TWO FARMERS who grow daffodils in the Mearns and Angus are hoping to blossom when they saddle up in aid of the cancer charity which famously has the yellow flower as its emblem.

Cycling duo John McWilliam, of Haughhead at Laurencekirk, and Colin Inglis, of Bogside at Edzell, are taking leave of the fields to undertake a 444-mile sponsored ride in Ireland for Marie Curie.

They leave on May 10 for their seven-day coast to coast marathon from Malinhead to Mizenhead but can be seen most nights pedalling around the roads of the Mearns and north Angus and over the Cairn o’ Mount in hard training.

“I cycled to school if that counts but otherwise we are pure novices and are feeling sore in all the wrong places,” John said. “But we don’t want to be at the back of the group so we need to get the miles in.”

A hill farmer, Colin is used to some strenuous walking and John and his wife Karen, who serves on the north-east fund-raising committee for Marie Curie, undertook the New York marathon four years ago, completing the distance in a highly respectable four and a half hours.