planning to cycle from Wolverhampton to London in aid of the Mary Stevens Hospice, Stourbridge. The event has been set up in memory of Tom's father-in-law Roger Brookes, who passed away two years ago and spent his last days at the Hospice.

We are planning to cycle along the Wolverhampton to Birmingham Main Line Canal into city centre Brum, then join the Grand Union Canal and cycle a total distance of approximately 150 miles to London.This event will take place over the period of the 11th till the 13th April 2008.You can pledge an on-line donation by contacting the following web site that has been set up via the JUST GIVING Charity - here's the address http://www.justgiving.com/rogbrookes

As an update on the fund we have (at the time of writing) an approximate total of £1,700:00 pledged via sponsorship donations - both on-line via the web-site and via sponsorship forms. We have had some excellent support from sources such as Tipton Town Football Club (club officials / management / players and supporters), The University of Wolverhampton (staff and students), Virgin Trains (free return travel for the journey home with our bikes on the Monday 14th) and Fred Williams Cycles of Wolverhampton (some equipment supplies).

Coincidentally the day we arrive in London (Sun 13th April) is also the day of the London Marathon...you never know - if we can manage three Weetabix on the last day when we get to London - don't be surprised if you see us on the telly weaving our way in and out of the runners...on our bikes of course!!!See below for the planned stages of the trek.

Friday April 11thWolverhampton to Blisworth - 78.65 miles (approx)

Saturday 12th AprilBlisworth to Hemel Hempstead - 45.96 miles (approx)

Sunday 13th AprilHemel Hempstead to London (Paddington Canal Junction - where the Grand Union Canal ends) - 28 miles (approx).

On Sunday 6th April we are being interviewed live on The Wolverhampton Show on BBC Radio WM - available via DAB Digital and 101.8FM. Listen live via the internet @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/local_radio/ - we will also be featured on this show on Sunday 13th April via live phone link from London after completing the ride...don't miss our 'Tales from The Canal Bank' stories of our journey :-) Next Thursday 10th April (the day before we start the ride) were on the Wolverhampton Now Show (presented by Saul Abner) at WCR FM (101.8 FM) Wolverhampton between -2pm - for the full show playing some groovy tunes...and playing Saul up as well - ha ha ha! Listen live via http://www.wcrfm.com/

We also feature on an updated report on the BBC Black Country web site - many thanks to Ciaran Ryan at the BBC for the feature and his support. Hit the link to 'read all about it' -

Thanks for your support.

Gary and Tom.