Motorcycle dash from Milan to London for wedding anniverary (From Your Local Guardian)

Motorcycle dash from Milan to London for wedding anniverary

7:43am Monday 5th September 2011 in Staines

Motorcycle dash from Milan to London in a day.

Surrey man rides 850 miles to say Happy 32nd Wedding Anniversary on time.

Surrey businessman Derek Mansfield, 65, has ridden 12,000 miles around Eastern Europe on his motorcycle since July - going as far as Iran. It was a retirement treat, although he has no plans to retire.

Derek, who owns a software development business called Bold Endeavours, has a production office in Kiev, Ukraine. He rode to Kiev in early July then crossed the Black Sea by ferry going on to Georgia and Armenia and up to the Iranian border near Mount Ararat in Turkey.

His route home was via Greece and the Balkans then Italy. He had planned to visit France and Spain but decided he would rather be home for his Wedding Anniversary.

His one day dash across Europe started at 0700 in Milan. The 850 mile journey, including the ferry took him a shade under 17 hours and he walked into his home a few minutes before midnight.

His wife Gabrielle was astonished – she had spoken to him in Italy that morning – but was truly delighted he had ridden that far to wish her Happy Anniversary.

Bold Endeavours indeed !

You can read more of his adventures at www.derekmansfield.co.uk Based on information supplied by Derek Mansfield.