Archive for September, 2009

Lights out!! 8th September

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Not a clever start on our new bikes!

The afternoon was stunning. 27 degrees worth of stunning in fact! How I’m glad I’m now training rather than stuck in a sweaty tube train carriage. Jon and I headed over towards Stevenage for our second photoshoot with the renowned pap photographer, Lucy Bennett. We needed some more press shots for sending out to our PR agencies and charities.

Well the problem is, Lucy does like to talk, and as she was downloading the 400 images to DVD, the light was fading fast! So fast that when we came to leave, it was actually dark. We had one reflective strip and 18 country lane miles between us and home! My new bike very nearly ended up in a ditch, and Jon got stuck in a cattle grid! We made it as far as a conveniently located curry house, and luckily one of my mates came to the rescue in his van! Note to Ridgeback – we must order some lights soon!

We are now sponsored by RIDGEBACK!! 4th September

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Today we took delivery of our Ridgeback touring bikes and all of our equipment provided by Madison. We were like two over excited kids at Christmas opening up half a dozen boxes full of spare tyres, water bottles, panniers, helmets, shoes, first aid kits… all the equipment which we will heavy rely upon to help us round the world!

Then it was off to our cycle mechanic’s (Jeremy Mulkern) house to put the bikes together and have a crash course in gear ratios, breaking systems and all aspects of bike mechanics that we needed to learn. At times it was hard to stay focused with two gorgeous chocolate labradors craving attention.

I will be riding a Ridgeback Voyage and Dom will be riding a top of the range Ridgeback Panorama as they didn’t have his size in the Voyage (there are benefits of being short) :o )

PHD Summer Ibiza Party, 26th August

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Faced with the prospect of PHD Media not having their legendary annual summer party, I thought I’d organise one, to co-inside with me leaving, and secondly raise some important sponsorship funds.

So I negotiated a venue for free, together with Ibiza DJs from Pukka Up, and set to work on organising the party for Wednesday 26th August. The place was Centro bar close to Tottenham Court Road, and the times were set for 7pm – 1am. It was a bit close to the wire on raising enough media owner funds to enable us to get plenty of free drinks (always the important element), but lucky the bar tabs were settled just in time (sadly I couldn’t justify the mini burgers too – another essential ingredient for a good media party!) We had a Mixmag photographer down, a Vodka luge funded by Google, and the UK Bodypopping champion busting some serious shapes on the dance floor.

I was so pleased that the whole company got behind it, and with ITV donating X Factor and Arsenal tickets, we raised over £2,500 for the TCC Challenge charities. It was an amazing night, but some seriously banging heads in the morning!

Dom x

Rock for a rock, 4th August

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Holly was my rock through my cancer. We were just 3 months into our new relationship when I dropped the cancer bomb on her but she was so understanding and supportive I couldn’t have wished for anyone better, she was my angel and gave me the strength to pull through. Our relationship grew stronger as a result of the cancer, she even wrote songs about me (‘count on you’ and ‘that side to me’) which she recorded at Abbey Road with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (www.myspace.com/hollyrosemusic)- shameless plug for you baby!

I wanted to take Holly away on an unforgettable holiday before I left. It’s been a life long dream of ours to see tigers in the wild so I organised a tour to India, a country which I have always wanted to visit. Some questioned my motives for taking her to India in the middle of monsoon but I actually had an ulterior motive of proposing to her before I leave to go on the TCC Challenge.

Fortunately for us there was not a drop of rain the whole time we were there and the weather was gorgeous. After doing the golden triangle we went to Tadoba Tiger Reserve for 3 days of morning and afternoon safaris. The first day we saw no tigers but did see a whole host of other wildlife including a sloth bear. That night I took Holly out onto the balcony of our jungle lodgings and dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry me. I had succeeded with the element of surprise- she went through a whole rainbow of emotions. She was my best friend, my soul mate my absolute rock so what better way to show her than to give her a rock in return?.

The following day we tracked a female tiger walking in the middle of the road for 30 minutes, the day after we stumbled across two tigers mating- now that’s the power of the secret!