Eye is happy to report that William West, our intrepid Quaker cyclist, has completed his marathon Lands End to John O'Groats ride for charity. William has raised more than £1,000 for HIV counselling in Kenya and he was assailed by donors wherever he went – even 'given money out of a car window at traffic lights.'
His journey was 1014 miles in sixteen days, although not all in one go. After 422 miles in six days he needed a three-day break to recover from a sore throat and aching legs. 'I felt like I was on some kind of pilgrimage that people could see and respond to', he tells us. He carried a colourful poster on the bike about his journey. 'It was hard work, it was occasionally boring, it was fun, illuminating, exciting, the scenery was stunning especially in the Highlands in Scotland, and I was able to ruminate in a good way on my life and sort out the odd problem to boot.'
William, who goes to Altrincham Meeting, had 1,000 visitors to his blog, www.billonbike.blogspot.com. Here are a few observations he made on the blog as he wound his way up the country:
'I feel tired, a bit sore, but delighted. I have faced some demons and fears and potential failure and come through…' 'I so much like cycling in Scotland and want to return soon. I am no speedy cyclist… I plod on and get there in the end…' 'there must be a cyclist's prayer somewhere? I have a vague memory of a Celtic travellers' prayer something about the road meeting you…' 'I mused on some things that troubled me, some things that troubled me I thought I would muse on I didn't and some things I didn't know troubled me I mused on… mostly I was travelling in the moment… a kind of extended meditation or Quaker worship.'

Labels: bicycle, billonbike, hiv, kenya

Sports Quakers are beginning to appear after our recent request for information of them.

Here is something from the intrepid William West of Mount Street Meeting, Manchester.

William writes: 'Dear Friend Eye, I have cycled since I was nine nearly 50 years ago. Last September I decided it was time to begin to train up for Lands End to John o'Groats and I will do the 1,000 mile trip this August, Deus Volens. My trip will raise money for HIV counsellor training in Kenya. I have set up a blog billonbike that shares my progress, bits of bike lore including creative use of bananas - cyclists' best food. Richard Summers from Quaker Life hopes to travel part of the way with me as do some other F(f)riends and my Meeting are very supportive.

'The impact of my training on me has been enormous, I am fitter and feel better in myself than for years. I find cycling gives me much needed solitude and sometimes resembles Worship so my trip will be something of a pilgrimage.'

Labels: banana, cyclist, hiv, kenya, quaker, sport