SOLDIER RIDE

To day we are putting the finishing touches to the Soldier Ride event in which 12 US and 12 UK wounded soldiers compete a bicycle ride  around parts of England.  It has been quite an organisation to arrange all this from across the "pond" as our American friends put it. We have had some fantastic support rom all sports of people including The Governore of Windsor Castle and the Commandant at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.  Particularly pleasing has been the interest of the American Ambassador.  In this picture  are from right to left Richard Dickson who is running the whole event and then  Colonel Jack Wallace from the US Embassy who has given such good advice in the planning stages and  Rob Copsey who is from BLESMA without whom we could not have done this in the first place . It all starts this weekend with our American friends arriving and the first leg starts from Tedworth House on Monday morning, so watch this space.  Dont fret, I am not actually bicycling.

ROW 2 RECOVERY

Went this evening to a party held by Row 2 Recovery to thank their sponsors. They are rowing from the Canaries to Barbados, a distance of over 3000 miles. Its a team of 6 including Ed Janvrin, Alex Mackenzie and Neil Heritage. All spoke about the row which starts in about 9 weeks time. Neil was one of our early beneficiaries from Iraq, a double amputee, one of the early ones in 2004 who I remember visiting in Headley Court in 2005. This was the view we had on a lovely evening overlooking London Bridge and the "Shard", an amazingly bold building.

EARLY EARLY BIRD

The Early Early Christmas Fair is in full swing on a lovely sunny day. This wonderful fair at Tedworth House is supported by Help for Heroes who have now opened the House as a Recovery Centre and a lot more. What better place to hold our annual fair! Caroline Cary is the organiser, inspirer and good ideas lady that makes it such a success.

THIS IS MARSHAL

Not Field Marshal. Anyway a most unusual name for a dog. The network of chief executives is always useful and sometimes really interesting. This evening I was invited to the Ghurkin for a fundraising reception for the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, a lovely charity with very different needs to ours. PpwThey laid on a wonderful event and we got sight of some of their clients like Marshal here who is a lurcher cross dying for a good home.

ANDY IS ALIVE AND WELL

It was so good to see Andy Mcmenemy to day. The 66 Marathons don't seem to have done him any harm at all. He was looking really well. He and Barry Groves came to report on the outcomes of Challenge 66. The good news is that they raised just over £100,000 and we are enormously grateful to Andy and all his team.