Question Time.

Photograph Quiz:

                             

Photo no. 103:- So who’s the handsome fella blowing his own trumpet, sounding off his horn??? Why is he blowing off?? What for??

Dear Blog,

          Like question time it is, question time big time. Because my back is still so bad, a shuffle out of the estate gate and a few hundred yards (metres to you Blog) down the Lane and back …. I noticed that all the flowers on the hawthorn in the hedge rows are pink, with a capital ‘P’, this year. Usually the flowers on the bushes and trees have a suggestion of pink, and I know there is a pink variety, but, take a look Blog. PINK. All the bushes with very few exceptions are distinctly pink. Pink Blog, I kid you not. So question number one Blog, is Why? Fukushoma?????????? Chernobyl????????? Blog you may laugh. Until about five years ago I used to trudge with sweat adripping in the sand dunes of Harlech in North Wales until those conservation wallahs moved in and stuck up wire fencing to prevent erosion. I went there regularly. To Harlech. To sweat. If I had a hot marathon coming up, I used to run in the dunes in a thin wet suit and sweat buckets and buckets …. But I used the procedure successfully to adapt to the feeling of dehydration in a race. I’ll say a lot more about adaptation in my next letter or two and tell you what I did, if you are slightly interested Blog. Anyway, back to my tale of Wales, Jonah. I used to train in Harlech ‘til the dunes were declared fragile. As part of the routine, I used to also do long runs into the hills behind the village, or for a fast long flat run, I used to fight the traffic into Ffestineogogagogogo and back. Now Chernobyl, if you didn’t know Blog, happened in 1986. The whole lot went up in April, with a great big mushroom cloud. Well not exactly. But a cloud did drift to the UK and plonked a great deal of glowy sparkly stuff on the hills. In Harlech the sheep used to glow in the dark. The farmers were not supposed to allow the lamb and mutton to enter the food chain, the government paying compensation for the loss of income incurred. Over the next few years, one of the local farmers told me that the flocks of sheep in the area mushroomed in size … for obvious reasons. Compensation, Blog, Compensation. And was any of the sheep sent to market via the fields of winter grazing in the Midlands. Not allowed??? As the farmer said, the sheep had to come down off the high hills for the winter and needed feeding during the cold months. And when did the government give the all clear that the radiation had dropped to an insignificant level, Blog???  As far as the press was concerned, interest in the topic soon waned. This tale of Wales was no longer of importance, not even to Ahab. No one asked the government for information about radiation levels, or the safety of the meat in the area. I say nothing because I DO NOT KNOW, but some of the farmers in the area still have large flocks for some reason?????  Must get myself a half life.

Onto question number two Blog ….Why has the local newspaper gone into Purdah with athletics’ reporting in the area??? The Midland Men’s Track League has come and gone and not a dickie bird. Not a peep. The Women’s Midland Track league has come and gone and not a dickie bird. Not a peep. The Young Athlete’s Track League has come and gone and not a dickie bird. Not a peep. The club won the Kenilworth Festival Relay but not a dickie bird. Not a peep. Our first club member has been selected for the athletics at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and not a dickie bird. Not a peep. Coventry Godiva’s 2012 Olympic representative and not a dickie bird. Not a peep. What’s the expression Blog, ‘Hot off the press’? Suggest for ‘e’  read ‘i’!! The irony is that the athlete would have had a half page write up with photos if he had dressed up as Mickey Mouse and beaten Mini by one place in finishing in thirteen thousand five hundred and seventy ninth place in the Canary Isle Half Marathon Off Road Fun Run raising funds for distressed budgies. Don’t get me wrong Blog, I personally have nothing against Budgies. Not very tasty in a sandwich mind. The ratio of feathers to meat is too big in my humble opinion. And the beak tends to be very chewy.

