Jim's charity Loire Source to Atlantic bike ride postponed until September.

Esme Morris-Macintyre, who died of a brain tumour 

in July 2013 aged 18

Very reluctantly we decided today to postpone my charity ride down the Loire from the source to the sea from June until September. This is largely due to the catastrophic failure of the bike rack supplied by Volkswagen on our return from France on 8th April. See here.

Ironically no sooner had I announced my intended charity ride than my Scott Scale 35 bike was wrenched by high wind from the bike rack while travelling on the A16 towards Calais breaking the back window of our car at the same time. 

I took to Evans in Clapham, London. They initially thought it could be repaired and ordered in the necessary parts, some taking two to three weeks to arrive. Unfortunately once they started to repair the bike they discovered that the carbon frame was cracked. This meant a new bike – we are still talking to Volkswagen about the warranty...

Due to the uncertainty over whether I would have a bike and various work commitments, we just haven't had time to do the proper planning, although I have done a considerable amount of training... 

Therefore we have decided that I will do the ride in September – still to raise money for teenage cancer charities but to look to combine this with vintage time. I will start from the source of the Loire in the week beginning 15th September after the 2014 edition of Bourgueillothérapie – 13th and 14th September, where this year one of my shirts will be included in the charity auction. 

 The bike rack that failed

The new Scott Hardtail Scale 720 

 Jim starting the cycle track from 

Calvine to Dalwhinnie – Route 7

 

Esme's further adventures: riding from John O'Groats to Perth & Kinross for Teenage Cancer Trust

 CRM@The start from John O'Groats

We will be back here on Tuesday for the start

Starting next Tuesday morning CRM will be riding the 270 miles from John O'Groats to Kinnesswood to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust following on the example set by her niece, Esme Morris Macintyre, who succumbed to a brain tumour on 7th July.  I will be supporting riding alongside her. 

We have just spent four days at John O'Groats in part preparing for the ride. As we will have to start early next Tuesday for the long first leg to Brora before the John O'Groats' sign photo opportunity opens, hence the early photo.

Esme Morris Macintyre

 

Dear friends

My lovely niece, Esme, lost her battle against brain cancer on 7th July 2013, just five months after her 18th birthday. She was active till very close to the end and still making plans for the future! She compiled a list of the things she wanted to do and the people she wanted to meet and was charting her progress on an open Facebook site, Esme's adventure. She achieved so much - many well-known personalities whom she greatly admired, including Andy Murray, Sir Chris Hoy and the singers Amy Macdonald and Emile Sandé, were inspired by her courage and determination and made time to meet with her. Her brother, Calum, has been adding to her site since she passed away, including a wonderful video of aspects of her amazing life.

Esme and Calum have raised thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that gave Esme a great deal of support and helped her through some ­­­­­­­difficult times. Esme's story of her cancer journey, recorded on her site, is poignant and illustrates how important Teenage Cancer Trust is in supporting young people with cancer. As Esme says,'they make sure that young peoples lives don’t stop because they have cancer'.

Esme's wish was that others would continue to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust to help other young people like her so I am taking up the challenge! I am cycling from John O'Groats to Kinnesswood in Perth & Kinross, Esme's home village, a distance of 270 miles, over five days, starting next Tuesday, 20 August. I have been doing some training!

I hope to raise £2500 for Teenage Cancer Trust. If you feel you can help please sponsor me on my Virgin Money Giving page - Following Esme's Adventure.

Many thanks for your support,

Carole

Carole Macintyre
E: carole.macintyre1@btinternet.com

You can follow Carole's progress on Jim's Loire. Details of the route will be posted every day from 19th (journey up to John O'Groats) and then from 20th-24th. Also on twitter with #crm4esme

Carole stretching the legs in sight of the refurbished John O'Groats' Hotel

We will be back there on Monday night to start the ride the next day

Journey's end: Loch Leven by Kinnesswood (above and below)

Update: 23.45, 16th August 

Delighted that through friends' generosity CRM's fund raising ride for Teenage Cancer Trust has already passed £1000. The total stands@£1042 – £1277.50 with gift aid.  Great – thank you so much!

Esme Morris Macintyre's funeral: a day of celebration

Mairi Macleod

 Fiona Rutherford 

The funeral was held in the Portmoak Parish Church, Scotlandwell on Tuesday 16th July. Although it was a sad occasion it was very much a celebration of Esme's short but inspirational life. Mourners were welcomed into the church with wonderful harp music by Mairi Macleod and Fiona Rutherford. There were tributes to Esme from Louise Batchelor, Eilidh Gibson (Esme's best friend ) and one brilliantly delivered by Calum Morris Macintyre (Esme's brother) as well as more harp music from Fiona during the service and from Mairi right at the end. The service was very well and sensitively conducted by the Rev Dr Angus Morrison.

In keeping with the theme of celebration mourners were asked to wear bright colours and not black or sombre clothes. It has to be said that on the whole the women managed this better than the men.  

