A Stotfold man is taking to the road again on his bike to raise money in memory of his late father. All the money that Martin Rowe raises will go to the Garden House Hospice where his father died. This will the sixth long distance ride he has undertaken

A Stotfold man is taking to the road again on his bike to raise money in memory of his late father.

All the money that Martin Rowe raises will go to the Garden House Hospice where his father died.

This will the sixth long distance ride he has undertaken with his old friend Steve Theaker. The pair worked together as police officers in Cambridge nearly 30 years ago.

By the end of this year's ride, covering 650 miles from Pau in France to Porto in Portugal the pair will have ridden 4,037 miles raising money for the hospice.

"My father passed away in the Garden House Hospice a number of years ago and I am delighted to be able to raise money for the hospice. The care and attention my father received at the hospice was fantastic and I always wanted to be able to give something back while I am fit and healthy.

"Whilst it was very sad to lose my father, the hospice has special memories for my family and I as he died in relative comfort and dignity, this was only due to the fantastic support he received from all the caring people that work at the hospice."

Mr Rowe said: "This year's ride starts on June 23 from Pau in France, climbing the Pyrenees and then down into Pamplona, Spain and finishing in Porto, Portugal, 10 days later on July 2.

"The ride over the Pyrenees will be hard and we follow some old roads that pilgrims took centuries ago. Our luggage is carried in panniers on the bike, with no support vehicles, so we have extra weight to pull up the mountains which makes it pretty tough going.

"As it is difficult to predict where we will be each night we can't book hotels and hope that wherever we get to has rooms to spare, or at least a bar to recuperate in. As we are going through some pretty desolate country we are taking space blankets with us and an emergency bottle of wine in case we have to bed down in a barn or field!"

Anyone wishing to donate can do so on line at www.justgiving.com/mjrowe