And finally Blog. Question number three … the biggie with a capital ‘B’. What am I to do about my back. Eight days without a serious trudge. EIGHT. 8. In the last 50 years I don’t think I have ever been trudgeless for so long and that includes my various operations and confinements in hospital. ‘To trudge or not to trudge?’ that is the question. ‘Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the aches and pains of the physio’s bills or cross the palm of an acupuncturist with silver. I tell you Blog, my mortal coil has just about had it, just about had it Blog ….’

                        But say la vie Blog, say la vie. Colin

Smithsonian Networks

Photograph Quiz:

                              

Photo no. 102:- Is this interesting Blog, or is this interesting? Read on my boy…..

Dear Blog,

          OK Let’s see if you can help me with this little problem. Yesterday’s question was for yesterday, today’s question is for today …… How do I contact an important person??? For six or seven years I have had no luck in contacting this important person … e-mails, letters by the old fashioned method of employing a sticky stamp, the odd pigeon or two, bush telegraph, even phone calls to his office. I assume all his personal jobsworths are blocking access; so it’s over to you Blog. HELP me man, help me ………………

Some background. As part of my researches into the History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other Athletic Clubs in the City, I have told you that I like to follow a little side track or two, up the junction without a paddle. Well. One ‘aside’ was to delve into the history of the club badge of  Lady Godiva, the weavers who used to make the different variations and their involvement within the club; and the use of the symbol elsewhere. I discovered that a variant of the club badge design which was the one used on the ‘club membership card’ in the 1920s, was adopted by another athletic club for its emblem. The club was in America!!! This design variant on the membership cards came about because of another internal Coventry Godiva Harrier dispute, one of many over the years since the 1879 foundation. The Lady Godiva emblem was adopted by the Carolina Godiva Track Club. It was founded in 1975 by this important person whom I wish to contact, the club was intended to cater for women runners in the Durham area of North Carolina, U.S.A.. Members of the present club have been unable to offer me much help, hence my appeal to you Blog ….

            The club was founded by the important person and was an ‘English Teacher’.

 First question Blog:- does ‘English Teacher’ mean ‘a teacher of English’ or ‘a teacher who came from England’? I have established that the person went to America on a scholarship and his name was DAVID ROYLE.

So Second question Blog:- how do I contact him? His name is David Royle and I want to ask him about the founding of the club   Why the name – Why only women – What is the connection to Godiva – and so on and so forth.

David Royle
Executive Vice President, Programming & Production Smithsonian Networks

David Royle is Smithsonian Networks’ EVP, Programming and Production. In that role, Royle oversees the commissioning, acquiring and co-producing of all programming for the Networks. Royle joined Smithsonian Networks to bring a distinctive and creative point-of-view to the Networks’ editorial direction. Since it’s launch in September 2007, the Smithsonian Channel has expanded rapidly and is now available by satellite, cable and telecom service throughout America. It has won numerous awards and critical acclaim for its original programming and in 2008 became the youngest channel ever to win an Emmy. Royle was previously EVP of Production for National Geographic Television & Film where he launched and oversaw numerous productions including Search for the Afghan Girl, SuperCroc, and the highly-rated Taboo series. He was Executive Producer of the award-winning television series, National Geographic Explorer. Under his leadership Explorer won more News and Documentary Emmy Awards than any other show on TV. 

I believe he went to America on a ‘Moorhouse Scholarship’. You can help me with this as well Blog, ‘Moorhouse Scholarship’?? The original officers of the Carolina Godiva Track Club have very little recollection of him. The suggestion for the name ‘Godiva’ was chosen by Royle as an apt name for a new women’s athletic club; was it a result of a connection to Coventry Godiva Harriers in some way? The last question being the one I wish to ask him!!!

See www.carolinagodiva.org

So comeon Blog, comeon. Get the old finger out and solve the problem. Try trudging, it helps the old grey matter swirl about abit!

                                                           Colin

P.S. I am glad you enquired about my back problem Blog. Nice of you. Waking up early this morning, I spent a careful half hour planning the moves to get vertical …. Then how to get dressed …. Then how to decend to the kitchen …. Trudging took another knock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Managed to walk up into the village to get a newspaper from the garage  ….  each step was ouch-ouch-ouch!!

