Last month Beyond The Joke reported that comedy superfans Dave and Carole Chapple were planning to ride from Cornwall to the Edinburgh Fringe seeing gigs en route and raising money for the charity Mind.
Unfortunately their bikes were stolen in Leicester last night from the car park at an Ibis hotel. They had stopped off in the city to see a warm-up show by Rhod Gilbert.
Comedian Jayde Adams has quickly set up a gofundme page to raise the money for replacement bikes. They need £2000 and so far at the time of writing have raised £990. If the chapple's can get money back via insurance any surplus will go to charity.
Today Dave and Carole have to make a crime report. They also need to get new bikes today (or secondhand). They also need to get replacement webbing for the car carrier to secure them. And they need to alter their schedule but still reach Edinburgh later this week.
Dave Chapple wrote on Facebook: "At the moment we are feeling a combination of stunned and angry, and very tired. Things had been going so well. We are crying a fair bit at the moment. I am worried this is going to affect my mental state - but am determined to turn this into a positive. Rhod Gilbert after his gig last night and he kindly offered to donate his part of the proceeds from the second night to our fund."
Update 31/7: Dave and Carole have now been lent bikes and are back on the road. But any further donations would be appreciated and any money received and not needed wiil go to Mind.
Donate to the fund here.
