From David Brady and Roger Bunn
Well, ‘Vending Does 2015: Tower To Tower Tour’ is all over and done with, but every member of the team had one question as we said our farewells…where are we going next year? If that points to our little idea being a success, well, fantastic! Was it worth it? Daft question – just ask anyone that took part.
Despite the slightly hairy moments of leaving London at rush hour and arriving in Paris at 6pm on a Saturday night, negotiating the seemingly lawless traffic and the cobbled Parisian streets that led to the finish line, the whole trip was, to quote our Scottish contingent, ‘a blast!’ ‘Epic’, in fact, to quote another rider.
‘The whole trip was, to quote our Scottish contingent, ‘a blast!’ ‘Epic’, in fact, to quote another rider.
There are too many ‘best bits’, but mention Tony’s laugh, Ian’s ‘Yogi’ moment, Gary’s pre-Paris haircut, James’s comments regarding hills, vehicles pulling away revealing…well, anyone on the ride will recall those moments and many others. (Anyone who wasn’t should ask Roger or David for an explanation at AVEX – Ed)
But perhaps there is one moment that stands out in our minds. The sense of pride as we reached the Eiffel Tower, the sense of achievement, the incredible camaraderie amongst the group and the genuine mutual congratulations and affection – three days suddenly gone in a flash, but remembered forever.
At this stage we anticipate exceeding our initial target of £10,000 by some distance, so it’s time to thank those that have donated and those that will do so (hopefully) at AVEX – come and see some pics at stand 238 or, to donate online, click here.
Finally, Roger and I would like to say a massive thank you to so many people: John Ferguson – for helping organise the whole thing; Tony Abbott, Fred Stanley and Jonathan Hilder – our magnificent support team and photographer; last but not least – to every cyclist who rode with us for 3 days in near 30 degree heat, cycled 445km, climbed nearly 5000m and burnt nearly 21,000 calories in support of our two charities…thank you for the laughs, the encouragement, the support, the photos and the memories – you were magnificent!
And as for ‘Vending Does…2016’ – well, over to you!
