Action100: The countdown

Just eight days and we're there. I'm on my bike and on my way. Hell, where did the time go?

We had some shannanigans this week as Chobham was under water, which made for an eventful trip home from a friends house last weekend - it was carnage. The water was feet deep - people were queueing to go through puddles of indeterminate depth so that they knew they had a clear run and wouldn't break down. The Bagshot Road was backed up on our side (heading towards the M3) and empty on the other, apart from one, broken down car in the outside lane. We turned round to help, pushing the car off the road. They told us they'd seen a car further down the road with water up to the windows.

There were stalled cars all over the place. The AA vans were out in force. Houses had plumbers and fire forces pumping out water. The drains were like fountains and seemed to be spilling water out rather than taking it away.

So I shouldn't have been suprised when we couldn't get in touch with the rugby club about getting our photo story out. But I was.

But things are moving forwards.

The Bristol Evening Post produced an amazing spread on some children who were born prematurely and lived to tell the tale. There were pictures of them tiny - they were hardly recognisable as babies some of them. Their tales are touching, and I think it's a really positive thing to publish.

Baby mags tend to shy away from the tragic stories of when things go wrong, so as a mum you're left feeling a bit like a pariah when your newborn baby doesn't look like an advert for a photographic studio or can't come home straight away. People don't know whether to send congratulations or flowers. These kinds of stories not only help making things going wrong a little more 'normal' (and I don't know many parents who haven't has some kind of concern in pregnancy, childbirth or with their newborns, however small they appear to the outside world), but they are also incredibly positive - all of those tiny babies are now colourful, loved little characters.

And of course, this years ride will help provide funds towards Action Medical Research's Touching Tiny Lives campaign, which aims to reduce premature birth and the effects of premature birth, a hugely underfunded area of medical research. (The charity is running a petition to increase government funding - see link, below right)

And Agrofair stepped forward with some Fair Trade banana donations.

I'm off for a long ride later today - hopefully to pursuade my sister in Newbury to put the kettle on - I am sworn off the alcohol between now and next Sunday (although if someone could hint loudly to my husband that a bottle of something cold and bubbly is called for at the other end..... don't know why I think this will make a difference: Mr Romantic forgot to buy a wedding anniversary card for Friday, despite us having taken the day off to take the kids out and celebrate.

This will be my last big ride before the real thing - here's hoping!!