One of Radio 2’s DJs, Jo Whiley, is coming to the end of a gruelling 26 hour challenge running and walking on a treadmill without sleep, breaking for just five minutes each hour.  It’s all for charity.  This will be a commendable achievement, but it’s nothing compared to my walk up to my local railway station last Friday evening.  It’s uphill all the way, on a slanted pavement and as you near your destination, you’re faced with this:

I’m not referring to the impending attack by the mother and pink-clad toddler.

On reaching what seems to be the summit, there are these:

Then a long ramp with a steep incline up to the platform itself.

So, Ms Whiley, if you think your exploding knees and feet are bad, you should try this shit.

I’m listening to the final two hours of her challenge and watching on the internet, she’s something else, looking as fresh as a daisy, if a little deranged.  Gok’s with her, and OH MY FUCKING GOD, Nigella has just turned up.

It’s all in aid of this year’s Sports Relief, so a pretty good cause.

My days of taking part in sporty challenges for charity are far behind me.  In fact, apart from running a mile for Sports Relief ten years ago, my only sporty charity fundraisers were sponsored walks when I was in school.

Oooh! My hair is the same at the moment, not much else is.

I don’t really do physical activity, not since the “skiing incident” wrecked my hip a few years ago.  My left leg is very weak these days and if I tried to run, I’d probably end up going round in circles.  I still have gym membership, but I stopped going because, well, I’m lazy and it really hurt and I found that I couldn’t use the equipment because of the imbalance in strength between my lower limbs.

I wouldn’t even run if I was being chased by an axe-wielding murderer, it’s just not worth the indignity, and next time I catch a train, I’m parking my car at the station.

My charitable work is now restricted to making regular donations to things and living on £1 a day for five days to make a point about people who whinge about not having enough money for food in this country  live in extreme poverty in the developing world.