Route Details

Well, it's been 9 months planning and waiting, and the day is approaching for the start of the Northern Ireland/ Donegal Cycle Challenge for the Children's Heartbeat Trust.

The route and proposed locations and arrival times are posted here, I know along the 500 miles route some folk are hoping to giving me a cheer or, knowing some of them...abuse ;-) but please do allow approximately half an hour either side of these times to allow for rest stops, a mechanical, weather conditions (particularly wind speed/direction) or ....me taking a wrong turn and getting lost (what are we doing in Draperstown Mavis!!) :-)
Thank-you!!

Wednesday 1st July: Banbridge - Castle Archdale
Tesco Bridgewater Extra, Banbridge 9am, BANBRIDGE 9.10am, Church Street/Seapatrick, GILFORD 9.50am, Newry Canal Towpath, PORTADOWN 10.30am,
High Street, Armagh Road, Dobbin Road, Vicarage Road, Cloghan Road. ARMAGH 11.40pm. Ballycrummy Road. NAVAN FORT 12pm. Killylea Road. CALEDON 1.30pm.
AUGHNACLOY 2pm. Ballygawley Roundabout. AUGHER 3pm. CLOGHER 3.20pm.
FIVEMILETOWN 4pm. Altaveedan Road. Cooneen Road. TEMPO 4.45pm.
Tempo Road. Dublin Road. ENNISKILLEN 5.30pm. Friths Pass Bridge. Castle Bridge
Irvinestown Road. Enniskillen Road (Trory). IRVINESTOWN 7.30pm. Lisnarick Road. Killadeas Road. CASTLE ARCHDALE (Finish) 8pm.

Thursday 2nd July: Castle Archdale - Limavady
CASTLE ARCHDALE 8am. KESH 8.40am, Boa Island Road, BELLEEK 10.30am, Cliff Road, DONEGAL TOWN 12.30pm, Keadew Bridge, N15, Barnes Bridge, Donegal Road,
BALLYBOFEY 2.30pm, LIFFORD 3.45pm, Letterkenny Road, LONDONDERRY/DERRY 5pm, A2, GREYSTEEL 6pm, BALLYKELLY 6.25pm, LIMAVADY 7PM.

Friday 3rd July: Limavady - Ballyrobert
LIMAVADY 8.30am, DOWNHILL 9.50am, Mussenden Road, Sea Road, ARTICLAVE 10.10am, Windyhill Road, Castlerock Road, COLERAINE 10.40am, Bann Bridge, Circular Road, Millburn Road, Portrush Road, Portstewart Road, Coleraine Road, PORTSTEWART 11.15am, Station Road, Juniper Hill, Dhu Varren, PORTRUSH 11.30am, Dunluce Road, BUSHMILLS 12.30pm, Whitepark Road, BALLINTOY 1.15pm,
BALLYCASTLE  2pm, Drones Road, The Dark Hedges, ARMOY 3.15pm, Gracehill Road,
CLOUGHMILLS 4.15pm, CLOUGH 4.30pm, Drumagrove Road, Cushendall Road Roundabout, BALLYMENA 5.30pm. ANTRIM, 6.15pm, TEMPLEPATRICK 6.45pm,
BALLYROBERT 7.10pm, Kings Moss Road (Finish) 7.15pm.

Saturday 4th July: Ballyrobert - Newcastle
Ballyrobert (Start) 8am, Doagh Road, WOODBURN 8.50am, CARRICKFERGUS 9am, Belfast Road, Shore Road, WHITEABBEY 9.30am, Duncrue Street, Whitla Street, North Queen Street, Millfield, College Avenue, College Square East, Wellington Place, Donegall Square North, BELFAST CITY HALL 10am, Victoria Street, Queen Elizabeth Bridge, TITANIC QUARTER (Dock Cafe) 10.30am, Sydenham Road, Parkgate Avenue, Connsbrook Avenue, Upper Newtownards Road, STORMONT 11.30pm, Ballyregan Road, Ballymiscaw Road, Craigantlet Road, Old Belfast Road, Crawfordsburn Road, Bryansburn Road, BANGOR 12.30pm, Ballyholme Road, GROOMSPORT, DONAGHADEE 1.45pm, MILLISLE 2.15pm, BALLYWALTER 2.45pm, Mountstewart Road, MOUNT STEWART 3.30pm, NEWTOWNARDS 4pm, Comber Road, COMBER 4.30pm, Belfast Road, KILLYLEAGH 5.40pm, DOWNPATRICK 6pm, CLOUGH, 6.30pm, DUNDRUM 6.40pm, NEWCASTLE 7PM, Bryansford Road, TOLLYMORE FOREST PARK (Finish) 7.15pm.

