Brian's Lands End to John O'Groats Challenge: Exciting news to tell you

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and are refreshed and raring to go in 2012.

It's gonna be a big year

My apologies for not having posted for a few days. It's been very busy at work getting back into the swing of things after the break.

Anyway, as the title says, I have some exciting news for you! Whilst we were drawing the winners at the raffle draw on the 19th Dec, Nick Craig asked me what I was doing about the camper van. I explained that we had provisionally booked a van and it was going to cost around £1700.00 for the two week hire. I told him that I would be selling my motorbike to fund it. Well I could see his mind whirring whilst I was describing the van to him. When I'd finished Nick said "you know I have a VW camper". I did know! As a big VW camper fan, I'd admired it on his drive a couple of years ago. Well he only went and offered me the use of it for the challenge. I couldn't believe it. I was speechless to be honest. How generous and trusting of him?

Not Nick's Camper but very similar

He did however have a big caveat! and that is why I have not told you until now. It wasn't on the road and has been in Nick's garage for over a year. He wanted to get it started and see if it was ok before he decided it was road worthy and up to 2000 miles driving up and down the entire length of the UK.

I think it was on Boxing day, Rosemary and I were walking Monty in the hills when we came across Nick and his son Charlie, out for a bike ride. We were chatting away when Nick mentioned that he'd had the old girl out of the garage and it had fired first time. It needed some work doing, but the long and short of it was that he was happy to lend it to us. We arranged to go round and check it out to make sure it is what we were expecting. So Rosemary and I popped round for a look on bank holiday Monday. As Nick had mentioned, the old girl has been stored for over a year and will need some TLC but it was just how I remembered my parents camper van when we were kids.

Sarah, Nicks wife was unsure that the bed would be big enough for me. I lay down and ok its not a kingsize, but I am sure it will be fine. Granted its not as plush as the hire van, but its far more manageable in my view and it is a VW Camper. Enough said in my opinion. It will be like an adventure.

Nick Craig - a true gent

The Craig's have been so generous in offering their pride and joy to us and we are both truly grateful. I know they are very fond of it and we will be taking extra special care of it. We'll get ourselves in the AA and we'll have it fully valeted for them when we get home too. We have arranged to borrow it for a couple of days in late March for Rosemary to get used to the non servo brakes and steering. We may even have a night away in it to see how comfortable it is.

The other great thing is that we will be saving £1700.00. I have decided that I will still sell my motorbike and will put all the proceeds to the charity........so does anyone want to buy an A1 Mint Triumph 955 Sprint RS V Reg 10,000 only. I've not ridden it for 5 years, except for its annual MOT. However it has been regularly started every month. It will be a bargain for someone. Make me an offer around £1500.00 and its yours. They are going for more than that in AutoTrader with more mileage. All the cash will go to Ataxia UK.