The Launch - cont

Thursday the 29th, began early and with an insy hang over, not so much a hango'r more fatigue, from the late busy night. Luckily my children had stayed at their Dads, and had been picked up, after I'd gone out to Jumbos.

Steve Marsden, was prompt, and looking anxious. I asked him about it, and he claimed to be totally relaxed. So I called him a Fibber, he laughed and admitted to being very anxious, and I think like me, he'd been awake for a while wondering what the day would bring. We pulled into thde car park at Hillsborough, at the same time as a tired and a little sad looking Nick. It was indeed the end of a really happy team, but hey atleast he's got a job, in another park.

Steve, is always cheery, and I know he just wants things to be right, but I think he needs to trust that I can make Orange Cordial, correctly :D and not have to check it! wE LOADED sTEVES VAN WITH CHAIRS AND A FOLD UP TABLE AND CONTACT FORMS, AND LEAFLETS, and The CTC champions banner (probably before it's assigned to the cupboard, forever. As the CTC champions finish officially in June. But We are all so fortunate that Cycling for All, was the one that the lottery, decided to fund for another year :) I am so relieved, not just for me, but for everybody who benefits from it.

Pedal Ready, which is on the business side of Cycle Training, is running the Cycle 4 Health at Endcliffe and Hillsborough, as a business. But it will mean, I'll know most of the Cycle Trainers, and Fred may even pop into Hillsborough again. But as for now, it appears fresh blood and enthusiasm is what's required. At the Launch a guy, introduced himself.......it's gone. But he is the fresh Health Champ at Hillsborough. Does that mean they want me to go????? I doubt it, he doesn't limp!! And if it wouldn't cause him to blush, I'd show you the Testimonial Steve wrote for me, it is very good, I felt like crying with pride, it's gorgeous, and so personal, it's clearly written about me :)

All together there were 81, folk came to the Launch, and then there was Dave's Secret club,....:) which is no secret, it's just a few of the usual. Who come to the park on a Thursday morning, and borrow the bike and enjoy the company. There was actually 18 of them bringing a total of 99 folk. Which is a massive success, and unlike last year, they all came in a steady stream, that was constant from 9am starting with Mark Parker from the Brain Injury Rehab place. He was persuaded, (by me) to try the side by side (settee with pedals), I think he felt a little overdressed, in his grey suit. To the young teenage girls, i recruited at 4, to help me take the cycles back to the lock up. And vowed to come back after Easter, to the Cycle For Health.

A few of my mates turned up to offer support, like Lorraine and Paul who's a Cyclist and a Social Worker, who tried in vain to fit Ziggy in the car, so I could use them as a back up. Because I think Paul decided, that he was going to volunteer at Hillsborough. Pam came in her capacity of my friend and a Cycle Trainer, at Endcliffe. Liz Salmon came as my ex colleague on the SDS team, and Paul's ex boss all these folk witnessed me being not well, I think because I hadn't stopped, since I woke this morning and only managing half a cuppa, because I'd wanted to make sure Holly had a decent walk. Just in case Julie Andrews, didn't make it round (I needn't have worried) Radio Sheffield turned up (prompted by myself) and interviewed Steve M whist cycling round, which was a novel thing.

Steve dropped me home at 5, and I totally crashed out on the settee, shaking with goose bumps. Yep I'd got sun stroke.....IN MARCH!!!! I ordered an unhealthy as in full of salt Pizza!! with a 2 litre bottle of Coke, and stuffed my face. Content in the knowledge that we had pulled off another successful Launch.