Sunday 5th July: Newcastle - Banbridge
TOLLYMORE FOREST PARK (Start) 8.15am, NEWCASTLE 8.30am, ANNALONG 9.20am, KILKEEL 10.00am, Cranfield Road, Lurganconary Road, ROSTREVOR 11am, Burren Roundabout, Warrenpoint Road (A2), NEWRY 12am, Buttercrane Quay, Merchants Quay, Canal Street, New Street, Canal Quay, Newry Canal Towpath,
POYNTZPASS 12.30pm, SCARVA 12.50pm, Tesco Bridgewater Extra, Banbridge (Finish) 2.30pm.

*Times are Approximate and are subject to change*

Thank-you!!

My daughter Amy on her third day collecting for the Childrens Heartbeat Trust where she was joined yesterday by her cousin Katie. 

Three tiring days during which the customers and Tesco colleagues generously donated over £600 and where we met some wonderful people and heard some inspiring and sad stories that made us humble.

Massive thanks to Tesco Bridgewater Extra Community for allowing us space in-store to collect, to Tesco Community Champion David McKay for his absolutely awesome help and hospitality
...... and a big, big thank-you to my merry band of helpers, my wife Pamela, David Bruce, Aron McKee and his daughter Rebecca, mum-in-law Sally, sis-in-law Carolyn, my dad, dad-in-law, bro-in-law Mark and of course Amy and Katie.

A Bike24 'boost' for charity cycle

What we have here dear readers is a part for my trusty steed, and an important part at that for my rapidly forthcoming charity cycle.

Now without going into the finer details, let's just say the original shipment went 'awol' in the post and this is where Christiane Boost from the Bike24 Service Team comes in.

Aware of my plight and without so much as a second thought, my new champion Christiane made arrangements for another part to be sent to my humble abode without so much as an extra penny leaving my pocket.

Now that is what I call excellent customer service....thank-you Christiane, thank-you Bike24!!

King for a Day

Now then dear readers, every once in a while I divert away from my adventures on the bike to bring you some non-cycling related scribbles.

Andy King: Everton v Liverpool, Goodison Park.
October 1978

It's Tuesday September 12th 1978 in Ballybofey Co. Donegal, and local football team Finn Harps are at home to the might of English First Division side Everton in the first round of the UEFA Cup.

Everton had actually been drawn at home in the first leg but generously agreed to switch the ties to play first in Donegal thus generating more interest in the game. (Finn Harps had once played Derby and lost big time, ruining interest in the home game)

The game was roughly 20 minutes old when Everton star player Andy King, who five minutes earlier had opened the scoring, chased a long pass.
However the pace of the ball was great and it ran behind the goal nestling next to a young 12 year old lad sitting on the grass near one of the goal posts.

King's pace was such that he just managed to get stopped in front of the lad who by this time was holding the ball and looking up into the eyes of this superstar before him.

As he retrieved the ball from the starstruck youngster, the Everton midfielder looked down, bounced the ball gently on the lad's forehead, smiled and winked at him and then returned to the action leaving behind a memory which has lasted to this day.

That lad was me.........and that brief encounter with this football star is something I have always remembered and still talk about fondly when the situation presents itself.

Back then I was, and still am, a devoted Arsenal supporter, but the opportunity to see a top side like Everton in the flesh, so to speak, was something even a young 'Gooner' could not pass up.

Andy King scored twice that day in Everton's 5-0 win against Finn Harps, and Andy King was a brilliant footballer.
One month after our 'meeting' in that small football ground in Ballybofey, he struck a 20-yard winner against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, and although our lives were like the proverbial chalk and cheese we did come to have one thing in common. 

As the year's passed, within three years of each other, we would be hit with heart trouble and this has ultimately taken his life at the young age of 58.

I am genuinely saddened to hear of Andy's passing and that encounter with him on an autumnal day in Co. Donegal almost 37 years ago is something I have, and never will, forget.

RIP Andy and thank-you. 

