Norwich woman's 'tea lady' marathon

Miss Scotland Catharine Brown meets the Twix tea lady Rebecca Wass at the top of Carlton Hill in Edinburgh for a cup of tea.

ROB GARRATT
20 October 2009 20:36



A Norwich woman is set for the record books after cycling the length the breadth of the country delivering tea and biscuits to thousands of people.

Rebecca Wass cycled nearly 1,000 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats - and gave out 8,000 cuppas and chocolate biscuits on the way.

Now the 28-year-old is hoping her trek will make her a world record holder for the longest tea run in history, as well as raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Her mission was to share a brew with as many people as possible, and included tea dates with glamour model Melinda Messenger, Welsh rugby star Jamie Roberts and the current Miss Scotland.

Miss Wass arrived back in Norwich this week after the 934 mile, four week journey - and is patiently waiting to see if her efforts will earn her a place in the fabled Guinness Book of Records.

The journey was sponsored by Twix, and Miss Wass beat off competition from more than 100 applicants for the opportunity to undertake the task, which raised £7,000 for Have a Heart and Help a South Wales Child charities.

Miss Wass, who used to work for YMCA and Thorpe St Andrew High School, said: “Every town I visited I handed out tea and Twixs which was very good fun. A lot of people don't expect anything for free and it went down really well.

“People were confused why I was doing it but when I explained I was cycling across the country they got quite excited.

“It would be brilliant to be a record holder, finger's crossed, what a great thing to be able to say to people.”

The endeavour carries extra significance for Mr Wass, who suffers from fibromyalgia muscle condition and was recovering from a bout of illness when she embarked in the trip.

One highlight was visiting St Andrew's, home to her grandfather Frank's football club Birmingham City, and meeting former player Jerry Gill.

She also met Welsh international Jamie Roberts in Cardiff and current Miss Scotland Katharine Brown in Edinburgh, while Melinda Messenger saw her off from London's Regent's Park.

Miss Wass lives in Crome Road, near Mousehold. Her sister, Helen Read, teaches at Thorpe St Andrews High School, while her parents Linda and Alan live in Hassingham.

Twix spokesman Samuel Fielding said: “We gave Rebecca a huge challenge to share Twix and cuppa with the nation and she did not disappoint. We've been bowled over by her determination and positivity during the tour and are really proud of her achievement.”

To donate go to www.justgiving.com/twix-tea-lady.

To see a slideshow of images from Miss Wass' journey, log on to www.eveningnews24.co.uk.

Are you planning a special event? Call reporter Rob Garratt on 01603 772439 or email rob.garratt@archant.co.uk.

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