Car Rally & Easter Egg Hunt - Sunday 3rd April

Don't forget this Sunday is our car rally starting from the healix office at Midday (or between 12.00hrs and 12.30hrs). It's open to everyone and can be completed by bicycle if you are keen. It should last about an hour or so with a finish at a lovley rural pub where we have an Easter Egg Hunt lined up for any children taking part. Lunches can be bought at the pub. Its expected to be busy as its mothers day but if you are prepared for a late lunch we should be able to get food easily.

Come along and see if you can win the prize or at least find an Easter Egg....!

**Summer Ball Date Changed to 25th June**

The summer ball had had to be changed to the 25th June for various logistical reasons. Apologies to those who can't make it on that date. If you are free and would like to come along let me know ASAP so that we can reserve you tickets. They are going fast. Event details including ticket prices are not yet available but watch this space..!

Ski fit for an important research trip....

Sometime last year we were sent the following email at Healix and asked to participate in this important research study. Its comforting to know that the UK Travel Insurance Industry takes the safety of British Holiday Makers so seriously so we were obviously keen to take part in this important project.

(NB The origins of this email have been carefully crossed out so as not to compromise anyone)

Sent: 20 July 2010 21:53
Subject: Winter Sports Risk Assessment

Dear All

As an industry we often accused of not fully understanding the risks faced by our clients when participating in hazardous activities, in particular the true extent of the  exposures  brought to insurers when allowing our clients to ski or snowboard. There is also a suggestion we lack of compassion when  handling sensitive clams arising from ’over exuberance’ having  enjoyed a few(but never too many!) drinks at the bar.

Well this season we intend to investigate these exposures first hand, testing all kind of variables in a controlled scientific environment otherwise known as the Alps.  Does the intake of alcohol truly effect your ability to ski/snowboard, what is safe limit, does the lack of sleep increase risk?  At this stage we are seeking feedback from fellow insurance industry experts on interest in volunteering as guinea pigs to join  us on a fact finding mission.

Let me stress you are free to attend even if you do not ski or snowboard, there are many other activities that require investigation and assessment. For example is it OK to go tobogganing after 15 steins  of ale over lunch, does ½ a bottle of peach snaps really impair your ability to walk back to the hotel by yourself after midnight or is it safer to have a full bottle and head home after 2am?

Avid intend to act only as expedition co-ordinators on the understanding that this will be a self funded trip.  We will clearly be seeking sponsorship from our supporting insurers on the basis that they will receive a detailed report on our findings, sadly no insurer has stepped forward at this stage but it can only be a matter of time.  The thought is that we will depart on a Wednesday with the intention of spending at least 2 full days carrying out our investigations. There will be a number of you that wish to continue to work into the weekend (I know some of you are that dedicated) and this will be an option. There is even talk of one of the Avid Directors working on another 3 week investigation.

Please do think carefully before you respond, let us not kid ourselves, this is going to be dangerous. As well as the obvious risk of physical injury there are the hidden dangers of liver damage and really bad hangovers. For that reason I would strongly recommend all participants take out decent travel insurance coverage with a reputable insurer, this cannot be with AXA as all of their policies carry a blanket exclusion for anyone attending an Avid organised event. 

At this stage we are simply asking that you confirm your interest or otherwise in participating in the study. Once we have an idea of numbers we will refer back with suggested dates, location and budgets.

Regards

Gary Edmondson

Underwriting Director

Clearly it helps if you are fit when travelling to high altitudes for exercise and sporting activities and so Peter Mason and I undertook to do some running as a form of cross training. If we were fit enough to run the Reading Half Marathon we would then legitimately pronounce ourselves ski fit. 

Ladies and Gentlemen.....

.......I declare that Peter Mason and Jane Kennet are now ski fit! 

Next stop Les Gets, France and a cheese fondue. Hoorah...!!!! keeping my fingers crossed for some snow and no injuries but I do have at least enough time to heal any broken bones before September. 

So thats a good weekend of training:

• ~65 miles cycled
• 13.1 miles run

Red Nose Day

Friday was red nose day and Lara bought and sold 56 red noses which we sold for £1.50 each. £1 for Comic relief and 50p for the BHF which qualified all buyers to entry in a champagne draw. Dean was the winner and took home a lovely bottle of bubbles. 

Here are some snaps we took of the red nose brigade. We made £42 pounds somehow.. yes I don't know how the maths worked there but I am not going to argue.
I decided to wear my red nose all the way home on the bike. It's probably no surprise that in London No body bats an eyelid if you wear a big red nose. I think I got 1 grin from a sainsburys local delivery may. That was all...!

. 

Dean the winner of the Champagne!

Healix Family with red noses...! 

Fnrttc

The 2011 season of Friday Night Ride To The Coast  (Fnrttc) kicked off on Friday with a ride to Southend on Sea. They are becoming pretty popular amongst the cycling fraternity and more than 100 turned out for the first ride of the season on what turned out to be a freezing night. It was so cold that my drink bottle resembled a mojhito full of crushed ice. Shame it didn't taste like one though. 

Leaving Hyde Park Corner at Midnight we rolled past Buckingham Palace, down Birdcage walk and then left at Big Ben for a ride along the Embankment. It's always amusing to see the faces of those who walk out of bars half cut and see more than 100 Lycra clad cyclists with lights twinkling whizzing by.

Hyde Park Corner

We rode on through Stratford and past the Olympic park and then out into South Essex. 

With Tea, Sandwiches and Hot Cross Buns in Stock Village Hall courtesy of the Tully family up at 04.00hrs to welcome us, we thawed out enough to then ride on to Southend. As we left Stock the sun was coming up and the beautiful morning pink and orange sky sat atop a crispy white frost. We tentatively rode the Old Stock Road avoiding the occasional patch of ice and chatting happily as the morning mist wafted across the open fields. 

