AN opera fan is merging his music tastes with 15 hours cycling around Colchester to help a cricket club refurbishment.

Adam Wattam, 52, dreamt up the 167 mile challenge to help raise the thousands of pounds needed for Colchester and East Essex Cricket Club to develop their cricket pavilion.

Mr Wattam learnt of their plight through his ten-year-old son, Samuel, who plays for their junior team.

After selling his old toys through a stall outside their home and with online donations flooding in, the duo have since raised £250 - half of the family's target.

And starting on May 21, Mr Wattam, who works as academic skills tutor at Essex University, will cycle laps of Abbey Fields over two weekends while listening to a piece of opera he dislikes.

His challenge, which is named the Ring Cycle after Richard Wagner's four series opera, he hopes will not only contribute to the cricket club but change his mind on the composer.

Gazette:

He said: "Although I'm a big classical fan, I've never been able to get into Wagner but perhaps I might like it by the end.

"The mileage is the same as cycling from Colchester to Leeds, which is where I'm from, but I'll go around the town as well on different routes.

"Sam will follow me around for some of the time and cheer me on although when I first decided to do this I'd imagined myself going around alone and not drawing attention to myself."

He added: "I'm in a good state for my age. I recently cycled 20 miles to see how it felt and was fine. I cycle to work but I take it slow rather than doing it seriously.

"I'm looking forward to it, I just hope the weather holds out because there's nothing worse than cycling in the rain."

Although Mr Wattam was reluctant to set himself a financial goal, he is confident people will rally round the cause.

He added: "Lots of the work done at the club is by volunteers so they rely heavily on goodwill.

"It's always unnerving to set a target in case you fall short and feel as though you've failed but there's a lot of people who are still yet to donate.

"Most of what Sam wanted to sell had gone. It was old toys, games, DVDs and CDs he'd grown out of so he was pleased."

To sponsor Adam, visit mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/adamwattam1.