LAUNCESTON man Matt Downing has returned from his colossal 2,000 mile unicycle ride from the northern coast of France, to the British peninsula of Gibraltar, undertaken on behalf of Cancer Research UK.

He told the 'Post': "Last year on Christmas Eve I found myself in a pub with a large glass of Christmas cheer.

"Eventually I was feeling very cheerful, and surrounded by old and new friends, I drunkenly slur to the room 'I will be riding a unicycle across Europe from Calais to Gibraltar, 2,000 miles'.

"This was met with the response of 'no you won't!' (phrased a little differently — something about livestock?).

"I woke up on Christmas Day feeling a little worse for wear, and not quite ready to stomach a large dinner, I thought of the previous night and realised how many people I had told I was going to do this — I actually had to do it now!

"I spent the next few months planning, saving and not doing enough training until I handed in my notice at my old job and booked a ferry from Dover to Calais.

"I had a bag on my back with a tent, sleeping bag and a couple fresh pairs of gruds, and a 29 inch wheeled unicycle that was supposedly going to carry me all the way."

For the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport, please see this week's edition of the 'Post'.