Hi, we’re Emma and Stuart Tester, and we’ve been part of the Axe & Compass in Hemingford Abbots for over 25 years. We’ve seen many changes over that time and now proudly run the pub together with the help of 3 full-time and several part-time staff.

Alongside running the Axe, we both work full-time jobs to support our family — Frankie (18), James (12), and Woody our spaniel.

The pub building is owned by Stonegate and is on a fully repairing lease, which unfortunately means they do not contribute to remedial works or repairs. Despite asking many times, we receive no support. With rising bills and the tough climate for hospitality, the business simply doesn’t have spare funds for major repairs.

Our biggest issue is the back roof. It has leaked for a long time and, despite several attempts to fix it — including a £3,000 repair — the problem continues. We’ve now been told a section needs replacing, costing between £6,000–£10,000.

So, we’re taking on a challenge to raise the funds ourselves.

This July, together with our 12-year-old son James and a couple of friends, we’ll be cycling from Dieppe to Paris (around 120 miles!). Anyone who knows us knows we love our food and drink and aren’t exactly natural athletes — so this will be a real test! We’ll be training hard over the next 5 months to get ready.

Our first milestone is a 42-mile organised ride the Cambridgeshire Classic from Huntingdon Racecourse on 7th March.

If you’re able to donate, we’d be incredibly grateful. Please also follow our journey on social media — we’ll be sharing our training, progress, and probably a few sore legs along the way.

Any moral support, advice, or motivation is very welcome too!

Thank you so much for your support ❤️