#jdrfuk

Grantchester’s James Norton celebrates his birthday on 18 July. To honour him, we’re raising vital research funds for JDRFUK

If you’d like to be involved with The Norton Butterfly Effect, please donate whatever you can on JustGiving & RT. Thanks! #T1D

 justgiving.com/Dickens-Old-Dog

We've finished! Woop! I've seen all 58 Paddington Bears!! OK, so I am a little disappointed that I have been unable to cycle and therefore not been able to complete the challenge on a bike. However, Steph and I have had 3 nice days out exploring bits of London she and I have never been to. I've never been up Primose Hill, yet it's an iconic view. I've never walked along Regents Canal or around Little Venice. We've spoken to so many lovely people - some of those also raising money and others just wanting to see how many bears they can tick off on the list or others who were interested in JDRF. 

Bears in order of viewing - I've finally sussed out how to put the photos in order! I'll also find somewhere better than Facebook and Tumblr to post all the photos I took!

Stripes - Inkie - Cadogan Place

Precious - Solange Azagury-Partridge - Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Knightsbridge

Chief Scout Bear - Bear Grylls - Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport

Bearodiversity - Peru - Glasshouse Street

Blush - Nicole Kidman - Leicester Square

Little Blue Bear - Intel - Noel Street - he has flashing lights!

Bear Necessities - John Hurt - Near British Museum (Steph's propping herself up as she feels hypo)

R.G.B - Zaha Hadid - Royal Exchange (Steph's a bit more smiley as she's had something to eat!)

So that's it. All done!

We're almost at the end. Another 8 done today! You may have noticed an additional character in today's photos!!

It's been a blessing me being ill and hurting my back because I've been able to have 2 very special days with Steph which i wouldn't have done if I'd been cycling. Steph can't ride a bike. As well as having type 1 diabetes she also has an autistic spectrum disorder and dypraxic tendencies so she has never been able to balance very well and therefore cycling, on a 2 wheeler at least, is impossible for her. But she can walk, and believe me we've done a lot of that today!

Bears in order of seeing:

Dapper Bear - Guy Ritchie - Notting Hill Gate

Sticky Wicket - Ian Botham - Regents Park

Primose Paddington - Julie Walters - Primrose Hill

Maya's Bear - NSPCC

Alan Shearer's Bear - ChildLine

Patchwork - Rhianna - ChidLine

Toggle - Benjamin Shine - Museum of Childhood

Paddington That - Take that - O2

That's what I was asked this week. ALL diabetes is bad!

Type 1 CAN'T be managed by food and exercise. The pancreas doesn't work. Insulin needs to be injected.

Type 2 CAN be managed by food and exercise. Insulin is still being produced but either there's not enough or the body can't use it properly.

The complications after long term poor management for either are the same as seen in the TV ad.

PS I have a chest infection so no cycling for me for a few days and therefore no more Paddington Bears.

I woke up at 4.30am this morning. The first thing I did was test my daughter's blood. It was fine: 7.9.  (UK blood range for a person without diabetes is 4-7)

Having had this bright idea of cycling to see all 50 Paddington Bears I then had to work out how this was going to happen. I live in South London, it's at least a 10 mile cycle into central London before I even start! Added to this I made the decision to see my first lot of bears after cycling 10 miles to a job (I'm a cycle instructor) so it was another 13 miles back into London. I had already done 23 miles before I even met the 1st Paddington Bear at Borough Market. I don't know Borough Market but I'm grateful that PB was easily findable!!

Something else I hadn't given much thought to, the question of why I would want my bike in the photo, and the resulting conversation. Now I need to make a placard for my bike...this first day I was given £18 cash. Thank you, total strangers! Other logistical problems encountered: London Bridge station - I've never used the main entrance before...it took a good 15 minutes to find it, and the PB! The PB in the Museum of London - yes, it's inside! Thankfully the stewards were really helpful and allowed me to take my bike in and one of them took a photo of me!

And finally, amongst the PBs I had hope to see was the one at the Royal Exchange - it hasn't been delivered yet!

In order they were visited: 

1. Taste of Peru - representing food delights of Peru - Borough Market

2. Wonders of the World - design based on Machu Pichu - London Bridge Station

3. Shakesbear - Bankside Pier, near the Globe Theatre

4. Fragile - designed by Ryan McElhinney - Near Tate Modern

5. Bear in the Wood - Rankin - St Paul's Cathedral

6. Sherlock Bear - Benedict Cumberbatch - Museum of London