P.P.S. Got to get sorted about a few more quids for Tiny Tims Children’s Centre, Blog; the reason for me writing to you in the first place, if you remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

E-Bay

Dear Blog,

    Wednesday:- I had a pleasant 8 mile trudge from home to the athletics’ track at Warwick University. The clubhouse was open for sweets and drinks for the school children taking part in the Coventry Schools Athletic Championships; it was the relay championships. Because the undergraduates were sitting examinations in the sports hall adjacent to the track, a gun could not be fired to start the races for fear of disturbing the students, so the school teacher had to use a clapper!!

Thursday:- As the day wore on, I became increasingly aware of my back……… Agony!!!! By teatime, I could hardly move. EEEEEEEEEEEXXXXXXXXXXXXcruciatinggggggggg; Blog I kid you not. Walking was painful with a capital ‘P’. No way could I trudge, no way at all. And what was the cause of my discomfort??????????? Blog, you tell me because I haven’t a clue. A clue I have not. Trying to sit, trying to get out of a chair, trying to lie down in bed, trying to get up out of bed, trying to sleep and Friday was a repeat!! Two days off trudging, please forgive me Lord but a miracle was not forth coming. How’s about one today, please???????? So I am sat here writing to you Blog. It could be a long letter …… a very long letter ….. a very long letter indeed, ‘cos I ain’t not going anywhere fast, and I ain’t going anywhere slow either!

Sooossssss

I do like to offer you a challenge with my little photo quizzes, don’t I Blog. But the last  photo caused me some heart ache. Blog, I kid you not. I do need your help. Seriously. Your help is needed. I have mentioned to you often enough that I spend some time unearthing the History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other Athletic Activity in the City of Coventry ……………… well the photo I sent you yesterday is posing a big problem for me.

 To remind you Blog …………….the club was founded in 1879, one of the oldest clubs in the world, never mind England. When I started there was very little information about the club for two very good reasons.

Firstly:- until 1984 we had no permanent headquarters, all records, minutes, club information etc. being kept by the various officials at their own homes. When they died the relatives, not appreciating the importance of all the documents, quite naturally threw everything away!!!

Secondly:- When the club centenary was approaching in 1979, an attempt was made to write a history of the club. Different people were approached to undertake the task, local journalists etc.. The person who showed the most interest was Colin Smith of Mantec Publications, Rugby. Much material was collected and sent to him. Then a series of incidents    ..... the club was organising the national marathon championships for 1979 as part of the club celebrations, Godiva being a club with a reputation for marathon running and for supplying more Olympic marathon runners than any other athletic club in G.B.. Whilst helping to measure the course, one of the two officials charged with organising the writing of the club history was tragically killed whilst out measuring the actual course. In the meantime, Colin Smith contacted the club secretary to say that all the material he had been given should be returned to the club as he was no longer able to undertake the task. The secretary with all the sudden extra work burden caused by the accident never answered his letter, and most of the material went astray. Despite a great deal of time and effort, I have been unable to find Colin Smith, any trace of him or his company. Part of the memorabilia sent to Colin Smith was a set of photograph albums. One of our old members took / collected photographs of all sports, which he meticulously labelled and kept in a series of albums ... luckily I have located all post 1938 albums. He had one son, again I have failed to find his whereabouts, or if he is still alive; the photographer died in his late 80s so his son must be at least that now, if still living. Now Blog, and this is where I need any expertise you can offer. Since October, a series of pre 1938 photos have been offered for sale on e-bay by three different sellers. The photos have come from one of the earlier missing albums. The hand writing, style of recording, use of pencil all are identical to the details on the photos the club has. Now, because so many artefacts went astray, I tried to enlist the help of the sellers to tell me from whom they bought the photos so I might contact the person concerned to see if they also have the club bugle (from 1880), the club oak shield (from 1961),  any early minutes (I have the first set 1879 to 1882), any early membership forms (I have 1889 to 1912), any other photos, particularly of the walkers and the cyclists or any other relevant material. There was one initial response, but then nothing. No help. Zilch!! So thankyou and ta very much. Of course my assumption is that the photos came from the missing albums, the content of which would be so useful to me in my History.

