Unicycling teen Ben raises £1,200 for charity

Sep 12 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

TEENAGER Ben Broome has had the last laugh after completing his unicycle trek.

The kind-hearted student had to endure jokes and shouts of “You’ve lost a wheel, sonny” throughout his unusual quest.

But £1,200 later Ben says he knows the charity task was well worth the hassle.

Ben, a pupil at Newcastle’s Royal Grammar School, completed a mammoth five day, 190-mile journey from Edinburgh to Grey’s Monument, Newcastle.

He did so to raise money to build a well for children at a school in Tanzania. Ben, who lives with parents Caroline and Jon and sister Josie, nine, at Biggin House Farm, Esh, near Durham, was inspired by near neighbour Jim O’Connor, of Rose Cottage, Esh.

Jim, 61, has already raised enough funds to build one well for a village school in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro and now plans two more. Each well will be named Dorothy’s Well after his late wife.

Ben’s mum Caroline, a GP, said: “It was Ben’s idea to complete the course from Edinburgh to Newcastle by unicycle. Either myself or my husband Jon rode alongside him – on a two-wheeled bike.

“He spent his 15th birthday on the route, and his birthday night camping out at Alnwick rugby club.”

Ben’s route, which encompassed cycle paths and minor roads away from the A1, took him from Edinburgh to Musselburgh, Coldingham, Belford, Alnwick via Bamburgh, and south to Whitley Bay then along the Tyne to Grey’s Monument, Newcastle.

The journey was not without incident, as Caroline explained: “We got lost soon after setting off in Edinburgh, and spent the first night in Musselburgh.

“When we crossed the English border near Berwick the wind and rain was lashing in our faces but we also had some beautiful days.

“The scenery around Bamburgh was breathtaking.

“A few jokers shouted to Ben that he had lost a wheel but we had some tremendous encouragement along the way. I am extremely proud of Ben because there were times when he was very tired and could easily have given up, but he was determined to last the course.”

After spending the last night of the journey at a Bed and Breakfast in Whitley Bay, Ben cycled alongside the Tyne into Newcastle - where a policeman ordered him off his bike!

Nevertheless, around 20 friends and wellwishers gave him a deserved heroes welcome at Grey’s Monument.

Ben, who was given a unicycle as a birthday present three years ago, said: “It took my a little while to master it but now it comes naturally. I thought it would take between seven and 10 days to complete the journey, but I made it in five.”

Jim has set up a blog on http://dorothyswellprojecttanzania.blogspot.com.