Former England rugby imternational Kyran Bracken and Donal Mcintyre pop into Marks and Spencer to encourage Stuart Fell and Pauline Alderman

MANY Islanders opted for the beach on the last sunny Saturday in July, but Stuart Fell and Pauline Alderman chose to cycle in a town store for six hours – wearing Postman Pat and Jess the Cat costumes.

Despite finding the conditions extremely hot in Marks and Spencer, they raised more than £600 for Jersey Hospice, ahead of their Ecuador Cycle Challenge.

The pair are part of the 65-strong group who will tackle the hills of the South American country in November. All the cyclists taking part have to raise a minimum of £2,750 before they leave, and Stuart and Pauline have both already met their targets, with totals of over £7,000 and £4,000 respectively.

While the fund-raising is going well, Stuart is less confident about the physical challenge, despite the six-hour slog in M&S.

‘I’m a runner usually,’ he said. ‘Cycling is hard, especially in a costume. I thought wearing the Postman Pat outfit would engage the kids shopping with their parents, and it was amazing to see how many of them thought I was really him.’

Stuart was glad to be raising the profile of Jersey Hospice, where he works as a volunteer, and thanked everyone who donated money on the day.

‘It’s important to give something back,’ he said. ‘My mother survived cancer twice, so I have seen it up close.’

• More Islanders in Friday’s Jersey Evening Post