Doing all sorts of do's

The pace of this whole thing is really starting to quicken now (unlike the pace of my running which still isn't exactly singeing my eyebrows).

As you may have read elsewhere, I've been fortunate enough to receive the support of proper Yorkshire celebrities Dickie Bird and William Hague - both of whom were also prepared to put their money where there mouths are located. Two top men.

Then this afternoon (which you obviously won't have read), I received an e-mail out of the blue from someone back home who I know is as fond of Sebastian as he is of her. She has a couple of terrific fundraising ideas - one of which is brilliantly off the wall - and is now in the process of hopefully getting the necessary legal approvals to make things happen. I'm sorry for having to be cryptic on this but as soon as I can say something more I will.

Another friend - my mate John (aka Batman) - is as I write in the process of trying to secure the agreement of another celebrity backer who, if it comes off, will send this whole thing into orbit. Again, I'll tell you when I can and it might not happen. And if it doesn't, I'll probably tell you anyway because I'll be annoyed.

I also received an e-mail today from my old friend Lydia Kerr (nee Davidson). Lydia and I have known each other for many years, having spent seven of them walking past each other in opposite directions on the Old Bridge in Coleraine as we made our way to school. Bizarrely in this small and crazy world we live in (particularly for Lydia who is both small and crazy and sometimes bizarre), she not that long ago married my even older friend Andrew Kerr whom I first met in reception class at Macosquin Primary School.

Lydia is one of the few people I know (other than my mother) to have confessed to reading this blog - you've no idea how good that makes me feel. Let me repeat - someone, somewhere (other than my mother) reads this rubbish and that's great (the feeling, not the content which is clearly pretty poor).

And not only did Lydia tell me she reads this, but she even passed me the advice of her desk buddy Chris in relation to my running shoe dilemma which I told you about yesterday. Chris, it transpires, is also doing the London Marathon and the same thing happened to him i.e. he put his toe through his running shoe. In my book, this makes him more than qualified to give his opinion. And what is Chris's view? Buy new shoes. I've never met Chris but I think I like him. Chris, if you're reading this, thank you my friend -it's settled. Tomorrow I am going back to the running shoe shop.

And Lydia, if you're reading this, I hope you like my picture of your lookalikey Betty Boo. When I receive your cheque, I will bank it in your joint honour.