Jingle jingle pennies tinkle

Hello followers

Just thought I'd drop a quick line on the blog to let everyone know that I've managed to collect in all my sponsor forms and monies pledged.  Looks like I've managed to round up over £650; there's at least another £250 online at the donateinmemory site and Linda and Trina will be collecting in their forms/pennies too.  So, when we tot it all up and include the Gift Aid bits where applicable, I'm very much hoping we'll be able to get to the £2,500 point we thought we'd reach - it's an amazing achievement over the original £1,000 we initially looked to raise.

Everyone has been feeling the pinch in these difficult times and we are in awe of their generosity and support. 

We did it!!!

We've had some wonderful write-ups in the local press which was published today, I've thanked them for their support and have a few photos I can share with you all (thanks to Paul Cato for the pics) ....

Sarita from GMLC; Jan Mooney from Boston College; John Fitzgerald (Trina’s hubby); Trina; Lou; Frances Tree (my mum); Ian Clayton from Boston-Laval twinning committee; Trevor Bloxham (friend); Linda and Jo Gladski (friend)

Trina; Lou; Linda

Trina; Lou; Linda and Fizz!

I thought the one which would be blackmail material should stay off the site for now, until it's been shown to the subjects for their input on whether it should be eradicated from the face of the earth!

Day 30

Howdy peeps

Just been to the pool to cheer on Linda and Trina on as they finished their last day. 

A group of ladies from Linda's school were there to cheer her on which was super, and a young lass had made a big glittery poster for them which was nice!  One of Linda's quiz night friends was also in the pool swimming with them, so right to the end there's been amazing support. 

We've all agreed that it feels a bit surreal at the moment and lots of people have asked 'what are you going to do now'....

Now we have the hard task of getting all the donations in and totted up, but we are looking forward to that and will update the blog with how much has been raised as soon as we know where we are.

Trumpets a' tootin', flags a' wavin'

Saturday's Grande Finale went really well, swimmingly in fact!

We had a manageable crowd to support us, complete with French colours, berets, tashes, and waving flags.

We were very lucky to get photographers from both of the local papers and hopefully we'll get some good coverage of the next couple of weeks.

One of the highlights for me was meeting Ian and slurping the fizz he brought for us to celebrate our achievement.  Very kind (and very slurpsome!)

The manager and staff at the local pool can't have been more helpful and supportive, their input simplified our lives and Linda, Trina and I would like to thank them all.

It did seem a bit odd coming up to 11.30am today when I realised I didn't have to run out the office and across to the pool to get 64 lengths in.  Most people who've asked how Saturday went have asked me what I'm going to do next, I did think about a sponsored sit about and do nothing for a bit!

Thanks to motherduck and Jan for helping with the collection tins.

There were no fatalities with the helium canister either, although the noise it makes scared the living daylights out of anyone within the vicinity, including balloon filler!

Thanks to our friends who gave up part of their Saturday morning to come and support us.

Well done to my fellow swimmers for their achievements.  Linda swam 100 lengths in one go on Saturday which her body told her off for afterwards! 

And of course to everyone who has donated - your generosity is appreciated, thank you.

Online donations can still be made via http://donateinmemory.cancerresearchuk.org/0000950.

Later in the week, I should be able to put some piccies up of us in our fabulous floral caps, only if everyone promises to not use them for blackmail material!

TGIF!!!!

Never before have the words 'one thousand, four hundred and ten - COMPLETED' sounded so good!

Today's 68 lengths saw me virtually reaching the shores of Calais, mais zut alors, at the very last moment with the shore in sight (in my mind at the very least), it seems that the tide has started turning and therefore I shall be covering a mile in the pool tomorrow, Saturday - when we have our Grande Finale.

Hope to see everyone who's available at the pool tomorrow, as it should be fun!

Haw hee haw haw aw haw Les Rosbifs aw haw!

Marvellous moi swam 70 lengths today so only 68 left to go as I inch my way closer to the shores of Calais!

As a coincidental incident in the change rooms after the swim, a young French girl was chatting to me, whose name is also LOUISE!  Tres bien!  And she's a student at the college, and she knows about Boston's twinning with Laval in France.  And she informed us of a Mushroom Museum in a small village in France which is twinned with Swineshead (where one of my friends lives and which my friend mentioned to the French lass).

Sounds like we should definitely have at least one bottle of fizz lined up for the Grande Finale on Saturday.  That'll pop my cork!


And as more coincidence would have it, for my lunch I am eating a nice plate of roast beef, Yorkie puds, roast potatoes and gravy.  Yum Yum.  Balanced out of course afterwards with my freshly-prepared bowl of fruit salad.

I can smell the croissants - that'll keep me going!

The End is Nigh

Despite the will to swim as fast as possible to the end, it again seemed so hard to get my 64 lengths in today.  I managed it though; it was tough as the water again wasn't particularly warm and I don't think the central heating ducts are working as you definitely felt a chill on any bits of your anatomy which came out of the water as you propelled yourself from one end to the other!

It was slightly disconcerting in that today I was sharing the fast lane with a chap who must be some serious pro who's training for some mega event.  There were no fisticuffs and it was all very civilised, but I tried to keep up to start with thinking it would get me motivated and focused.  After about two lengths I was pooped and gave that up for a laugh!

Still not too sure how well plans are slotting into place for Saturday's Grande Finale.  I do, however, have some French hand wave flags so that's a start!  Am crossing fingers that by tonight I might hear back confirmations on the tentative arrangements and very much hope it will go according to plan.

Now have clocked up 1272 lengths and have just over 2 miles to go!!!