Firstly, an apology for the length of todays blog, but there is a lot I need to say. Apart from the days' events, there are people to thank, final statistics to update and many things I need to tell you, particularly about my Brother, Clive.
It has been an incredible journey. Life changing maybe too strong a term, however it will definitely be considered as one the highlights of my life and a period in time that I will no doubt look back upon fondly for many years to come.
There are many people that I need to thank. All of the Support Drivers, who had the unenviable task of keeping the tour on the road. They were often to be seen driving around aimlessly at various meeting points in the middle of nowhere, constantly at my beck and call, always there for the tour riders with spares for the bikes, carrying all of the kit, dealing with the riders various physical and mental states of exhaustion and plenty of encouraging words at the right time. Mum, Dad, Pete, Dominique, Domenico, Simon - I will forever be in your debt.
I also need to thank all of the co-riders pictured here who took time aside to train, and to ride with me throughout the many stages across Europe. In Riding order, we had thirteen starters in London who cycled down to Sittingbourne - Me, Grant Woodthorpe, Roger Webb, Domenico Avellini, Stuart Cook, Alex Cook, Angie Cruse, Simon Spong, Stephen Lee, Darren Heatley, Paul Rushton and Graham Stokes. A lot of PBs were set on that 50 mile stage alone. Of those, Alex, Stuart, Angie & Grant then cycled the specially extended, and as it turned out, mountainous stage down to Dover. Alex Cook, then ride with me all the way down to Brussels, where I was then joined by Graham Stokes and Mike Staveley who helped catapult me down to Strasborg. Graham Stokes get extra thanks for rejoining the tour as a surprise (in the middle of The Alps for crying out loud!). Neil Graver for joining Grant and I from Lucca to Florence (epic organisation), and lets not forget the mammoth contribution from Grant Woodthorpe, who has been with me since Stage 20 and finally, Simon Spong's now infamous cameo appearance just outside of Rome.
To everyone that has donated, it has meant the world to me. The running total currently stands at £33,000. We are currently only £1,000 short of being the highest donators to Bowel Cancer UK of all time. Staggering. Thank you all one again.
I would also like to thank Micci (Dominique's Mum) for helping out so much at home whilst I have been away for the past month, it would have been impossible without you.
And lastly I need to thank my wonderful wife, Dominique. For allowing me to go off on this crazy adventure and always being there for me, particularly over these last tough couple of years for me and my family.
Let me tell you about the blog, and the burden it has sometimes become on tour. I wanted to update the blog daily, so that readers could enjoy the journey alongside me. Sometimes updating it in the evening has been extremely difficult due to such things as the lack of 3G, wi-fi and severe exhaustion, and occasionally a mixture of all three. But, the countless messages of support I have received via the blog, text, facebook, email and various phone calls as a result of the daily update has been nothing short of phenomenal. The blog has been the glue, but most of the time it literally wrote itself, I was merely the narrator.
The final Statistics.
1. Total Distance Cycled: 1,639 Miles
2. Total Height Climbed: 19,657m, (Two Mount Everests & 50 Market Hills - Maldon)
3. Days Cycled: 22
4: Rest Days 6
5: Rain Days: 15 of 28 (Clive gets the blame here)
6. Calories burned: 141,500
7. Countries Visited: 7 (excludes Chatham)
8. Weight Lost: 17lbs
9. Gruffalo sightings 7, Still none confirmed.
10. Tears shed: Many.
So why did I do this? Let me tell you why:
Firstly, I wanted to raise awareness of Bowel Cancer and it's symptoms. Did you know that Bowel cancer is the second largest cancer killer in the UK, and that its prevalence in the under 50 age group has increased by 25% in the last 10 years. If you ever experience any of the five following symptoms, please seek out advice from your GP.
- Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your stools
- A change in bowel habit lasting for three weeks or more especially to looser or runny stools
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
- A pain or lump in your tummy
Secondly, it was to raise funds for Bowel Cancer UK who for 25 years have been saving lives by raising awareness of bowel cancer, campaigning for best treatment and care providing practical support and advice.
But lastly, and for me personally, it was to Remember and pay tribute to my brother Clive Golledge.