As I have said before to you Blog, THERE YOU HAVE IT! What to do is the question. Any thoughts??? [The photo in the quiz is from one of the albums]

I will detail my next plea for help from you when I have tried to exercise my back …… listen for the screams of pain when I try to dechair!

                          Colin

Wedding Anniversary

Photograph Quiz:

Photo no. 101:- What is the significance for the History of Coventry Godiva Harriers has this photo copied from e-bay??

Dear Blog,

              I do apologise for not writing for a couple of days, you must really be wondering about what exciting things I have been doing. Basically I have been collecting vitamin D full time, and I do mean full time, from sund arise in da mornin ‘til de going down of the Sun. I had to carefully check Phoebus’ progress from East to South to West to ensure there were no short cuts, or a crafty diversion up North for a quick sunspot or two. Once or twice I had to move as there was a smell of burning. I find that there is nothing as unpleasant as the smell of burning human flesh. When I was nicely done front, back and sides, I went for a trudge. I don’t know about you Blog, but I do find a gentle trudge in the midday searing heat acts as a nice fixative for the stores of vitamin D built up during the mornings.

Oh I nearly forgot …. Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. 41 years Blog. Forty one years. FORTY ONE YEARS. It seems like only forty one years since I walked down the aisle. Did I ever tell you Blog that we had our wedding reception in a castle and cut the wedding cake with a sword? A real sword, Blog, I kid you not. A castle AND a sword.  Of course I had the dilemma of what to do to celebrate this memorable event. I asked Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II if she would mind if I could share the weekend’s festivities with her and Phil, but she wrote back telling me to Bog Off, Blog. She said that she could easily find another use for a sword on unruly subjects besides cutting a wedding cake! I won’t vote for her at the next General Election that’s for sure. I shall have to cast my cross for that nice Mr Cameroon again, after alls he has changed his mind on that pasty tax thing after I wrote him a very stern letter, telling him that I had enough expense travelling all the way down to Truro to get my Cornish Pasty without having to pay a substantial fee in taxes every time I wanted a snack. So with the shared party idea a non-starter, how to impress my wife of 41 years Blog? Forty one years. FORTY ONE YEARS. Then I cracked it … you know how she likes to help the Estate gardeners cut the grass, I mentioned it in my last letter to you I think, well I thought of how I could ease her task. She has been struggling for some time pushing her hand mower up and down beneath the trees in the orchard. It is really hard work with her bad knee. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. OBVIOUS really. She is struggling with the hand mower, so what is the solution Blog? Of course. Buy her a metal file to sharpen the blades and not only that, buy her a small can of oil to lubricate the axle so the blades can rotate more freely. Am I brilliant Blog, or am I brilliant? No expense spared on such special occasions. And of course, instead of a romantic meal out in the evening at one of the county’s better restaurants, all she wanted to do was walk up and down, back and forth in the Orchard clipping away to her heart’s content. As I sipped on my wine, a nice little Chateau de Chagrin, in the morning room, I could just see her slow progress back and forth, up and down in the Orchard. I had to call her in when it was getting dark, enough is enough after alls. Anyway, in the gloom, she was tending to go off the straight line cut, which was spoiling the effect of the stripes in the grass pattern. Roll on forty two years. I can hardly wait.

                                         Colin

......... and then there came three .....

