A FATHER and son from Halstead revved their engines to travel to all four corners of the UK in 32 hours, raising thousands of pounds for a hospice.

John Stenner and his son Ethan took on the motorcycle challenge to raise money for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

Ethan, a motorbike technician who grew up in Halstead, invited his dad to join the fundraiser alongside a colleague and two customers of Reiten Motorrad, a motorcycle dealer in Glemsford, Suffolk.

John jumped at the chance to take part when he learned it was in aid of EACH, which provides care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Essex and the east of England.

Gazette: Challenge - The group rode to St David's, Wales, as part of the fundraiserChallenge - The group rode to St David's, Wales, as part of the fundraiser (Image: EACH)

The 61-year-old had to cover almost 1,000 miles just to get to the starting point – riding from Halstead to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and then to Thurso, near John o’ Groats, Scotland.

Starting at 5am in sub-zero conditions, the group then rode to St David’s, Wales, before continuing on to Land’s End, Cornwall, where they arrived at 2.30am.

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Undeterred by the long journey, the five men rode for a further 12 hours to Lowestoft, Suffolk, the country’s most easterly point.

The dad-of-two enjoyed taking on the challenge alongside his 25-year-old son, who brought along his tools in case any mishaps occurred.

Gazette: Start line - John o' Groats was where the group startedStart line - John o' Groats was where the group started (Image: EACH)

“He was like our mobile mechanic, but luckily he didn’t need to do anything except change a tyre on his own bike,” said John.

The 90-minute journey home from Lowestoft to Halstead was perhaps the worst part of the event for Mr Stenner.

The hypnotherapist chuckled: “My backside was rather challenged but the worst thing was my hands, as the vibrations through the handlebars made my hands go a bit numb.

“I got home, had a hot bath, and slept soundly for the next 12 hours.”

This isn’t the first time he’s taken on such a feat, having travelled 2,500 miles through the Netherlands, Germany, and Norway in 2019.

The group have already raised a staggering £3,600 for EACH, which relies on donations for most of its income. If you’d like to add to their total, visit bit.ly/3OfhGrp.