My friend Paul was my best man.  I met him when we were students together and he taught me how to drink beer.  I'm still grateful, though I'm not as good at it as I used to be.  He was very fit, running sub three-hour marathons, but died of bowel cancer in 2006.  Everyone fortunate enough to have known him still misses him.  He was a truly lovely man.

I've done a few cycle rides for pleasure in recent years, but only once to raise money for charity.  I decided that enough time has passed for my friends to stand another raid on their wallets, and chose Bowel Cancer UK.   They are doing most to stop people like Paul from dying of the disease.

So, please contribute  if you can.  No amount is too small.  From the impoverished I'd be delighted simply to receive a few words of encouragement.  The brilliant Pearson Cycles people (no relation) had promised me black coffee in Richmond Park, so I was already motivated.  I just needed an incentive to keep going beyond that point.  I would have been on a Pearson bike, of course.  

Here's some more information from Bowel Cancer UK:

We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.  We’re here to stop people dying of bowel cancer.