In Washington we were very lucky to spend time with the fantastic people at the Lung Cancer Alliance. We wanted to tell you a bit more about them and the amazing work that goes on globally to try and defeat this cruel disease. Not many people know that lung cancer is still the biggest cancer killer in the world, causing more deaths than breast and prostate cancer put together. Yet in terms of research it is the most poorly funded.
London, Paris, New York
All amazing cities, all amazingly expensive. We have been over whelmed by people’s generosity in the US, up there with the best of them is the Carlton Arms Hotel who amazingly generously donated free accommodation for the FTFE crew whilst in New York for 10 days. HUGE! We have turned the Carlton Arms into our HQ where we have shot video for the documentary and worked ferociously at the remaining logistics (shipping ahhhh), routes, website, press, etc, etc.
The guys at the Carlton Arms have themselves also been touched by cancer, sadly losing a very good friend to a rare and bizarre form of cancer. When contacted by FTFE John Ogren said “The Macmillan nurses were angles sent by God to care for him in his last days. Also we love all firemen everywhere. So of course we want to offer the rooms at no charge.” Legend. Read more →
High Point: Beating Steve in a “MAN OFF” while seeing who handled a saw better!!
Low Point: Being Freezing cold and losing the feeling in every extremity of my body waiting outside at the port in the Bitter New Jersey wind.
No Point : I now carry a pen around with me just in case someone else asks for my signature… Nice!
High Point – 1,224 feet at the top of the Empire State Building (the seems to be a theme occurring in terms of stage 8 high points, mountains, sky diving and now tall buildings).
Low Point – The hint of trouble ahead to do with Martha’s height causing problems with getting her safely to port and some potential customs issues due to our tight time schedule.
No Point – Very little brekkie, no time for lunch yet again, being SO hungry by late afternoon but unable to force myself to eat yet more rubbish, which was our only option when we stopped for fuel on the way to the port. Read more →
Washington, DC to New York, New York
High Point: Seeing the NYC skyline come into view, hotel lobby disco balls
Low Point: Arriving in New York means the end of Stage 8
No Point: Sat nav in New York – no GPS and no knowledge of one way streets
Author’s notes
We had an early start from L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington DC. Thanks to Ed for putting us up (and Andy Peters from The Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Alabama for putting us in touch).
After some suspect driving around the capital’s sights (a ’No truck’ sign surely doesn’t mean no Martha right?!) and subsequently a few close calls with local police (“Move away from this area sir”, “Please remove the person from the top of your vehicle mam”, “You do not have permission to film here sir”) we continued, unscathed and without any unscheduled visits to the police department – phew.
Location: Washington DC
High point : The first rocket to land on the moon in Washington space museum
Low point : Losing my voice and sounding like a cross between Pat Butcher and Madge Bishop
No point : I don’t know about you but I’ve never seen actual real life people, using actual real life segways, to actually get from A to B. Really, what’s the point?
A wise man once said ‘’life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get’’. Well today we got rain, and lots of it. Being British we love to talk about the weather and we love to complain, so it goes without saying that complaining about the weather is one of our nations’ favourite past times. If lost for conversation complaining about the weather being too hot or too cold is always a banker. On stage 8 we haven’t had much to complain about. The snow in Arizona turned into an adventure, the vicious winds in Texas were a treat, and now rain in Washington meant an opportunity to stay indoors without feeling guilty.
The White House, the Pentagon, the Capitol, the Mall, the Memorials, the Monuments. In DC there is enough architecture, sculptures and buildings to keep anyone’s head spinning. Our original plan to come to the nations capital went from a simple meeting with The Roy Castle Foundation’s sister charity, The Lung Cancer Alliance, to a full blown extravaganza including a tour of the fireman’s museum, a bath for Martha, cricket on the Mall right in front of the Capitol, photos in front of the White House and a generous free lunch from the manager of the Fireman’s museum.
Luray to Fredricksburg (via Skydive Orange)
High Point: 13,500 feet
Low Point: Frost bite at zero feet
No Point: Trying to enforce ‘No swear Friday’ – potty mouthed boys!
Quote of the Day: Waitress to Steve – “You look like what I’d imagine a man from London to look like” (while he was wearing the three-piece red FTFE suit)
Location : Boone Virginia to Luray Virginia
High Point: 3,650 feet on “Skyline Drive”, awesome, Martha loved it, what a drive!
Low Point: Being escorted to a motel located “right in town” by the owner when actually the motel was way out of town! The conversation between him and Steve as he tried to justify his description of the location of the motel was priceless. Panic of the day: The boys nearly losing their ball while playing their favorite game of “screen ball”, bless.Quote of the day: Steve said that rather than get out into the freezing cold we could admire the view from our “theatre of the world”, aka Martha’s cab, very poetic Stevie 🙂
Bryson City (NC) to Boone (NC)
High Point : The great views along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Smoky Mountains National Park… amazing stuff!
Low Point : 4 crew in the back and sitting next to Steve for 2 hours makes for not much space!
