My charity ride is to the memory of my good friends Wilf and Jake. Two great blokes, good husbands, father's and mates to many. GBNF!

I aim to cycle 500 + miles in the month of October to raise as much as I can for their chosen charities. This will be personal for me, due to suffering from depression myself in the past. I will cycle outdoors, off road, on road, or on an indoor trainer if the weather conditions are poor. Due to knee injuries, I have opted to spread the mileage out so it can be done in stages.

please support both if you are willing and able, by splitting donations between both pages! I’d like to raise £500 or more for each.

I had known Wilf the better part of 20 years, meeting at a motorcycle clubhouse party. Treating him like a mate straight away, buying him a beer and having a chat, before knowing who he was. I earned a place in his friendship circle that remained until this day. Frequently chatting about cars, bikes, music, fishing and boxing or just sending each other stupid jokes, which often earned me one of his trademark catchphrases. The last time I was with Wilf was at the tattoo studio he co-owned, Mindseye. We had a good catch up and a great laugh with all the team. I could see he was enjoying his retirement and making the best of life. He was a good husband, father, co-worker, and friend. I hope he has found peace, wherever he is now. Wilf will be missed by all who knew him and had the privilege to call him a friend and brother. I do miss our conversations and jokes.

Jake Roberts, was a great local lad, a real hard grafter and a popular guy. I had only known Jake around seven years, but in that short time he had instilled in me his work ethic, and to keep on pushing to better yourself and to have a good laugh doing it. With a natural interest in machinery and having a joke, we always had a good chat on his mum and dads drive. Myself and my son, looking forward to seeing what big tractor he had come home in that day for his dinner. Jake was a great dad to his two sons, a real role model on how to be successful and useful to mankind, always able to turn his hand to anything. He was a great brother and son, I was always touched by how close their family unit was. Always together, always laughing, always smiling, always the smell of clean washing floating in the air. When I am working on my drive, I can often hear him saying, "what’s happened this time kid”. He would always offer to help if he could. Jake was a great human being and a loss to all who knew him, and the ones who sadly never will get the opportunity to call him their friend.

I truly hope both Wilf and Jake are at peace, maybe even having a beer together. Laughing at me writing this soppy story.