Blog, I am impressed or am I impressed?. I don’t know how you did it, but I am impressed. Very impressed indeed. It has to rank as one of the best tricks ever. Do you use a hat? I told you yesterday that I had onHowsaboutthatthen? So what’s the jam sandwich Blog? How come you have these powers? I mention to you the lack of birds, one only seen in twelve hundred hours plus, a couple of minutes and within eight hours of our communication, I have three dickie birds strolling along in the sunshine waiting for peanuts and birdseed as if nothing had happened; there had been no ***. I’ll tell you what Blog, my wife was not too happy when I sent the butler upstairs to wake her and to tell her that the pheasants needed feeding. I said to her that by using some of the sacks of seed we have stored for months, we would have a little more room to move in the bedroom. She agreed.. I said to her that because she was up so early she may as well help out the gardeners and start to cut the lawns, give them a little surprise when they clocked on for work.I said she should start with the orchard first and the noise from the mower woiuldn’t disturb me too much. I do so hate having a background noise whilst I try to concentrate on the ‘Guardian’.

The post lady delivered my England Athletics’ Licence to run earlier this week ….. I am just going for a trudge to calm down …………..

                                              Colin

118 118

Well now Blog, there’s a turn up. Tonight whilst out for my trudge I was hailed for the first time in  yonks, nay yonks squared … certainly since I have been writing to you. Not many years ago it used to be a common occurrence. What you ask?. Well on my first circuit of the park, which incidentally was stacked out with those ordinary type persons, I passed a group of girls, about 13 or 14ish. Giggles and whispers. Well I don’t have a fly in my shorts so I didn’t have my zip undone, a not uncommon happening when I had to work for a living, believe it or not Blog!!! So why the bashfulness. My athletic body? Blog I kid you not!! My running style a la Sebastian Coe? Blog I kid you not! My flowing locks streaming out behind me in the cooling breeze? I kid you not Blog! I continued my trudge … and on my second lap of the park, said group was still in situ, as they say in Rome. Giggle, giggle, nudge, nudge, wink, wink ….. and then it comes out ‘Go on 118!’ So there you have it, as the Queen might say. When the 118 118 advertisement  on the TV was first aired, I was continually having to put up with the ‘118’ comments, mildly annoying at times especially when I was knackered from a long run and it was too much of an effort to raise a single digit, but nothing I couldn’t cope with. Some of the lads down the club bought me an ‘England’ running vest with the number ‘118’ which I didn’t mind, as they were being sold at the time to raise funds for some charity or other. But, as I said to you Blog at the start of my letter, it is a long, long time since the call last went out!!!!!!!! I wonder if the ad is still aired on TV as much as it used to be. Presumably if the girls have suddenly caught on …….. or perhaps I hadn’t seen the mushrooms growing nearby where they were sitting???

   Ten days ago the swallows finally arrived and on Tuesday, the swifts appeared … but not a sign of the house martins. And more curious, where have my pheasants gone. Since the end of February, a single visitor on a single occasion. One! Only one!! For a couple of decades now, upwards of a dozen pheasants have visited daily, males and females. Now none. Blog, I don’t get it. There hasn’t been a local shoot for ages as far as I know. It is pretty obvious when a shoot does takes place because of the blasted noise and the beaters traipsing across the nearby fields. I haven’t seen many foxes around; if the number of bunnies in my vegetable garden is indicative of fox population, there ain’t none cos I’ve got lots and lots of bunnies …. and not too many unnibbled greens!!! And I don’t think the badgers are interested in pheasants? Perhaps the local butcher has a contact in the Chinese mafia or in the Italian triads who have contracts with the restaurant trade??? My red legged partridges are back, I am pleased to confirm; I was getting a bit worried as they are late appearing from their winter holidays this year. I expect they will bring the kids round to see me on a brief visit as per usual when they are strong enough. My blue tits have flown as have my great tits .. and the wood pigeons are so randy that you don’t want to know about their antics Blog. Quite embarrassing. Makes me blush it does.

Must finish now Blog, if I want to catch the evening post … will conclude tomorrow.

                                                                   Colin

Kenilwiorth Festival 10km result 2012.

Photographic Quiz.

Photo 101:- Steam trains used to chuff, chuff along here, then it was the site of Europe’s super coal pit before Maggie buried the miners; now it is a cycle path, but watch out because a 180mph high speed train is due any time now.

