"I'm not kidding myself that 300 miles is a walk in the park"
Stuart Woods
A pipe and slippers couldn't be further from Stuart Woods' mind as he thinks about his retirement.
The former care manager from New Brighton plans to bow out from his working life with a 300 mile charity cycle from London to Paris.
Stuart, 65, was manager at Ashville House, a care home for people with mental health needs, for almost a decade. Earlier this year when the Birkenhead home closed, Stuart decided he had also reached the end of the road.
He now plans to mark his exit by raising funds for his former employer, the adult health and social care charity Making Space.
Stuart said: "I have cycled on and off for many years and used to cycle or walk to work every day.
"Despite my familiarity with the saddle, I'm not kidding myself that 300 miles is a walk in the park. I have been training since last October and the longest route I have completed so far is 72 miles."
Stuart will leave London on 14th September, first cycling the 80 miles to Dover before crossing the Channel by ferry. He will then travel up to 80 miles a day for a further three days until he reaches his destination.
Well known locally, Stuart formerly worked as a nurse at hospitals around the north west, including Clatterbridge.
Stuart and his wife Susan celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary on 2nd August and his 65th birthday was the following day. The couple have four daughters and five grandchildren.
Stuart is covering all expenses associated with the trip himself and every penny he raises will go to adult health and social care charity Making Space.
You can sponsor Stuart at his Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Stuart-Woods2