Old Stock Road, thats me in Yellow on the left navigating the ice

At Southend the day was clear and bright and warming up nicely. A full English Breakfast at the Rose restaurant on the sea front satiated the hunger and then we headed home on the train with about 65 miles in our legs and the first long ride of the year completed. 

Fnrttc are open to all but you must sign up and register in advance. All details are available on the blog which is linked above. 

**Summer Ball** 16th July - Surbiton

Get your glad rags on its time to party.....

A date for your diaries everyone. We are holding a summer ball in a marquee in Surbiton on the 16th July. Details to be announced but keep the date free if you can. email me or add a comment for more information. 

Training - or lack of it

Given the number of people asking about how the training is going, I probably ought to be doing some by now. I must admit I have been pretty dilatory but it's less about sloth and more about lack of time. Why do I think time will be easier to find as the summer approaches? It's going to have to be.

Jane is doing a fantastic job organising fund-raising events with help from Lara and Sasha, but raising the cash still seems like a monumental job. We'll get there. I am especially looking forward to the planned dog show and will be looking to borrow a dog for the day - anyone got one spare?

Car Rally & Easter Egg Hunt

OK folks our next is event is being planned and this one is relatively short notice, so I hope you are all free. 

We are planning an Easter car rally to start at Healix House (TW12 2NP) on Sunday 3rd April at Midday and to finish at an unknown rural destination where food is available for a relaxed afternoon and Easter Egg hunt for the children! 

It's a family affair and we would love to see people of all ages coming along so get your car full of family and friends and come and join us for a fun afternoon. 

£10 per car so ram it full of people and come on down. No experience necessary and no speeding...it's not that kind of rally. ;-) 

Toot Toot.....

'The Pantaloons' win the Pub Quiz!

Last Friday we held a pub quiz at the Dukes Head pub in Hampton. They let us use their function room which held the 24 of us perfectly and battle commenced. 5 teams battled it out and although the final scores were close, Jennifer Jones, Matt Jones, Niamh Coffey and Vanessa Price maintained their early lead to win and put the larger teams to shame. I think my department (the IT boys) proved that there hadn't been any passing of answers or favouritism when they finished a very tight 3rd behind the 'Storm Troopers' from Healix International.

I could not have managed the event with out the amazing help of my stepdaughter Kirsty Heiss who was the Carol Vorderman of our quiz show and provided the brains and the beauty of the organising committee. We added in a fun round or two and one of them asked contestents to model 'London to Gibraltar by bike' in Play-Doh. The end results were very amusing and some spectacularly detailed and accurate too. I dont think my photos do them justice but here are some examples....



My Favourite possibly because they got my dog Beanz in it



Odds & Sods colourful pizza was fab..!

NB The monkey sat atop the yellow rock of Gibraltar

Big Ben - The Clock and start

Here are some other shots of the evening including the well stocked raffle.If you are a Ukraininan vodka lover you missed out.

Emi Modelling and Guessing answers

Marise making a phone call with permission from the judge!

IT planning their Play-Doh strategy

A Well stocked raffle

Kirsty, our glamorous assistant

Caitlin and her Gibraltar monkey.

I am off to arrange the next event now. So keep a look out for details. The training is going fairly well and I have been delighted to see the sun out this week and feel the air temperature rise. Hooray..

I managed a long run on Sunday with Beanz. We went to Putney and parked by the bridge then ran along the north shore to Chiswick bridge and back along the south side. Its follows the Boat race route which I am hoping Cambridge will win to retain the title for this year. There were alot of other rowing boats out on the river. It's a fantastic run with plenty to see and one of my favourite London routes. Beanz loves it too and she remembers the way better than I do. There are a few turns around buildings in the first couple of miles and she carefully made sure I made the right turn each time, despite the fact that its been more than a year, she didnt forget one turn..! This weekend things get considerably busier in the training department and I will post details of that later in the week.

10% of the way there....!

Today is a good day. A milestone has been reached. I managed to get to the bank, well in truth my parents counted up all the loose cash and paid it into the bank allowing me to make some payments online to recognise the funds from our Cheese and Wine night and ad hoc Cake Sales, Dress Down Fridays at work and the Valentines Sweepstake money... Whooopeee..

On the one hand its great to see the 10% and know we are further towards achieving our target but it also makes you realise that with 90% to go we have some work to do.

So what's next? We have the pub quiz this Friday in Hampton and are busy planning a summer party as well as a Car rally and some other things up our sleeve. So stay tuned to hear the latest. 

I am still hoping the weather will improve and we can start some longer weekend rides on the bike. I managed a 10 mile run today through the rural lanes of Essex. It was a beautiful run and the sun was shining. Finally it felt like spring had sprung but looking out there tonight I am not so sure. 

Essex fields at Strethall towards Ickleton

At one point as I ran along a chalky ridge with sweeping views of the fields towards home, I looked up to see a herd of 18 deer. They were making their run look somewhat more effortless, I have to say. There was one white deer amongst them leading the charge. One of the things I enjoy most about running and cycling through places is that you see so much that you just miss in a car or other vehicle. It makes you feel so much more at one with the environment.

It was another milestone involving the number 10, that must be good karma, I now feel as though Reading Half Marathon will be manageableat least. Months ago a friend asked me to do it so that they had a reason to train and someone to run with. It will be the first time for me to actually run with a friend and for the first time ever I have no ambitions for a certain time. I intend to simply enjoy my run and the company.