See also Esme's adventure on Facebook. 

Calum Morris Macintyre delivering his tribute

 

Esme's new purple harp that arrived just a few days before she died.

Fortunately she had a brief time to play it. 

 

Rev Dr. Angus Morrison 

The following day Esme was buried in the cemetery at Newtonmore.
   

Esme Morris Macintyre: 14.02.1995 – 07.07.2013

Coffin with flower petals

Flowers and messages from the family   
 

 

Time for quiet contemplation after the burial ceremony (above and below)

Although this is an end to Esme's adventure it need not be the final word. Esme's brave fight and tireless work to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust can be an inspiration to carry on her fundraising. Already £3909 has been raised at and following Esme's funeral.

Towards the end of August CRM will be continuing Esme's Adventure by doing a sponsored bike ride from John O'Groats to Esme's home in Fife.   

Esme's adventure

My niece Esme Morris Macintyre is a young woman you would want to know - lovely personality, gorgeous smile, tremendous generosity, a love of challenges and awe-inspiring determination to achieve her life ambitions. For the last six and a half years she has been on a cancer journey, a journey she describes in the Notes page on her Facebook site, Esme's adventure. With her brother, Calum, she has raised tens of thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust and Cancer Research UK. Just over a week ago she drew up a list of adventures that she is planning to have and has already achieved quite a few of them.

On Friday she met with cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy, having a surprise visit from him and his wife - how fantastic that Chris Hoy, six time Olympic Gold Medalist, found the time to spend over three hours with Esme just the day after he announced his retirement! She has met with and sailed with Ellen McArthur, she has been on a ski biking holiday in the Alps (see her brother's video here) and she has had a harp tune written for her. And there are lots of other plans in the pipeline!

She would love your support by 'liking' her Facebook page, Esme's adventure - she has already clocked up over 3,000 'likes'! Perhaps you could help her reach 5,000?

Climbing in the Himalayas to raise money for kids with cancer (summit reached)

Ama Dablam (from the justgiving site)

16 year old Calum Macintyre and the rest of the summit team reached the top of Ama Dablam on Sunday and are now safely back in base camp. It may be that Calum is the youngest person ever to have climbed this peak (22349 ft). Many congratulations Calum! A great achievement for a very good cause.

He is raising money for The Teenage Cancer Trust. His sister, Esme, was diagnosed with a brain tumour three years ago when she was 11. Fortunately she had an immediate operation in Edinburgh on the rapidly growing tumour and has been making a slow but steady recovery ever since.

Calum's target is £5000 and he has now reached £3320 (66% of the target). When Gift Aid is added in the total raised climbs to £4108.47. It would be great to see Calum reach his target. Any donations would be greatly welcomed.

Details of the project are in the initial post here and further details are here on the justgiving.com site and also on Sandy Allan's teamascent blog. Sandy is a qualified International Mountain Guide and is accompanying Calum and Dave, Calum's father. Calum is my partner's nephew.

Related article: Scots boy of 16 reaches top of 'unclimbable' Himalaya peak, Herald Scotland (6th November 2009)

Related broadcast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYW48TYBjVc - BBC Reporting Scotland

8th November 2009
Calum's total has now reached: £4804.50 plus £1079.55 gift aid making a total of £5884.05.

Climbing in the Himalayas to raise money for kids with cancer (update)

Top of Ama Dablam peak (photo from JustGiving site)

Calum Morris-Macintyre and the others in the summit climbing team are hoping to reach the top tomorrow. Apparently the weather forecast is good. Unfortunately Dave Morris has had a chest infection, so he has been confined to base camp.

Through justgiving 16-year-old Calum (going like an ox, I gather) has now raised £2697 plus £674.81 (Gift Aid supplement) – a total of £3371.81. His target before Gift Aid is £5000 and he is 54% of the way there.

Details of the project are in the initial post here and further details are here on the justgiving.com site and also on Sandy Allan's teamascent blog. Sandy is a qualified International Mountain Guide and is accompanying Calum and Dave.

Climbing in the Himalayas to raise money for kids with cancer

Top of Ama Dablam peak (photo from JustGiving site)

In November 2006 11-year-old Esme Morris-Macintyre, my partner Carole's niece, was diagnosed with a brain tumour. That very week she had an operation to remove the tumour at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. Since then it has been a long, slow but steady recovery for Esme, who was extremely fit and active before here operation. Calum, her sixteen year old brother, has just left for the Himalayas with his father, Dave Morris. They will be climbing the Ama Dablam peak with Calum raising money for The Teenage Cancer Trust. It will also be a challenge for Dave, because although he is an experienced mountaineer, he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2008 and had his voice box removed.

Further details are here on the justgiving.com site and also on Sandy Allan's teamascent blog. Sandy is a qualified International Mountain Guide and is accompanying Calum and Dave.