Midland Women's Cross Country League December 3rd 2011 at Northampton

Photograph Quiz:

Photo no. 63:- Why did government legislation in 1860 bring about the creation of this silk picture? Where is the track and what is so special about it? What sport now takes place on the site? What is the link between the track, the designer and Coventry Godiva Harriers? What little joke is the designer having?

Nice day today Blog?

        It was the Midland Women’s Cross Country League Race today at Northampton. As one of my daughters had a stack of prize vouchers to spend, we went over to Northampton early to call in on the Northampton Runner sports shop to spend them. The Northampton Runner has sponsored, most generously, the East Midlands Road Race Series for longer than I can remember. I sometimes have to wonder how much the sponsorship eats into the shop’s profits because the money the shop (Julie) pours into the Series is substantial. The series consists of several races around the East Midland during the summer months, each race organised by an established running club, therefore the standards are high, the organisation reliable, the results efficiently and quickly published and the officials experienced. Any way we travelled across to Northampton in good time to do the shopping with time to spare to get to the race. What a contrast between the Midland League Race and the Road Race Series!! The instructions for today’s race sent us to a school about a mile away from the course. Unfortunately, no officials or race numbers were at the school! All the runners and club officials congregated at the school were at a loss; there was a sports activity taking place with plenty of pupils milling about, but nothing to do with the race. So we went to the course and found the numbers tent there. Thank you for the incorrect information. The race was supposed to start at 1:30pm but we were told upon arrival that we should take no notice of what was published on the Midlands web page as that was wrong! The race would start at 1:45pm. Thank you for that information. There was a discussion as to whether the Women’s Race was 3 or 2½ laps of Abington Park, the three course maps pinned up detailed the under 13, under 15 and under 17 boys and girls races but no mention of the women’s race. Oh yes, Blog, there was no under 13, under 15 and under 17 boys and girls races taking place!! Thank you for that information. We put the small red and gold coloured club tent up and was told that we had put the club red and gold coloured club tent up smack on the start line and we would have to take it down again and move it away from the start line … there was no start line, only a notice proclaiming ‘The Start’ but no saw dust to indicate just where it might be! Another four teams in succession took it in turns to repeat our error and were given the same advice about relocating which we had received. Blog, I kid you not! The queue for the women’s toilets didn’t quite snake its way all around the park, but it was not too far off. The men were OK as there were several trees in the vicinity! And now we have to wait for the result. Midweek? Perhaps the Midland Cross Country League should get talking to the East Midland Series?

As I said Blog, we went shoe shopping before the race. Several months ago we went to a different shop because my wife was in desperate need of a replacement pair of trainers. We knew the shop had a sale on, so off we went. On arrival we saw that it had a BOGOFF sale on; buy one shoe and get the other one free. It was very tempting to take advantage of the generous offer especially with my wife’s birthday looming but someone who works with the brother of the sister of the salesman who works at the shop had let slip that it was worth holding fire for a couple of weeks as there was going to be another sale but with much better offers; it was to be a ‘Buy Two for the Price of One’ sale. That is, you would be able to buy two shoes for the normal price of one shoe. We could hardly wait. The sheer anticipation of the excitement was almost too much to bear. And of course we now have the January sales to look forward to.

Now I know this takes some believing Blog but would I lie to you? In last January’s sale, my wife was looking for a pair of new trainers. Big problem. Her left foot is a size smaller than her right foot. The left was a ‘six’, the right a ‘seven’. She has tried in the past, advertising in athletic magazines for a sympathetic partner with the same problem but with the feet the other way around; the sizes need to be the reverse; they need to have a big left foot and a small right. And needless to say, have the same compatible size as her! They could then do their shopping together. At the time, I did point out to her that they would both have to agree to not only like the same make but also the same model. Two women agreeing? I ask you Blog. Is the Pope a Jew? And they would both have to decide if it was time to buy a spike, a cross country spike, studs, road trainers or road racers. So looking for an image to fit the mould would be hard?? Anyways, she did get one offer which was from a one legged man! He agreed to meet her half way. But. And it was a BIG BUT. His one foot was the wrong one for her. Same size yes. BUT. He wanted the large right but had no need for the large left …. My wife wanted the large right as well. So they were left with no common ground on which to stand. Disheartened by the experience, she went to the shop to buy a pair. Now, again I swear the following is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me Blog. I kid you not, Blog. In the shop she found a make and model she liked and tried on the left – the small foot – it fit perfectly. Logically she should always try the bigger size on first, because if the bigger foot is OK, the left will have to do. If you try the left on first and it fits ergo the right will be too small. But she is a woman. She found the make and model she liked and tried on the left – the small foot – it fit perfectly. It was like the Cinderella glass slipper scenario all over again. The exercise would normally have been aborted at this stage but I had already unlaced the right for a fitting. Rather than upset me, she slipped the right shoe on although she expected, as usual, it to be a complete waste of time. BUT LO! It fit perfectly. It was like the Cinderella glass slipper scenario all over again. Curious or what? On inspection of the tongue of the shoes, the right was a seven and the left was a six; perfect fit for my wife! And there’s more Blog. Because the shop owner knew that the shoes were odd sizes, he had marked them down at a substantial discount!!!!!!!!! The unfortunate flip side of this little ditty was that the store keeper could not remember which customer had bought the other odd pair. No one had complained about odd sizes. No one had returned to the shop. But out there in the big wide world is a perfect shopping match for my wife. Who is she? Where is she? Step forward please, my wife needs you. More importantly, my wallet needs you. I am on a pension and my wife’s shoe bill can be slashed at a stroke if you come forward. QUICK. She needs a new pair of racers.

                                                      Colin