A Helping Hand

No pun intended in the title folks. 

Thinking outside the box the other week, I decided to ask my good friend Ian Lougher if he would possibly have anything to donate towards my forthcoming charity cycle in July. 

Now, anyone who knows Ian will know that as well as being one of the true legends of motorcycle racing, he is also one of life's genuine nice guys.

I won't even try to list his achievements here, lest I'm still typing as the dawn greets a new day, suffice to say he is rather good at his chosen profession.

I knew before I asked him that he would of course say yes and indeed this proved to be the case, and as such we now have a pair of Knox Handroid Racing gloves currently circulating on ebay.

They were worn by Ian during the 2012 season and are personally hand signed by the man himself. 

So peeps, if you fancy getting your hands (see what I did there) on a nice piece of motorcycle racing memorabilia, and contributing to the Children's Heartbeat Trust in the process, please take your goodselves over to the listing and check them out....thank-you!!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Knox-Handroid-Racing-Gloves-Worn-and-signed-by-Ian-Lougher-/131521761370? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Knox-Handroid-Racing-Gloves-Worn-and-signed-by-Ian-Lougher-/131521761370?

Team

What we have here dear readers is a photo and caption from an article in my local paper, this week's Banbridge Chronicle, of which there is no longer a copy to be had in the shops.....such is the demand ;-)

Now then, if you can divert your eyes for a second from my lovely features, and if you look carefully you will see one small word that says it all. 

Do you see it, yes of course, that word is team.

There is a true saying that there is no 'i' in team, and never was that saying more apt than in the case of the rapidly approaching charity cycle.

A project like this doesn't just happen by clicking one's fingers, there is an awful lot of planning involved and a lot of work goes on behind the scenes, this is where the word team comes in.

Then there is the fundraising, yet again another big team effort. 

There is also a big effort by the medical team to get me ready for July 1st and ensure there is no possibility of me cycling into an ambush, as so very nearly was the case back in 2012.

All I'll be doing is sitting on my bike, turning my legs and hope said legs, or my ticker, don't cry enough.
And everyone who donates, helps, supports or offers encouragement and accommodation etc, will be with me on the road, and are very much an important ingredient in the team.


Team......Together, Everyone, Achieves, More. 

Grace's Story

With exactly 50 days to go until 'The Raleigh' and I set off around Northern Ireland and Donegal on our cycle for the Children's Heartbeat Trust, I would like to use my humble blog to bring you a truly inspirational story of one little girl's bravery, determination and inner strength.....coupled with a family's love and devotion.  

Last year during a conversation with one of my Tesco Bridgewater Extra colleagues, the 'craic' as they say, came round about a cycle I was planning for an as yet undecided charity.
Anyway, my colleague told me about his beloved daughter and went on to speak highly about the work of a charity that has been a huge help to his family.
Now, Aron McKee's word is good enough for me, and there and then the recipient of my fundraising cycle was decided upon.....the Children's Heartbeat Trust

Ladies and gentlemen, as told by Aron's wife Judith, I present to you..........

Grace's Story

A real milestone: Grace’s first day at nursery!

In March 2011, my husband Aron, and I were very excited to be expecting our second child. 
However our excitement soon turned to anguish and fear in June 2011 when the routine 20wk scan uncovered a possible problem with our unborn baby's heart.  
We had to wait 4 days to get a fetal cardiac scan in the Royal Jubilee Maternity (these 4 days felt like a month).  
We had the scan carried out by Dr Sands and Dr McCrossan who confirmed to us that our baby had a major heart defect....we were distraught and we had no idea what to expect.  
Edith Crawford, the Ante Natal Liaison Nurse, met us and had a chat, and from that day we were in regular contact with the cardiology dept and Edith.

It was decided that it was safest for our baby to be delivered via induction procedure in the Royal Jubilee Maternity so that the cardiology team could be on hand.  
I went into the hospital on 19th October 2011 (39 weeks gestation) and the process began.  I was so scared as I was aware that while baby was in the womb she would be fine but the problems would start to occur when she was born.

