A few years ago we noticed my mother in law was struggling with the things she used to find easy. She became unable to manage her money and we would find her with her purse open and a handful of notes she seemed unable to work with. When we took her out her moods would swing, one moment tearful the next angry. She forgot people and when we visited she was confused about her surroundings. It turned out she had developed dementia. Last year I was at work and got a panicked phone call from my wife, her mum had collapsed and was unresponsive. I cycled to work that day and my bike computer shows I rode up the really hard hill from work to home in the fastest time I have ever ridden. Sadly my mother in law had passed away.

At the same time as we were getting to grips with my mother in law becoming more and more confused, we started to notice my mum was struggling to have a conversation. She "lost" the words she wanted to use as she spoke to us. Phone calls became more and more difficult, we ended up talking about the same things over and over again. Trips to the memory clinic followed and we eventually found out that my mum is now also living with dementia. 

When I was younger, I was a Venture Scout and one of my oldest and my best mate was a member of the same group. We used to take our cars to his parents house where we fixed the holes in the floors with the welding gear and we fixed the engines in his dad's garage. When we finished and got washed up, there was always a mug of coffee and the most superb home made oat biscuits made by his mum. Roll the clocks forward and his mum is now in a care home living with dementia.

It's really quite hard to think that my wife and I will lose both our mothers to this condition and that my oldest friend will also see the same. What is especially sad is that it robs us of the time we would want to spend with our parents as they get older. Memories fade, children and grandchildren become strangers in their parents lives, no longer the children in the old photo albums but just people who come to visit saying nice things that are not really understood. 

Alzheimer’s Society is transforming the landscape of dementia forever.Until the day we find a cure, we will create a society where those affected by dementia are supported and accepted, able to live in their community without fear or prejudice. 

Cycling was a big thing I'm my mum's early life. My dad was one of a family of Scotlands finest time trialists, there were 5 brothers and one sister who cycled every weekend. Over a 20 year period they set 25, 30 and 50 mile Scottish records, a number of Scottish team TT records and at least 1 24 hour record. This year I was going to ride the hills of Surrey again in memory of Ethel, my mother in law, in support of Val my mother and in support of Avis, whose biscuits were always such a treat. Sadly, COVID-19 has put paid to that and the event has been cancelled. So I'm going to do 100 miles anyway. The Pru ride was due to take place on August 15th so before that date, I will complete a 100 mile trip on my bike, this one will be somewhere round Yorkshire, so a bit hillier.