Last week, I paid over £100 for a pair of new shoes.

Wanna see?

OK, they aren’t the most glamorous shoes I own – by a country mile, I’m happy to say – but they are to serve an important purpose.

Last September, Ned and I and the rest of Team Held Together With Sticks And String walked 20 miles around London at night to raise funds for Maggie’s Centres. I was woefully underprepared and wore the wrong shoes and ended up with a possibly record-breaking blister. But it was brilliant.

This year, I’m doing it again. Team Bah! will be a family affair this time: Ned, who will then be 16, and my Dad, who will have just reached 65, will be joining 39-by-then me. 3 generations saying Bah! to cancer – I’m very, very proud. (However, there will be strict team rules. Including, but not limited to: 1 Cricket talk can be a maximum of 10 minutes at any one time; 2 Stopping to go to the loo is a legitimate physiological need and not a failure of character.)

So, I’ve bought the shoes, and I’m walking every day. My APJ (Actual Proper Job) tends to get very quiet in August so I should have some serious walking time then. Last year part of the reason for doing the Night Hike was to prove that I was still alive. This year, I’m proving that I am well. As a team, we’re showing that you and your family can say Bah! to cancer and be all the stronger for it.

Naturally, I will be inviting you to sponsor us, in due course. For now, you’ll have to make do with admiring my boots.

(There are details about the Night Hike here. It’s not too late to enter, or volunteer.)