A PUB landlord has told of his mammoth cycle adventure to raise money for good causes.
Liam Coles and two locals cycled more than 700 miles across Europe - smashing their fundraising target.
Liam, co-owner of the Lugger Inn at Chickerell, embarked on a 738-mile charity cycle over a seven-day period accompanied by pub regulars Roger Boyd and Joe Mcsherry.
The trio started at the pub and then headed to Poole for a ferry to cross the Channel then travelled through France, Belgium and Holland before returning and finishing back at the pub.
Liam said: “It was very hard, but very rewarding. At the end of it, we had a great turnout at the pub – lots of people came along to show their support which was very humbling.”
The cycle itself was inspired by TV comedy Only Fools and Horses' 1985 Christmas special ‘To Hull and Back’, which sees the characters hire a boat for a diamond smuggling venture, and let Uncle Albert guide them to Amsterdam, before they all end up safely back at the Nag’s Head.
Although the cycle may not have been exactly like the episode, Liam explained that ‘there were a few moments across the challenge which definitely could have been part of an Only Fools and Horses episode.’
The ride wasn’t all smooth sailing as the group found themselves ‘riding against the wind for a lot of it,’ as well as overcoming ‘mental and physical challenges.’
A turning point for Liam on the ride home was ‘getting over Osmington Hill.’
He added: “We would grab any motivation that we could, it certainly wasn’t a holiday.”
The ‘Lugger and Back’ challenge was set up to raise money for three local charities, individually chosen by each of the men.
Liam’s choice was The Life and Soul Community Trust which has been set up in the last year to provide support to those within the local community, whether monetary or otherwise, in order to bring happiness to others, promote wellbeing and nurture a strong community spirit.
Roger chose Fight Back Mental Health, which is based in Weymouth and was set up to highlight the power of sport as an outlet for those struggling with mental health issues.
Joe chose Weldmar Hospicecare Trust which provides end of life care for people living in Dorset who need support.
At the time of writing, the trio have more than doubled their fundraising target of £2,500, raising £6,217 via a JustGiving page which will remain open for donations for another couple of weeks.
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Liam added: “It was such a big challenge which made it even more satisfying and makes us feel a little bit more worthy of the donations, we want to say thank you to everyone for all the donations and support.”
If you would like to donate to the fundraiser, visit: http://tiny.cc/g2cwxz.
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