FOUR friends from Christchurch got on their bikes and rode to Paris in support of a children's hospice.

Matthew Enock wanted to mark his 40th birthday at the start of July with a significant and memorable challenge and decided to recruit his best friends Jay Simpson, Clyde Piercy and David Langridge for the task.

Over the space of five days from June 27 to July 1, the gentlemen travelled over 400 miles finishing at the Eiffel Tower to be met by partners and friends.

A total of £500 was also raised in the process for Julia's House children's hospice, based in Broadstone, which offers support to life-limited children and their families.

Matthew said: "I'm an avid cyclist anyway and was fast approaching my 40 birthday on July 1st and wanted to come up with something that I would always remember.

He added: "We wanted to do something off our own backs and rather than go from London to Paris, we wanted to go from our hometown of Christchurch to Paris."

Asked if there were any poignant moments from the trip, he said: "The fourth day we were cycling through the area where the Battle of Somme happened and there was fields of poppies, which just seeing gave me goosepimples."

Matthew said that the cycle was tough on all four men, who had organised the routes and accommodation between them, but it was enjoyable to complete it as a group of friends.

"None of us had ever cycled 200km before, with most of us having done around 120km to 130km but never for several days in a row.

"But on the Friday after, we immediately started talking about what the next challenge would be. I think it's the best way to see the area."

For more information, Justgiving.com/matts-ride-to-paris