Race the Sun: Nathans Story

My son Joshua was born on 10th June so at the time of the event was only one month old.

In an attempt to ease the pressure of the weekend on my girlfriend (Daddy being away for two nights…in a  hostel without a towel I might add) I suggested she uses the ‘Find a Friend’ app on the iPhone so Caitlin, my 3 year old daughter, had the ability to see where Daddy was and what Daddy was doing. Good plan eh

This was useful because a number of the parents from Caitlin’s swimming club sponsored me so my thinking was good. At the swimming class on the Saturday at 12noon while I would be plodding my way across the Isle of Wight on the hiking stage up Tennyson Hill Aisling (my girlfriend) could share my location on the app and make the event ‘real’ It would give them a sense of reward for their sponsorship money.

Throughout the day Caitlin would ask “where is Daddy?” and Aisling was able to provide a pretty accurate location and description of the event I was performing at that time. Everything was going very well indeed…

When leaving the Isle of Wight, after the event, I communicated to Aisling my ferry time, expected time of arrival to the mainland and my estimated return to Swindon time to enable her to plan her day and gauge how complicated her day was going to be looking after an excitable 3 year old and a one month old totally dependent on mummy.

When the ferry docked into Portsmouth Tim, Patrick and I thought how lovely it would be to visit Nick, our fallen partner. We devised an elaborate plan involving Tim’s charm at the hospital reception (as we would be outside of the strict visiting times) and Mandy’s cunning (Nicks wife) as she was not allowed to inform Nick on our intention to visit him. It was important to us that Nick was not aware of us coming. Everything was going well……

Sadly, foolishly and regrettably I didn’t communicate to my Aisling our intention to visit Nick at the John Radcliff Hospital

When my planned time to return home had come and passed Aisling decided to look on the App to find me and see where I was.

When she discovered I was deep within the John Radcliff Hospital in Oxford quite obviously she was frightened and concerned for my wellbeing, she called me in total 11 times all of which I had not noticed as my phone was on silent; after all I was in a hospital!

When I finally did answer and explained what we were doing I wished I was actually a patient in the hospital and asked Nick if he had room for one more………

A funny but painfully true story…….

If you would like to join us in supporting Nathan and Action Medical Research, please click on the link www.action.org.uk/sponsor/Bishopsgate. Alternatively, please send a cheque made payable to Action Medical Research to Tim Bloch at Bishopsgate, Interface, Unit A, Technology Drive, Royal Wootton Bassett, Swindon, SN4 8SY