SWAPPING Australia for Lostock Hall has meant a lot of change for Peter Fisher, but it has also given him the chance to fulfil a lifetime's ambition.

For, now he is preparing to get on his bike once again - this time quite literally - and peddle his way from John O'Groats to Lands End, all in the name of charity.

Peter, pictured, and his wife Linda returned from the Antipodean country last year after spending four years Down Under and have now settled into a new house in Watkin Lane, Lostock Hall.

But after seeing several of his friends fall foul of cancer, Peter decided he should take full advantage of his health and take on the cross-country cycling challenge and raise money for charity at the same time. Peter said: "We also have a baby boy, Jack, who is one and a half years old and is perfectly healthy, so I thought now would be a great time to raise money for people not as lucky as ourselves which is why I chose Derian House in Chorley.

"I'm not a serious cyclist in the sense of competing in races every weekend or being a member of a club. I only took it up after I was knocked off my motorbike while in Austrailia.

"Since I started cycling, this is something I has always said I have wanted to do, so and now is the perfect time to do it now we are back in Britain."

Mechanic Peter's trip starts at the furthermost tip of Scotland on May 29, and the trek down to Lands End should take between 12 and 14 days, covering around 70 miles a day. His bosses at Burrows Grass Machinery, Leyland, have pledged to support him all the way.

His wife Linda added: "I think a lot of people have doubted whether or not Pete would actually do this because he has mentioned it quite a lot over the years.

"But they got a shock when we wave a sponsorship form under their noses! He just can't wait to get started now."

Anyone wishing to sponsor Peter can contact him via the Derian House Appeals Office on 01257-271271.

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