For anyone that has been unfortunate enough to lose a close loved one, they will understand - as I do now, just how important remembering that person is. Clive meant the world to me and his family, we all miss him so much. He will never be forgotten. Many of you knew him well, and I like to think that some of the daily 450 blog readers who didn't get to meet him have a reasonable insight into the nature of the man by now. There are many things I would love to tell you about my Brother, but there is nothing I could say that my sister Michelle and I hadn't already covered by reading out our Eulogy at his funeral this year. If you weren't able to make it that day, or are just a little intrigued to learn or remember more about him, please take 5 minutes to read that Eulogy now.
Michelle read the pink paragraphs, I read the blue. Until Rome tomorrow, the only problem is, I'm out of tissues already. Brett x
Thank you for being here today to pay your respects, and more importantly to celebrate the life of our brother.. Clive. Many of you have travelled long distances to be here and our entire family is very grateful to you. Everyone’s love and heartfelt condolences are helping us, our parents Val and George, Clive’s wife Annelise and Clive’s children Ethan and Anais get through this very difficult time.
We have so many memories of Clive. He was the funniest person we have ever known, he found humor in everything. The moment that best sums up the kind of person Clive was, is when he was winning the Maldon Mud race and he decided to stop half way when he was way out in front winning.. to wave to his family and friends….this meant he came second! Clive loved taking part in everything and enjoying it….winning was not his aim. He was very kind, considerate, hardworking and the ultimate family man.
Clive was born on the 10th June 1965, in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire… first child to Val and George. He was a big baby, 9lbs 8oz. Val’s boss at the time called him ‘The Mighty Atom’. He was joined 20 months later by myself and then six and a half years later in 1971 by his younger brother Brett
The Golledge family moved to Heybridge, just outside Maldon, Essex in 1967. Clive was a gentle child and always kind to other children. In the childhood years I fussed over Clive and Clive often ‘sat’ on Brett(because he was an annoying little wotsit) whilst watching TV. Clive went to Heybridge County Primary School where he became lifelong friends with Andrew Jones. Clive, Andrew and another friend Marcus Fernley spent many a happy hour causing havoc in the Golledge household. One particularly spectacular event was the mayonnaise fight in the Golledge back garden…..boy did he get in trouble for that. Clive also became a massive Beatles fan. He had all the albums and with Andrew painted on one whole wall in his bedroom a ‘The Yellow Submarine’ mural.
Clive (like many people here today) went to the Plume School in Maldon. I joined Clive at the Plume two years later and we got the bus home from Maldon to Heybridge every day. I recall when I was about 12 some older boys being mean to him at the bus stop. I walked over and hit them over the head with my school bag and told them to leave my brother alone, which they did. For the whole of my life I have been fiercely protective of my big brother and I would do anything for him. At the Plume, Clive was one of the founding members of the of the underground 6th form movement where a few of the 6th formers created a highly ‘illegal’ tunnel system under the common room. During the 6th form years Clive was beginning to show an artistic side. He wrote a book of poetry (we can share some of it with you later) and Clive played guitar in a band called ‘Ambience’ with Frank Durrell. Clive was lead Guitar and vocals and their best known hit (in small parts of Maldon) was the profound' Sheena's boring'. The band finally split up after a big gig at Hatfield Peveral Village Hall. He was quite unlike everyone else, a very original person, and there are many tales of original behaviour from the numerous parties he attended. At around this Clive also had his first job in retail in Budgens Supermarket, Maldon. During the 6th form time Clive met someone else who was to become one of his closest friends- Simon Spong. During the summer time Clive would hang out at Simon and his brother Nick’s parents’ house Stock Hall, playing his guitar and swimming in the river Blackwater. He also made the Epic C.G the movie in the Prom. When Clive was 18 Mum and Dad agreed that Clive could have a joint 18th Birthday party with Stuart at their home, they said didn’t realize was just how popular Clive was until half of Maldon turned up.
Clive left school after his A levels and started a management trainee position with Martins the Newsagents in Witham. Clive travelled there every day on his 49 cc scooter (which he had to pedal more than it worked), and he socialized in the Carpenters’ Pub, Maldon. The Carpenters is where he made many friends who are also here today. Laterly Clive loved to take Simon and his other friends to country pubs in his Chocolate Brown mark 3 Cortina.
