Well it’s the day after what has been an amazing week of riding and fundraising. The support along the way and response to what we have been doing has been overwhelming and there are so many people to thank so here goes…
Thank you and well done to Bill Dwight, Matt Finn, Peter Headeach, Kate Hawkesford, Nicky Hawkesford, Tom Hawkesford, Abbie Hopkins, Daniel Hopkins, Annette Hawkesford, Olly McAleer, Sue Pryce, Monica Cox, Phillip Cox, Chris Mills, Christopher Summers, Rich Watts, Robert John Hawkesford, and Ella Hawkesford for riding with me, putting up with the wind, rain and hills its been great to ride with you all.
For supporting us along the way, cheering us on, pumping up tyres, filling up water bottles, making sure we went the right way, tidying up after us, filming and taking photos thank you to Andrew McAleer, Jaci McAleer, Lily McAleer, Monica Cox, Sarah McAleer, John Roughton, Olly Mcaleer, Susanna Gray Hawkesford, Ken Hawkesford, Gill Hawkesford, Tessy Hawkesford and Sebastian Hawkesford you all provided amazing encouragement that kept us going.
To the wives and families that let me steal their loved ones for the week and supported them along the way, thank you.
Thank you to Rebecca Dwight, Jo Finn and Monica Cox for the lasagne, Beef Bourginoin and bacon sandwiches which were very well received and incredibly tasty.
Thank you to the Jones’ McNeils Addisons Gormans and the magnificent Jo Finn for helping to get things ready at the Rainbows End. What a great welcome that was.
All the pubs that so kindly gave the cyclists free lunches or significant discounts from menu prices along the route…
The Fish and Anchor Inn, Offenham http://www.fishandanchor.co.uk
The Stagecoach Inn, Berkeley http://www.stagecoachinn.info
The Talbot Arms, Uplyme http://www.talbotarms.com
The Podymore Inn, Yeovil http://www.thepodymoreinn.co.uk
The Redgrove, Cheltenham http://www.harvester.co.uk/theredgrovecheltenham
The Crown, Wells http://www.crownatwells.co.uk
Ali Gray (fundraising manager warwick hospital) for her work towards and support of Ride the Rainbow
Thank you to the various bikes shops that have supported us with free gels, support equipment and services.
Speeds Cycles, Bromsgrove http://www.speedscycles.co.uk
Cycle Life, Bristol http://www.cyclelife.com/bristol/home
Unleashed Cycles, Warwick http://www.unleashedcycles.co.uk
Sarah Riddle for being our bike sitter overnight before the ride
Thank you to Anna Curnow http://www.acphysio.co.uk for medical supplies & getting us ride fit.
David Moxham at The Fortescue, Salcombe (www.thefortsalcombe.com) for agreeing to be the venue for the end of Ride the Rainbow celebration on the Easter weekend of all times and for catering for us all so well with much needed thatchers and bbq food. And “Luke” for getting up the ladders for us!
Catherine of Exp!osures in Salcombe http://explosures.co.uk for snapping us at the end of the rainbow.
All the local papers who featured articles about Ride the Rainbow, especially the leamington observer who also attended the start of the ride and will be publishing a future article (www.leamingtonobserver.co.uk http://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk)
Everyone who attended the start of Ride the Rainbow to see off the cyclists in style. Particular thanks to the representatives from Warwick Hospital’s maternity and special care baby units, Glen Burley (Chief Exec SW NHS Trust), SANDS and Edwards Trust (www.swft.nhs.uk http://www.uk-sands.org http://www.edwardstrust.org.uk).
Paula George for her beautiful flowers.
Everyone who attended the end of Ride the Rainbow celebration in Salcombe.
And a huge thank you to all of you for supporting us with messages of encouragement, cake baking and amazing donations which have helped us completely smash our target and will help 3 amazing charities that have provided us with so much support and care since July last year.
If i’ve missed anybody it is only because my brain is befuddled and you are no less important.
And of course a massive thank you to my amazing wife Holly Hawkesford who is the one that made all of this possible working tirelessly to organise us all, arrange our accommodation, food, jerseys, hoodies, t shirts and many more things besides. Most of all for being so incredibly brave and courageous through all of this and giving me a beautiful son who has changed mine and so many lives forever.
To the most important person of all, without whom none of this would have ever happened. Thank you for bringing out the best in us all, Jasper Eric Hawkesford
Jaspers Rainbow 