EVERYBODY this summer seems to be at it: if they are not abseiling down church towers, they are taking off on sponsored cycle rides. At the time of writing, Steve Brown will have started his 1000-mile tour to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta. He will be cycling the Magna Carta trail through the "charter towns" of Lincoln, Durham, Salisbury, Oxford, and Canterbury to deliver manuscripts of a specially commissioned Magna Carta anthem to churches and cathedrals across England.

He will also be visiting other key towns, including Langton by Wragby, believed to be the birthplace of Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was a significant person in the struggles with King John which led to the signing of the great document. He hopes to complete his ride on 9 August.

Mr Brown is married to the Revd Alison Brown, a curate in the North Hampshire Downs benefice in Winchester diocese, and is hoping to raise a substantial sum towards the £250,000 needed to replace the heating system, and to install new flooring and seating in All Saints', Odiham, so that the church can be better used by the community.