UPDATE:

Dear All,

I hope this finds you well and that you are enjoying the newness of spring and the continued joy of Eastertide.

I write with news. On Monday 25th of April I had a bad accident whilst completing the last leg of my days cycle to Regensburg, Germany. I came off my bike at speed and landed on my shoulder, causing a posterior dislocation, break, a broken collar bone, and some internal bleeding. I was fortunate in being rescued by a passer-by who swiftly called an ambulance. The German healthcare system is exceptional and in 5 hours I was on the operating table. On Wednesday I was flown back to the UK and I have been resting at The Rectory since. It is likely that I will need another two operations, one in the short term, the other a little further down the line. I have been extremely lucky in walking away from this with a significant, but not life-changing injury. For this, I am grateful to God and to those good Samaritans who did not pass by on the other side.

I am sad not to be able to complete my trip to Istanbul this summer and depending on how my recovery goes, I hope to complete it later this year or next.

THANK YOU for all your sponsorship and kindness. I will close the justgiving site in a week and send the money to the specified parties. I am truly thankful for your support, encouragement and generosity.

Lastly, I am grateful to Chris for taking the Sunday services in my absence and supporting the ministry of St. Giles, to Lesley who has provided me with an enormous amount of logistical support from a distance, to our Churchwardens, PCC, Bishop and Archdeacon for their encouragement and to Anthony who helps me at home.

The picture is The Rector with Dr Anna of Krankenhaus Hospital, Regensburg.

TOM

One of the questions people often ask me is: ‘when did you begin cycling?’ The answer is on my 8th birthday when I got my first bike; a BMX which my dad had spray-painted bright green. Dad taught me to ride and I can recall him running behind me holding the underside of the saddle to give me the stability and confidence to push ahead on my own.

Cycling and all things ecclesiastical formed a union through bell-ringing. I had started to learn in the autumn of 1998 at St. Mary’s Hitchin and caught the bell-ringing bug pretty badly. Most evenings and weekends I would be off on my bike visiting a ringing practice somewhere in Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire. This was of course long before the days of my having a mobile phone and so I’d call my parents to let them know where I’d got to. Public Houses were always a good place to stop and make a call because they’d usually let you use the phone for free (perhaps I discovered my fondness for them at that time too).

Bell-ringing was gradually joined by a love of visiting and cataloging churches, this led to a fairly confirmed atheist (as I was then), having my heart strangely warmed by the invitation from a number of kind Christians, to start attending Divine Service. God’s grace won and the rest is history.

I've wanted to do a ride to raise money for charity for some time, but the pandemic and one or two other things have stood in the way. The charities I have chosen are particularly close to my heart. Some years ago my mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of MS and since then I have watched her mobility and health deteriorate and so I would like to do something to join in with the objectives of The MS Society in raising awareness and funds for those living with MS. Secondly I am supporting The Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust, a group of people who work hard to make grants to historic churches in need of repair, they are a lifeline to many a vicar in need and I have been hugely thankful for their support in the past.

The Ride: I shall be cycling from The Hook of Holland to Istanbul, some 2900km over 29 days. In addition to the ride, I am going blond to support the charity! Please support these wonderful causes and give generously!