Busy, busy, busy Blog. In my last little missive to you Blog, I told you that I had presented the awards at the Joe O’Brien Memorial Run at the War Memorial Park, in Coventry on Tuesday. Wednesday, was spent helping to dole out future health problems to young kids by selling them sacksful of sugary sweets at an Inter Schools Competition at the Coventry Track at the University of Warwick where we have our clubhouse / cafeteria; all profits from sales help to fund the good work done by Coventry Godiva Harriers in fostering an interest in athletics amongst the young people of the city. Thursday, followed by Friday as usual, was devoted to a trudge or two, going here there and everywhere trying to find some sun; it was a failure. Have you ever cut your lawn in a mackintosh Blog? Especially if it is tipping it down with rain.

Up nice and early with the larks on Saturday to have an early breakie to give myself plenty of time to trudge to Kenilworth to watch my younger daughter relay run the Kenilworth Hilly 10 kilometres; at the best of times, it is a punishing race run around the Abbey Fields; this year it was made worse by the wet long uncut grass making underfoot conditions none too safe. Her three man [two women and a man] team won easily. I trudge to and from the race via the proposed route of the high speed train track from London to Birmingham on  which Sustrans is building a connecting cycle path between the University and Kenilworth; the high speed train project will cost mega bucks but will save the travellers a vital 40 minutes, so that’s alright then Blog. 40 minutes. FOUR ZERO minutes!! Blog, I kid you not. Years back when I used to organise four ‘5’ mile races per year, I used to run this route with a bag on my back containing race flyers to dish out to finishers of the race. After Tuesday, I was expecting to be asked by the organisers of the Kenilworth Hilly 10 kilometre race to present the awards but the invitation never materialised; presumably the organisers had not heard of the superb job I did on Tuesday. I expect they will be on the telephone on Monday to book me up for next year. Little tip for you Blog => earwigging this morning, I had trouble containing myself. Achilles problem has got some athlete. Had it a long time. From the back the ‘physio’ says. Look at your tight socks boyo. Training and work and leisure socks. They might be the cause, restricting blood flow to aid recovery. Look at your work shoes, not your trainers, your WORK shoes. Worn down. Oh the ‘physio’ only wanted to see the wear on your trainers. Well there is a surprise. Well there is a surprise, I repeat; worn down work shoes and tight socks, a recipe for Achilles tendon problems, all Greek athletes know that!!! As Luke said “Don’t waste your quids on ‘physios’, heal thyself!”. Tomorrow sees a return to the track at Stoke on Trent for a Young Athletes League. So busy, busy, busy, am I busy Blog?

Oh yes Blog, and have you seen that I have been providing three explanatory pieces for the Historic Coventry super highway thingy and another for the Keighley History Society Forum. At this rate, I am not going to have time to write to you Blog or raise money for the Tiny Tims Children’s Centre which provides facilities for disable children … and remember Blog, those spare places going for the Great North Run and the Birmingham Great Run. In January last year, I only let you be my friend to get some quids out of you. Fat chance!!!

Presumably I have mentioned to you this habit of words coming into vogue, haven’t I Blog.         Absolutely.                                                                                                                                            Of course we have the elephant in the room, the room no doubt having a glass ceiling. Absolutely.                                                                                                                                             Of course the white van man has driven off down the road yonks ago with the new kid on the block in the back, no doubt.                                                                                                 Absolutely.                                                                                                                                           So I am pleased to observe that, NEW, NEW, NEW, along with General Motors new investment in the Astra at Ellesmere Port, that the slow car crash is happening where ever you look!                                                                                                                                   ABSOLUTELY.                                                                                                                           Greece according to the economists is heading for a slow car crash; Ranger F.C. in particular and Scottish football in general according to football pundits, are heading towards a slow car crash.                                                                                                                                      Absolutely.                                                                                                                                      Where will the next accident happen?? A slow car crash somewhere?? Watch the TV and listen to the radio carefully Blog and let me know.

                                                 Colin

Fact: Am I the first person to receive their Olympic tickets Blog? I am according to my post lady when she made the delivery yesterday!!!