It is so so sad ...............

It’s back ….

The Photographic Quiz.

So with no more ado, adooo ,adooooooo

Photo no 200:

Question:- What has this school to do with Coventry Godiva Harriers? Where is it? What happened at lunchtime in the summer …. Or dinner time if you come from God’s Own Country.

Dear Blog,

Forgive me for not being in touch for such a long time but I didn’t feel that I had much to tell you which might have been of interest to you…. But now ….

Are you ready for the bad news? Have you got your tissues handy? It is so sad. Prepare yourself for the really, really bad news …. There comes a time in every one’s life when the inevitable happens. You know it will eventually occur but nothing prepares you for the sadness, does it? Inevitable but how to cope???

It happened last month. I was quite unprepared. The family had gone down to watch the London Marathon. We had camped at Abbey Woods camping site as we usually do for the London marathon; it is so handy for the start of the marathon at Blackheath Common. This year my elder daughter had decided to run ‘the London’ in early January when she learned she had won a club (Coventry Godiva Harriers) place. She had had a long break from running when she had her two children but fancied having a run in a marathon as something she felt she just had to do. Although not specifically interested in raising money for charity, she thought that she would raise some money for a charity while she was at it .. and of course she chose to raise funds for TINY TIMS CHILDREN’S CENTRE which provides physio for disable children; her son, my grandson, benefiting from the service. If you would like to give a few quids, Blog, I am sure she would be grateful?? While my other daughter made her way around the course on the morning of the race supporting her sister .. likewise my son in law supporting his wife. It was left to Gradma and Granddad to take charge of the granddaughter and grandson complete with his wheelchair. Now Mr Lord Mayor of London, get the wheelchair access to the London Underground sorted. First, I like your clever game of spot the disabled access signs which are often so cleverly hidden that you are forced to ask a member of staff for directions. But better still Mr Boris, I like the way you provided access but then apologise that the service is not available due to being broken down, usually with a little note on the lift door. But your piss de resistance, the very best wheeze of all, is the way the note on the door of the elevator which tells that the lift does not work when the potential user is several layers under the streets of London!! WHAT TO DO THEN??? Can’t use the moving staircase with a wheelchair … or so it says. But the official at the top of the escalator is not likely to send you back down again because you have been naughty, are they (can’t use the moving staircase with a wheelchair to go back down when you have just come up??) ……….. So getting to the finish of the marathon to see mummy end her race was not fun .. NOT NOHOW, NOWAY!!!

But the BAD NEWS, the VERY SAD NEWS on this occasion ……..

There is a saying in athletic circles that you are only as good as you last race. SO NOW I AM OFFICIALLY THE SLOWEST MARATHON MEMBER OF THE FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Slower than my wife!! Slower than my younger daughter!! Slower than my son-in-law!! And now SLOWER THAN MY ELDER DAUGHTER following her performance in her first marathon last month in the London marathon. Pass the tissues please Blog. It is so sad. Me, an Olympian and the slowest trudger of them all. The only glimmer of light in the dark tunnel being that I got a special deal from the supermarket Aldi, who gave me a special discount on a bulk buy of tissues. And to save a few quids, I have been hanging the tissues out on the clothes line to dry ready for reuse!!

I have told my 10 year old granddaughter that she is not going to add to my misery … she is officially too young to run a marathon. And I have told my 7 year old grandson that wheelchair times for the London Marathon do not count in the family pecking order of marathon order of merit. NOT NOHOW, NOWAY!!!

Got to go now Blog as the weather forecasters have issued a severe flood warning for this area – I really must try to stop crying for the sake of the local residents whose houses are built on the flood plain.

Colin