Congratulations to the 10-man NMCC peloton that successfully trekked from The Midd to Le Palais Garnier - from one palace to another - last week to commemorate the club's 150th anniversary.

In the process, they raised £5,380 to put towards the summer's celebrations.

Originally the brainchild of Dan Sherry, the trip was organised by Will Cracknell, with Nick Brand leading the fundraising effort. They were joined by Alex Smith, Alex Hill, Zulfi Azom, Hugh Teesdale, Evan Flowers and his father Phil, while Charlie Yorke-Starkey played the pivotal roles of support driver, bike pump deliverer, phone repairer and snack provider.

They survived flat tyres - the first of which occurred before leaving London - leg cramps, and a slight brush with an oncoming van. But they managed 300km in three days, leaving on Thursday morning, before touching down in Paris on Saturday, a remarkable effort from a bunch of - at best - casual cyclists, one of whom didn't own a bike before this started. Fewer than half rode with clip-in cycling shoes.

On the way back from Paris, they stopped in northern France to visit the Serre Road Cemetery, where casualties from the First World War are buried.

Among them is John Charles 'Jack' Baylis, a North Middlesex member and player killed at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916, an unmarried only child. A club cap was left alongside his grave.