Photographic Quiz:
Photo no. 149:- ….. so what did her dad do and what did her daughter do and what did she do ……????
Blog, you will be pleased to know that I was NOT called upon to do my duty to Godiva, Peeping Tom, Dick or Harry. It was a good job. It saved a great deal of embarrassment … search as I might, I could not find my Club vest. I was in real state on Friday night, couldn’t sleep for worry in case I had to run bare chested. In fact I was so tired when I got up yesterday morning to begin the search all over again that I doubted whether I would have ever managed to get round … even the short relay leg. Then when the call didn’t come by the time we left home for the Sutton Park, Birmingham venue, I was concerned that it would be a very last minute call up. I tried to look cool when I joined my club mates at the club tent, but my agitation must have shown by the way the club captain went immediately to fetch the First Aiders as soon as he saw me. Bless. He said later that he thought that I was going to take up too much of the medical staff’s time as I was in such a state. Bless him. And down the club, I have to confess that we often do.
So I was able to trundle around the relay course doing the verbals with friends old and very old. I do have to confess that half way through the afternoon I was really getting angry. Consider Blog, the extremes of being a member of any type of club or being a member of society in general, there are a given set of rules and regulation which make both function to a degree of efficiency. It does matter if you agree or disagree with the set up, you implicitly accept you have to conform or anarchy ensues. (but see below!!!). At the National Road Relay, there was a large sign near the start that declared that pacing the runners on bikes was not acceptable. Athletes were verbally reminded of this on the start line before the gun was fired for the first leg to set off. Fair enough you say Blog. By leg six of the twelve leg men’s relay, I was aware that a certain northern club runner was being ‘assisted’ by a gentleman on a bike. The biker was either behind, alongside talking, or in front of the said runner sheltering him from the rather stiff wind which had begun to blow. I gave the man on the bike a stare or two to suggest that what he was doing was questionable under the rules of relay engagement. He took no notice. Next leg, out on the long lonely five mile loop (eight kilometres to you Blog), he was still at it. I gave him a bit of advice but to no avail. I was getting irate because if you are a member of any type of club or a member of society in general, there are a given set of rules and regulations which make both function fairly efficiency. It does matter if you agree or disagree with the set up, you implicitly accept that you have to conform or you have anarchy. (but see below!!!). I complained to an official. He would let the referee know, I was assured. Oh yah?? I complained to a marshal when the pacing continued on the next leg and was told I would need photographic evidence. ‘I’ would need to provide photographic evidence. Me??? It was bleeding evident to all and sundry what was going on. And unfortunately I had left my trusty Kodak instamatic camera on the garage shelf twenty five years ago, and I had inadvertently forgot to pack in this morning’s rush to set out for the National Road Relay Race in Sutton Park, Birmingham. So I dobbed in the northern team’s antics to the race referee. He was very sympathetic. I do wonder what the outcome was. I shall let you know Blog.
This morning was the final fixture of the Centurion Running Club’s winter series at Chelmsley Wood. My elder daughter ran in the five miles (see ditto above Blog) and was awarded with third place overall, her daughter repeating the award for the series of 2 kilometre fun runs. (one and a half mile to you Colin); Another example of an unheralded local athletics’ club doing a grand job for the sport at grass roots level. If only these give us the quids commercial races did half as much good …
About forty years ago, when everything was being computerised, I happened to meet, at a National Road Relay at Sutton Park, an old friend from the Pink Pather University. We spent some time chatting. I asked him what he was doing for a job and he said he couldn’t tell me but wink, wink, wink. Over the years we have often met at various athletic happenings. Soon after that first meeting he confided that the government’s drive to computerise the whole world was not going well. Not going well at all. Indeed, it was causing his section of the civil service huge problems. HUGE problems with a capital ‘H’, Blog. It appeared that there was a gap in a security procedure which they were unable to plug. Because of the security worries many quids were being spent on researching techniques to cope with the difficulty if it was eventually found that the problem proved to be unsolvable. Now of course he would not reveal the nature of this government department’s worry. No not now, nohow, never. But from time to time I have to confess that I have been a little bit naughty and played the system just for a bit of a laugh …. Well this week, it seems that the hole was never plugged!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe that Blog. A forty year old problem still exists. How do I know you ask Blog. Good question that. Well I had a communication from a certain government department to say that they had done an electronic search on me and could not be satisfied that I existed … or words to that effect!!!! Over the years, I have had similar problems, some simple, some not so simple. But it is a bit worrying if I can crack the system, what if ………………Enough said!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would I supply my passport, driving licence and utility bills, all counter signed by an important person. So you can see Blog that it was heavy; HEAVY with a capital ‘H’. Now I was left with a dilemma …. How many people hold two valid passports???? This official government body wanted one passport. I’ll tell you Blog, I had to be a bit careful ….. I will let you know if it’s an open prison and what the visiting hours are!!!! And of course, the big worry is ‘will I be allowed to trudge, here, there, and everywhere … or will it be just THERE’???
Colin
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