Category Archives: life and times

127. Altiora peto, and other Latin lovers

Posted on 19 October, 2006 by | 17 comments

‘I aim higher’. Altiora peto – that’s the motto of my old school, and it’s been a great maxim to take through life, whether for study, sports (especially darts, of course) or business.

gogo-latin.jpgPersistence and patience are the keys to achievement, in just about all things, especially when allied with a burning desire to learn and to improve.

I’ve found that sticking to a task, and simply pressing on, regardless of distractions and disappointments, is often the best approach to reaching a challenging goal.
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Posted in 2006, life and times, training

118. The scales of truth

Posted on 9 June, 2006 by | Leave a comment

Six weeks have gone by. The cowslip has grown high and lush beside the country lanes I drive to work each morning, the Sussex fields beyond the office are fast drying out enough for lunchtime running, and the sun is high in a warm blue sky. Our cold wet spring will soon become a distant memory.

rainbow-surrey-hills.jpgAnd yet, it won’t – not quite.

The memory of a glorious FA Cup Final defeat does not fade so quickly.

And neither will the memory of my last nine miles in London the month before.

Pain on that scale burns deep into the soul, and I won’t forget it.
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Posted in 2006, France, life and times

109. Happiness, more or less

Posted on 30 January, 2006 by | Leave a comment

river-wey-navigation-and-newark-priory.jpg

Happiness – more or less
It’s just a change in me
Something in my liberty
Oh my mind

Happiness – coming and going
I watch you look at me
Watch my fever growing
I know just where I am

Well, how many corners do I have to turn ?
How many times do I have to learn ?
All the love I have is in my mind
The Verve – September 1997

The runner’s high. Goodness knows, I’ve sought it long and hard recently. I’ve waited long enough.

Some would argue that it’s exercise-induced narcosis which keeps us running in the first place. But I know that’s not true. Because whilst I appreciate the benefits of running, and a certain post-run clarity of thought is up there on my list, there really is much more to it. You can’t manufacture those moments – they just happen.
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Posted in 2006, history, life and times, music, Surrey and Sussex, the marathon journey, winter

108. The moonlit door

Posted on 15 January, 2006 by | Leave a comment

guildford-parkway-the-listeners.jpg‘Is there anybody there?’ said the Traveller,
Knocking on the moonlit door;
And his horse in the silence champ’d the grasses
Of the forest’s ferny floor.
The Listeners
Walter de la Mare (1873-1956)

It’s unusual to find a poem on the side of a building, especially picked out in brick and 15 m high, but that is one of the unique attractions of the Guildford Travel Inn.

It may be one of the few, actually, since its location right beside the booming A3 dual carriageway is nowhere near as lyrical as the inspiration adorning it. But it cheered me to learn that its author Walter de la Mare was born in Maryon Road in Charlton, just a short sprint from mile 4 on the London Marathon course.
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Posted in 2006, life and times, poetry, the marathon journey, winter

99. One over Strath

Posted on 30 September, 2005 by | Leave a comment

st-andrews-11th-and-augusta-12th.jpg

I’ve never played at St Andrews. That’s a poor admission to make, for any keen golfer. Playing at the Home of Golf is a sporting ambition which I must one day address, since although I’ve played some of the best seaside courses in England, Wales, and the west of Scotland, so far only Stonehaven has witnessed my hacking on her eastern coast.

It’s always a marvellous battle with the elements on a links course. The wind, the dunes and the sea make such fine companions, that the experience can become almost sacred.
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Posted in 2005, golf, life and times

92. Live from London – Live8

Posted on 2 July, 2005 by | Leave a comment

And what did I do ? Same as I did that summer’s day, 20 years ago. I ran 10 km, and I watched a concert.

It’s not going to change the world. Or is it ?

live8-hyde-park-london-2005.jpg
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Posted in 2005, life and times, London, music, politics