Agency by William Gibson 
Local strangers came to the rescue of a great-grandfather pedalling the length of Great Britain after he got a puncture on a canal towpath.
Denis Jordan, (85), is cycling 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for the Youth Hostel Association.
But he came a cropper on the Macclesfield canal at Astbury last Wednesday when one of his tyres deflated.
A passer-by from Stoke-on-Trent helped him to temporarily fix the puncture and the man’s generosity continued when he led Mr Jordan to the nearby Egerton Arms and paid for a room there for the night for him.
In what she dubbed a “beautiful” story, landlady of the Egerton Arms Chandra Bartle told the “Chronicle”: “We just saw these two men appear through our door, Denis and the man who helped him out.
“The guy asked if we could accommodate the senior citizen and said he would pay for his bed and breakfast because Mr Jordan was ‘amazing’ and had made his day.”
Staff welcomed the senior citizen in, stored his bicycle securely and treated him to a complimentary slap-up dinner.
Mrs Bartle said that when punters were quizzing him about his plans and where he was going to next, Mr Jordan replied: “I don’t know. I don’t tend to plan, because when things happen unexpectedly, they end up being much better than when you plan them.
“Look at tonight, I ended up in a beautiful place, and everybody was lovely!”
The pub owner said: “He’s just flowing with life; he really is super sweet, an amazing man.”
When a regular at the pub who Mrs Bartle called a “mega gentleman” also heard about the OAP’s incredible journey, he collected him at 9am the next day, loaded his bike into his car and took him to Halfords, where he paid to get the tyre fixed.
Just before they set off, the charitable stranger from the Potteries, whom Mr Jordan had run into on the canal the day before, telephoned the pub to check in on him.
He inquired if he had enjoyed a relaxed night’s sleep and eaten a hearty breakfast and wished him good luck for the next leg of his heroic quest.
Beautiful
Benjamin Davies, who works front of house and on the bar at the inn, said: “It’s a beautiful thing. We’ve never seen anything like it.”
Previously Mr Jordan has raised thousands of pounds for several organisations including RETO in Spain which is an organisation combating drug addiction, Birmingham’s children’s hospital, and Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
He is supported on his crusade by his seven children, 19 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren, While the most direct Land’s End to John O’Groats route is 950 miles and usually completed over 14 days, the 85-year-old has split the epic journey into two parts that will take him around eight to 10 weeks in total.
On the first leg, he set off from Land’s End on 11th August and made it to Walsall on 15th September for his 85th birthday. He is currently on the second leg, from Walsall to John O’Groats. He stays in youth hostels when possible or alternatively in a tent.
When the “Chronicle” called the pub last Thursday afternoon to enquire if his bike had been repaired, Mrs Bartle replied: “All sorted. Bicycle fixed and Denis is back on the road!”
On his fundraising page Mr Jordan said he chose to take on the daring feat to “brighten the lives of countless young children. He posted that he wanted “poor and underprivileged children to have a holiday in a YHA adventure centre and allow them to explore themselves and the beauty of nature and the mountains. Having experienced poverty myself as a child, I understand the transformative power of such experiences”.
He has already raised £980 of his £5,000 target.
To donate, visit gofundme.com and search for “Denis Jordan”.
