Steve Bean, who plays guitar in Angry Man, came a long way from being an unfit smoker, and despite his dreams of wanting to put himself to the test, he was always thwarted by his lack of fitness and weak lungs.
The Helpston musician made waves as he carried out his life-long dream of swimming the English Channel, raising £5,000 for charity on the way.
The 35-year-old raised the cash for disability charity Scope, because his aunt has a cerebral palsy-related condition.
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2007: the year in review - news, sports, business, entertainment, photos, videos and the most read stories online.13th: GANGS of scrap metal thieves frightened residents in a raid on an old people's home.
The sheltered complex in Westwood, Peterborough, was the latest target in a £500,000 a month crime epidemic that swept across the city.
Even schools and churches, including ancient Cowbit Parish Church in a quiet little village near Peterborough, were easy targets for greedy crooks since scrap metal prices soared in the wake of demand from China.
Residents trying to get a good night's sleep at the Hartwell Court complex were wakened by the banging and grating of thieves ripping off the lead.
19th: Cambridgeshire Police Chief Constable Julie Spence called for the Government to pay for extra officers to cope with the influx of migrants.
The police chief sparked a national debate about police funding as she said Cambridgeshire police had been "short changed" because the cash allocation was based on inaccurate population figures.
The police estimate 60,000 Eastern European workers have settled in the area. Mrs Spence was backed by city MPs Shailesh Vara and Stewart Jackson, and Peterborough City Council.
25th: LOTTERY winner Barry Hubbard had a £1.35 million smile on his face after picking up a life-changing cheque.
After celebrating with friends in Whittlesey, Barry knew his dream really had come true when he was handed the cheque by lottery organisers Camelot at a plush champagne bash in London.
Barry found out "it was him" when the winning numbers were revealed and he discovered he was sharing the £4 million top prize with two other people.
Barry, of Cross Hands Way, Whittlesey, coaches the town's under-15s football team and the father-of-two, who has not had a day off sick from Hanson brickworks in 19 years, loves his job and plans to keep clocking on.
Most read stories on peterboroughtoday.co.uk: September 2007The full article contains 522 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.
