The week before....

So it's really getting close now. What to pack, what to leave behind? A million and one unanswered questions. Overall the scale of this challenge is finally sinking in and it's frankly very scary! However people have been fantastic. Friends in TVAM www.tvam.org.uk have helped me out with various bits of kit whilst Moggstar www.moggstar.com have provided me with a fantastic set of Motocross armour, vest, trousers and gloves. Finally Bikebitz www.bykebitz.co.uk have provided me with one of their excellent airhawk saddles www.airhawk.co.uk I cannot thank each of them enough.

Injections, Visa, etc!

So preparations for the actual trip are really starting now. I've had the injections, waited in line at the Indian Embassy for 4 hours for a visa and then joined another somewhat quicker line to obtain an international driving licence from the post office. As the area we visit is "medium risk" for Malaria, I also need to take the necessary precautions for this by taking tablets both before, during and after the trip. Exciting eh!

Grand Raffle

The Grand Raffle is now complete - Very many thanks to all who took part in it and to those organisations who gave the prizes so generously. And of course congratulations must also go to those people lucky enough to win the various prizes.

Raising the money.....

My target is to raise at least £4500. To achieve this I took some advice, which was to secure some really attractive prizes and run a Grand Draw. Philips UK very generously agreed to provide the top prize of a 37" flatpanel LCD TV, which was closely followed by generosity from both Legoland and Mithril Racing who each gave me some fantastic prizes to use.
The next step was to apply for a gaming licence from the local district council, which they kindly granted having received my application form showing the charities who would benefit.
Finally I arranged printing of raffle tickets and the challenge of selling them began.

So how did it all begin?

Like many grand ideas - in the pub!
"Let's go for a bike ride", says I to a couple of friends. (Having in mind a short blast around the lanes of Berkshire).
A few pints later some bright spark had expanded upon the suggestion and all of a sudden me and a couple of equally mad friends we were signing up to an adventure of a lifetime....