Friday 1st October 2010
Weather – well to be honest shi**y – rain, wind, cold! Day 20
Strange feeling as we all started to get ready for the final run up to Greenford – quite apart from the fact that the rain forecast had started to fall – and continued
to fall gaining volume as the morning went on.
We still decided to leave at our normal 9.30 start but this time we had the rather sad matter of bidding farewell to Pisces, Eddie and Bob had to get her back up to their base at Harefield ready for her to make up a flotilla for a Scout Group over the weekend. The Bundie (Australian rum) was broken out and we all toasted to the success of the trip and the huge contribution the Hillingdon Boating Association and our volunteers had made – including wives and partners who had joined us in the evenings and even took away our washing! A tear fell from quite a few eyes this morning.
Roy (who lives locally) was able to stay with me on Elysium and so represented HCBA at the finish. We set off on the lock free, 8 mile run up to the Ealing Canoe Club landing stage in Greenford where the world’s media were waiting. Not a particularly exciting part of the canal down towards Brentford and then left on the Paddington Arm which goes right into central
Eventually we arrived at the last pub on the route where we had planned to stop and wait so that we could arrive at the finish as close to our schedule (and the fact that we had told the press a specific time!). This gave us about an hour to dry out a bit and have a warming drink. Most of Justin’s family and friends were there and that’s where they caught me completely unawares and presented me with a specially commissioned painting by Guy Portelli. Guy, partner to Justin’s sister Victoria, is known for his sculptures (see www.portelli-sculpture.co.uk) and a recent appearance on BBC where he received funding for a project from the Dragons Den Team.
Must admit got a bit welled up at that moment – a lovely gesture and a great memento.
At that moment I felt very privileged of being amongst a very loving and caring family who have supported Justin through all the years of pain, worry and sheer determination he has shown.
So we then popped back into our various modes of transport for the last 15 minutes to arrive on schedule exactly at 2pm – the rain pelted down but no one cared, in fact it probably added to the triumph over all conditions! The fact that the guys had to then spend 10 minutes paddling about for the photographers before getting out to the promised fish and chips (even Justin had a couple) was not a problem.
A real sense of achievement by a quite remarkable man. Spending three weeks with Justin as closely as I did made me realise just how important it is for us all to have faith, hope and determination. He showed me and all of us that helped on this journey that so much can be achieved. So many people like Justin are faced with life changing illness and one of the hardest things for them is adapting to the new conditions and making something of them. Justin’s efforts (which I hope will not finish with this) help so much for the surgeons, doctors and nurses whose work does not finish once they sew a patient up. They explained to me that the inspiration Justin gives everyone to adapt and believe is as vital as their skills in surgery.
I am off back up north now feeling very privilege to have been able to help this happen – thankyou to all those that I dragged into it – so many volunteers who I will be thanking personally. Those of you that have read my exploits on NABO that haven’t donated there is still time and thank you to the NABO Council for allowing me the chance to show what can be done on a web site!
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