Firefighters depart for Charity Bike Ride

The team pictured left to right, back: Dicky Brazier, Baz Lucas, Arron Holloway, Kev Rogers, Ade Price. Front row: Graham Oliver, Ian Gunstone, Ken Holder, Neil Wilson and Kris Mullins

A team of ten firefighters departed from Shrewsbury Fire Station on Friday for Lands' End where they began their gruelling cycle to John O'Groats.

The team made good time arriving in Lands' End at 5.30pm Friday evening where they completed the first instalment of their journey to Redruth, Cornwall.

Saturday saw the team successfully complete the journey from Redruth to Okehampton and yesterday evening saw the team reach Weston-Super-Mare.

Today's journey is from Weston-Super-Mare to Cheltenham, where the team expect to arrive at the local station at 7pm.

Firefighter Ken Holder, who helped organise the event, is originally from Cheltenham and will be met at the local fire station by a journalist from the Gloucestershire Echo who will interview the team.

The cyclists will average 100 miles a day, stopping over in Shrewsbury tomorrow evening before leaving for Preston, Lancashire on Wednesday morning. They aim to arrive in John O'Groats on 15 May.

The firefighters will be raising funds for Fire Services National Benevolent Fund, Hope House Children's Hospice and the local Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Date From To

Fri 5 May Depart Lands End Redruth, Cornwall

Sat 6 May Redruth, Cornwall Okehampton, Devon

Sun 7 May Okehampton, Devon Weston-Super-Mare, Avon

Mon 8 May Weston-Super-Mare, Avon Cheltenham, Gloucs

Tue 9 May Cheltenham, Gloucs Shrewsbury (1 night only!)

Wed 10 May Shrewsbury (bye, bye) Preston, Lancashire

Thu 11 May Preston, Lancashire Carlisle, Cumbria

Fri 12 May Carlisle, Cumbria Glasgow, Scotland

Sat 13 May Glasgow, Scotland Fort William, Scotland

Sun 14 May Fort William, Scotland Tain, via Inverness

Mon 15 May Tain, Scotland Arrive John O'Groats

8th May, 2006