Penny Black’s Social Diary: 600-mile charity cycle; FT’s health food

Inspirational 600-mile journey

All of us are getting through life one step at a time, but not many of us have cycled 600-miles – or helped raise more than £165,000 for cancer research.

George Southgate, pictured, an underwriter at Beazley, alongside 26 cyclists, rode from Berlin to London to Germany to Netherland then back to the UK via ferry, before finishing outside of Lloyds’s of London, covering about 100-miles a day.

And there was I thinking going on an ill-timed August walking holiday in Cornwall was rather tiring.

George’s dad Mike died in 2022 aged 59 after being diagnosed almost two years earlier with stage four bowel cancer, “maintaining positivity, optimism, and humour throughout”.

George said he was unbelievably proud of the group and added: “The experience will certainly live with me for the rest of my life.

“I think my dad would have been so proud of us all and amazed at what we pulled off.”

Penny’s Lunch Box

In the great summer of 2026 heatwave, the Financial Times Insurance Summit glowed with slightly perspired guests taking refuge in the Convene 200 air conditioning.

Looking to rightly achieve respectability, health, and lightness with the temperature, delegates  were treated to long tables full of nutritionally dense salads – from cauliflower to broccoli to smoked salmon.

A step above your usual Waitrose fare, these were salads fit for a trying-to-be fit executive, and a bread roll, in my view, balanced the plate.

Overall, a nutritious affair, but nothing particularly memorable. Good for you but not great. 4 stars.