In 1986 Clive secured a Deputy Manager Position for WH Smith in Sloane Square, London and mum and dad helped him move into the 18th floor of a high rise in Bow, East London. Though the views were good, the lifts often didn’t work. Clive wanted to live with people close to him, so from 1986 to 1989 he rented several places in North London (Whetstone, Winchmore Hill and Enfield) with Stuart, Michelle, Alison, and Murray. Clive was soon promoted to the Manager of a large WH Smith store in Elephant and Castle, London
Clive then became house mates with Andrew Jones in Poplar for a few months before he and I clubbed together and bought our bachelor pad in Burdett Rd, London in 1990. This was Clive’s first step onto the property ladder. It was to be the flat where a great washing up stand-off occurred, all crockery had to be used before any attempt was made at cleaning. Living together finally as adults, Clive and I became much closer as brothers. We had the freedom to do whatever we wanted and as older brothers do, Clive very much showed me the way in that respect…. and boy did we have a good time. We lived liked kings as far as we were concerned, they are and always will be days that I will treasure.
In the London years we often all went to the Lord Rodney’s Head in Whitechapel where there were the legendary Sunday evening performances by the Burns Brothers. The whole pub would be dancing and Clive used to ‘steam’. It was at the Lord Rodney’s in 1992 where Clive met his first wife Helen. At this time Clive was working for Athena. Clive and Helen bought their first house in May 1994 in Leytonstone and married in Crook in November 1994. At the time of their marriage Clive was working for Andrew Brownsword and then left to go to the Ink group - because they downgraded his company car- a very serious misdemeanour, Clive was very serious about his company cars!
In Oct 1997 Ethan was born …a very proud moment for Clive and Clive and Helen moved to the North East in 1999 to be closer to Helen’s family. They bought their home in Crook and became close friends with Michael , Claire and Jason who are all here today. In 2003 Anais was born, his beautiful daughter. Clive was a great dad he was totally committed to his children; he would always put Anais and Ethan and their needs first and foremost.
After Clive and Helen’s marriage ended in 2006, Clive moved in with his friend Jason. This is what we lovingly call Clive’s ‘Forrest Gump stage’. He and Jason started to run. Clive had never been into sport (at all!!) so it was a great source of amusement for us all. But he stuck with it , and in 2007 he ran the London Marathon with Jason and still holds the family fastest time of 3:46. Clive’s running inspired the whole family and in 2008 Clive ran again, in 2009 Michelle did it, in 2010 Clive and I did it and in 2011 Clive and Stuart did it, most recently in 2012 Stuart did it again but he still couldn’t beat Clive’s time. Clive made many friends through running and was a member of the Crook Athletic Club.
In May 2007 Clive met Annelise. Their first date was at The Buck Hotel in Great Ayton, that day they shared their first kiss and knew their relationship was something special. They shared their love of music, films and never stopped talking. In 2008 Clive rented Bradley Burn a lovely large farm house for him, Annelise and her two children Thibaud and Aube also with enough space for Ethan and Anais to stay. Clive and Annelise created a new family from two and were very proud of the close relationship they had created between their children. Bradley Burn was a special place for Clive and Annelise and Clive took his role as stepfather to Thibaud and Aube very seriously and always spoke very fondly of them.
In 2010 Clive made a new home together in Wolsingham for the entire family to live in and enjoyed planning and doing renovations. Though we all know DIY was not a skill that came naturally to Clive!
At this point we have to talk about Clive’s clumsiness, how he used to mop up spilled coffee with his socks, how he crashed Dad’s brand new company car and came home with the number plate under his arm, how he spilled a large pot of paint in B&Q all over the floor when he and Helen were renovating Langthorne Rd…he even managed to spill himself out of Stuart’s car going across a set of traffic lights after his leaving do from WHSmith before he went to Britta. I can even recall at the end of one XMAS meal when Clive removed a rather large piece of roast potato from his nose, it was a mystery to everyone how it had become lodged up there.
