After a well deserved drink (or five!) we all woke up on Saturday, a week after setting off from Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and couldn't believe it was time to go home.

We were all relieved to not have to be getting back on our bikes though, I for one will not miss having to lather myself in Vaseline and Sudocrem and pulling on the Lycra on a daily basis (so not glam!).

I'm looking forward to having at least a week's break from cycling now I have to say...

However before we left we still had an important meeting to attend. At relatively short notice Hamelin Town Hall agreed to send some representatives to meet Jonjo, Andreas and the Hero of Hamelin team before we left Germany. The town has a different mayoral system to the UK in that it has a Lord Mayor, and two mayors. We met mayoress Ursula Wehrmann, along with Gudrun Weigt, secretary of Hamelin's Twinning Association, and Wolfgang Weber, the association's chairman. A journalist from the local paper also joined us, which was surreal for me as I'm more used to being in that position asking the questions, as opposed to the one being photographed/interviewed!

They were all very complimentary and pledged their own donations to the Hero of Hamelin challenge, praising the work of Bpositive and the inspirations behind our journey, Jonjo and Andreas. After getting the formalities out of the way we took a short walk to the clinic where Andreas made his life-saving donation of stem cells - everything had come full circle and for Jonjo it was the perfect way to round off the trip and almost receive a sense of closure on a massive chapter of his life. At the clinic we posed for group photos then said our farewells. For Jonjo and Andreas I am sure it won't be goodbye for long, they have already spoken about meeting up again in London and I am sure Jonjo will end up taking him to the hallowed turf of Villa Park too at some point!!

We then set about making the long drive back to the Hook of Holland, it took about six hours or so, giving me plenty of time to reflect on our trip and the friendships I've made along the way. It has been an absolute privilege to be a part of the Hero of Hamelin team, not only will we have raised a significant amount of money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, the Anthony Nolan Trust and Bpositive, but the challenge will also have raised vital awareness about how easy it is to register and become a blood/bone marrow donor for those battling blood cancers. I have been so inspired by the stories I've learnt along the way and will be proud to continue to do as much as I can for this great cause.

Before I sign off I must thank the whole team for being such diamonds and great company for the 500 miles and all the journeys in between, it was tough going at times, but we always had a laugh along the way. Charlotte and Ash did a superb job of looking after us all, and I am already looking forward to keeping in touch with everyone and enjoying a few reunions in the months and years to come, and who knows, maybe we'll do it all again one day!

We are not sure of a final fundraising total yet, but I know this is only just the start of the incredible work of Bpositive as a fledgling charity, and our challenge has also hopefully highlighted the importance of the ongoing work of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and the Anthony Nolan Trust. To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/lauren-hockney1 or text Bpos01 £5 to 70070