'Why are you doing that?': Man with tumble dryer strapped to his back explains his long Southsea walks
IT’S not unusual to see people walking along the seafront in Southsea - but a man carrying a tumble dryer on his back has been turning heads.
And according to the man strapped to the 150lb household appliance, most people are not afraid to ask 'why are you doing that?
Ian Douglas, a nurse at Havant Health Centre, has been training to walk 63 miles around the Isle of Wight with the dryer on his back, with the aim of raising £5,000 for a family respite charity in Cornwall.
His answer to startled passers-by: 'Why not?
He said: 'I had seen people do charity runs with fridges and washing machines, but the poor old tumble dryer gets left out.
'I've decorated it to raise awareness about the charity and I think it looks fantastic.'
The 50-year old said he regularly returns home with £50 in donations from 'fantastic' members of the public.
The funds will be donated to Charlies' Beach Hut, a caravan in Perran Sands, Cornwall, providing respite breaks for families with a child suffering from a life limiting condition.
The charity was set up by Karen and Steve Codling of Stubbington, whose son Charlie passed away at the age of four from a brain tumour.
The Southsea resident said he was inspired to take on the walking challenge after meeting the couple five years ago.
The dad of two said: 'They are incredibly lovely and brave people.
'I have never done anything like this before, but I turned 50 this year and wanted to do something different.
'I have a fantastic life and a great family but other people are not so lucky.'
Today sees Ian, a member of Portsmouth Rugby Club, organise a charity rugby match to raise money for Planets Cancer Charity at the playing fields off Norway Road, Portsmouth.
A gruelling seven-mile walk awaits him next week, as his training schedule will see him trek from Southsea to Portsdown Hill.
His four-day walk with the dryer around the Isle of Wight will start from Ryde on the Thursday, September 12.