Clive was diagnosed with terminal cancer in late May 2011, he had only just run the London Marathon but had not felt well. The day after we met the Oncologist I was walking through Wolsingham with Clive and I said to him I haven’t seen you get angry or cry…he said ‘Michelle, everyone has to die at some point’. He coped with his cancer diagnosis and the eventuality of it in such an amazing way. He worked all the way through his treatment and always had hope. He protected his children Ethan and Anais from knowing just how serious his cancer was. In time, Ethan and Anais I hope you will understand why he could never have that chat with you. Even to his last hour, he was in good spirits, watching TV, making funny remarks and was genuinely more worried about those around him and how they would cope without him rather than his own suffering.
As you all know Clive and Annelise married in June 2012, Clive had been pretty poorly leading up to the wedding and spent that week in hospital….but he was determined to get out of hospital in time to have a wonderful day. We all have lots of happy memories of that day and we are grateful for the love that Clive and Annelise had found with each other.
Clive was always a great planner and when talking to his Annelise, Helen, Andrew and Simon they all said about how Clive loved a plan. He always wanted to be busy doing things, he liked to plan trips and holidays with great precision and bought the guide books and planned the route…from when he and Andrew cycled around East Anglia when they were young teenagers to when he went to Turkey with Simon, John and Julie and they back packed and bused their way around the country in the late eighties. When he was married to Helen they went out for Sunday lunch every week with Ethan and Anais and always somewhere different.
This last summer Clive took Annelise, Ethan, Anais, Thibaud and Aube to Florida for a family Disney holiday after the wedding. On Clive’s final holiday, his honeymoon with Anelisse to New York, Boston and New England in August he had planned exactly what he wanted them to do and where they should go, including a trip to Malden, Massachusets which had so intrigued him on the map when growing up near Maldon in Essex. He loved the Mustang car they drove around in, that was the first picture he had sent us while he was away.
More Recently Clive had wanted to make plans as a way of fighting off the boredom of being incapacitated by the symptoms of his illness. His recent funpacked trip to London with Simon and I happened to be Plan B of Plans A, B and C which were all different options available right up until the last minute depending on how well he was feeling. I know Clive was also busy making plans for him and his family for 2013 as soon as he was well enough to travel again.
Clive always stayed ‘connected’, emails, texting, facebook and even twitter. His last tweet on Dec 5th stated “that he had a strong desire to own a 1980’s Aston Martin Lagonda” The night he died he sent his last text about 40 minutes before. He was a close and loyal friend and forged very long and deep friendships. He stayed in regular contact with all of his friends in Maldon and visited regularly, and as a group kept them all together.
Clive was a true gentleman, which is something many posts on his facebook page since his death have eluded to. After Clive died, his Oncologist said ‘he was a true gentleman and could not have fought this horrible disease any harder’. Annelise said Clive was ‘one of the good guys and’ totally ‘selfless’. Helen said ‘Clive was always chivalrous and a complete gentleman’. Simon only recently summed Clive up in his best man’s speech ……when he said ..‘Now I have known Clive for nearly 30 years , I know exactly what to make of him, a very original, highly amusing ,deep thinking ,wonderfully unusual best friend!’
Whilst Clive had a quite ‘naughty and quirky’ side he was at the same time very traditional. He was a family man. His entire family was very important to him. He spoke to us all pretty much daily and he loved his children more than we can describe. He was so proud of you Ethan and Anais for all of your achievements so far and for all of those he knew you would make in the future.
Clive was also highly conscientious, and other than his family, his work and career was the corner stone of his life. You could not have a more loyal and hardworking employee.
The main trait of Clive’s personality that has kept us all going in these last few weeks and months has been his sense of humour, he was so funny and could make us all laugh by just being Clive. Ethan said to his mum (after his recent trip with Clive, Simon and John Simmons to London to see the Olympics) ‘ I didn’t realize my Dad was so funny’.
Clive was our brother and best friend, Michelle often says ‘ I didn’t have a sister but Clive was the closest thing I had to one’. The thought of living our lives…without him in them …is very hard. But we know he would not want us to be sad.
Clive you were taken from us too soon, but the life you had was a wonderful one. We are all so honored that we shared our life with you, and you will never be forgotten.
Rest in peace Clive, we love you.