Grace was born at 6.27pm and weighed 6lb 7oz, we got to hold her for about 15mins and then she was taken straight to the neo-natal unit.  It was 4 hours before we saw our new daughter again.  
Dr Casey and Dr Morrison had gone to see her in the unit and confirmed that Grace had pulmonary artresia and VSD and that she would require OHS within two weeks.  
She was transferred from the neonatal unit to Clark Clinic two days later and was cared for there so well.  On 31st October at 12 days old Grace was taken to theatre for her first heart operation.  
She was so small and fragile and it was frightening handing her over to the surgical team. Five hours later we saw our baby girl attached to machines.  
She had wires, tubes and monitors everywhere, it was so daunting.

Grace made progress for the next 36hrs and then she took a turn for the worse.  
We were called and asked to make our way over as soon as possible. On arrival at Cardiac Services Intensive Care Unit we were met by Dr Craig, the surgeon and the anaesthetist.  
We were informed that she had developed an infection and we had to prepare for the worst. We sat by our baby girl's bed while she was worked at intensely. 
She was given a blood transfusion as she was having bloods taken every 15mins and this had to be replaced. After about 5 hrs she turned the corner and improved massively.  
The next day she transferred back to PICU in the children’s hospital and then 4 days later back to Clark Clinic.  
Grace progressed and we got her home on 25th November (5weeks old). Her big sister Rebecca was over the moon to see her baby sister home.

Grace continued to make progress until 1 week before her 1st birthday, when she was taken to theatre in RBHSC to have her cleft palate repaired (another problem she was born with).  
She suffered respiratory arrest in theatre and gave the surgical team a real fright. It was so unexpected as she had never before shown any problems with breathing.  
The procedure was abandoned and Grace recovered and was allowed home 5 days later.  
Mr Hill (Cleft surgeon) had assured us that it would be fine as long as Grace had her palate repaired by the age of 2.

Four months later, we travelled to Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin. Grace would have her second OHS to repair her heart.  
We arrived 2 days before the procedure so pre-op checks could be carried out. The day before the surgery was planned Professor Redmond came and chatted to us to explain what would happen during the op and he told us that due to her previous respiratory arrest that Mr Russell (ENT surgeon) would check her airway and intubate her for theatre.  
Mr Russell then spoke to us about his procedure and had warned us that if there was a problem then a tracheostomy may be performed, although we were confident that it would not be the case as this only happens to 1 in 300.

Grace was taken to theatre at 8am and we left her making her cat noises at the staff.  
Half an hour later we were called to make our way urgently to theatres as Mr Russell needed to see us. He explained that Grace's airway was narrow and that they all felt a tracheotomy was best....Aron and I were once again distraught but had to consent as our daughter may not make it if she didn't get the trache.  
Heart surgery was postponed and Grace was taken to PICU. We could not believe that our daughter would be silenced from that day. Four days later Grace was to suffer another setback as she became very unwell again and she was taken for heart surgery as it was thought her first shunt may have been failing.  
She was too ill to have a repair done on her heart so a second BT shunt was placed in her heart. Grace returned to PICU and remained there for 11 days.  
The day after her heart procedure she was diagnosed with swine flu, we again were left feeling very worried as we knew this could be deadly for anyone with medical conditions. We sat by her bed day and night until she was well enough to be transferred back to Clark Clinic in Belfast on 8th March. Although we had all been well looked after in Dublin we were so thankful to return to Belfast to familiar, friendly faces and to see our other daughter, Rebecca, whom we hadn't seen from we left for Dublin. 

The McKee family present Jackie Fullerton, Children's Heartbeat Trust Patron,
            with a cheque for £4347, proceeds of Grace's Coffee Morning which was organised
by the family.

We missed her so much.

Grace recovered well and had her cleft palate repaired in May 2013 and then was eventually discharged on 20th June 2013 (four months after going into hospital).  
It had been such a rollercoaster but we were out the other side!.  
Grace celebrated her 3rd birthday on 19th October 2014 and she is a wee miracle.  We all love her to bits.  
Grace faces more surgery in 2015 to repair her heart and she gets regular check-ups in Belfast.  
Dr Casey and his team along with all the other specialist teams we attend in RBHSC are fantastic and our wee loveable lady would not be with us today without them all.

We have met some wonderful friends along the way and are well supported by family, friends and of course the ladies of Children’s Heartbeat Trust!
..................................................................................................... 

So peeps there you have it, a story that will hopefully give one of the reasons why I am turning the pedals for the Children's Heartbeat Trust this summer.
There are many stories similar to Grace's, please give what you can for this wonderful charity. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/OneManAndHisBike 

Thank-you
Stephen