Up, up and away for former Rugby postie and his fellow fundraisers

Adrian Dove had worked for the Royal Mail since 1986 and finished his 37-year stint pounding the rounds in the Manor Road area of town.

And he was quick-off-the-mark in terms of bright ideas for the future.

He told the Advertiser: “I decided I wanted to do something different and adventurous on leaving Royal Mail and it was through a casual conversation with my friend George at work about parachuting, that we decided to go ahead and plan a skydive.

“We were then joined by Christine and Ryan both from work – and my daughter Roxanne.”

It quickly took on a special resonance as one of his Rugby Hospital Radio colleagues, Steve Lee, heard about the idea and asked if they would consider raising money for a charity he’s involved with – Spencer’s Retreat Farm, near Berkswell.

This looks to offer a fun, safe and understanding environment for children with special needs and their families.

A spokesperson said: “The aim of Spencer's Retreat is that families can access the space to create positive experiences and memories for the whole family without the stress and anxiety that may be caused by visiting other attractions.”

That became the fundraising part of the challenge and on May 29, the last of the month’s many Bank Holiday Mondays, they made their tandem jumps, having taken off at Sibson Airfield near Peterborough.

Adrian said: “The jump was an absolutely thrilling experience for all of us, from the moment we arrived to the moment we landed and beyond.

"The feeling of flying as you are falling to earth at 120 mph for approximately two miles is breathtaking and then when the parachute opens, the flight down was also an amazing experience.

“Christine, George, Ryan and Roxanne were all first-timers, however I had done three static line parachute jumps many years ago, a very different experience.

“A huge vote of thanks to my friends who jumped with me and their amazing efforts, also to all those who sponsored us.

"We raised something around the £2,000 mark.”