Spring in England really is a magical time. Whenever I’m running out in the countryside, through the parks, or just about anywhere at this time of year, it is easy to appreciate Chaucer’s love of April:
When, in April, sweet showers fall
And pierce the drought of March,
And bathe the vein and root
Of every plant with such liquor
That genders forth the flowers,
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Posted in 2004, life and times, Surrey and Sussex
After squeezing in a slow ten-miler on Monday in preparation for next week’s Great North Run, I hailed a taxi to Heathrow and spent the remainder of the week in Ghana.
It was a fascinating and thought-provoking visit.
Memorable certainly for the speciality roadside coffin shop in Teshie, where they will make you up a sarcophagus in any shape you order, including lion, fish, eagle, elephant, aeroplane, outboard motor, or even beer bottle. And yes, running shoe can be arranged.
From there to Tema, ‘Planned City at the Centre of the World’, recently celebrating its Golden Jubilee in its setting just north of the Equator and astride the Greenwich Meridian.
Posted in 2003, A1 - the best of roads of stone, Africa, life and times
Dear Andy
“I’m not interested in football, I just support West Ham”.
That’s the saying of my lifetime.
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Posted in 2003, football, heroes, life and times
Time.
My first wife died of breast cancer in 1997. The kids were very young, and I couldn’t find time to play golf for four hours any more. But I could find time for a half hour’s run at lunchtime.
I gradually increased my mileage and decided to run London in 2001 to mark my 40th birthday and to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. I raised £7,600, fourth highest in the UK.
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Posted in 2001-2002, life and times
Why would I ever want to run a marathon ?
I had never really been a runner. At school, I had been a very poor athlete, always second-last on treks around the playing fields, although I did do cross-country for a season or two as a way of escaping the frozen rugby pitch. Strangely I was always happier running seven miles than four, but I never knew why. I just ran as slowly as I could, for as long as I could.
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Posted in 2001-2002, life and times, London, the marathon journey
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