The Shortest Day

This week we passed the shortest day of the year. As a child this was an exciting event - the days began their inexorable journey towards the long, warm evenings of May and June. Slowly the day came to bathe the dark, wet night with glorious light. We looked forward to this moment for weeks and awaited the parental announcement: "the days are getting longer!!".

The picture library goes back to 2010 when snow fell in December in Orpington. The shortest day was a great running day. High Elms Country Park was dusted with a layer of snow and the trails were crisp and crunchy, waiting for the distinctive print of an Asics running shoe.

Remember, the days are getting longer and Cornwall 2013 is getting nearer. Happy Christmas and happy running.

Maps, glorious maps

Ever since I was very young I've been fascinated by maps. Long walks and runs have followed, using detailed Ordnance Survey mapping. I refuse to buy a Sat Nav!! I would rather look down from the sky and plot my route on the glorious world below. When flying as a 17 year old, the instructor took me to a height that showed the world like a map - a moving experience!!

Above is a small piece of Cornish map. Take a look, a long, careful look and wonder at the picture it paints. Beaches, some accessible and some not, ancient settlements, undulations, islands, one with a lighthouse. There is a farm, a trig point and the remains of a Manor House. History and Sociology seeping from this small segment of Cornish Geography!!

And there, winding its way along the top of the cliffs is a green line. An official looking line, taking us on a guided tour of this sacred topography. The South West Coast path. We'll be there on the afternoon of Friday May 3rd. We will pass through the map in about 30 minutes, but what a glorious 30 minutes it will be.

Charity begins in the pub

 

The Chequers in Crockenhill held a quiz night for CASPA last Monday and what a night it was!! The quiz raised over £100 for young people with autism. But the fun really began later in the evening with "play your cards right" or "higher and lower" as it's often known. Much hilarity followed as no-one could win in this "play to the death" version of the game. Finally, at about 11.30 the winner was found. By then the charity had received over £200 from the generous locals in the Chequers.

The pubs of our area are vibrant hubs of community spirit and play a vital role in keeping the Big Society alive. Without the support of the landlord, staff and customers, charities would be much worse off. Pay them a visit and enjoy this generous corner of society.

Closer to Cornwall

In five months' time we will be on the road to the world famous Cornish peninsula. The team is pretty much complete. A rower, a mountain biker (or two?), 13 runners and two on support. The accommodation is booked, the rooms allocated and the training well underway.

Finally, and most terrifyingly, the towering cliffs and stacks of the Cornish coast await...are they scared of us? I don't think so...!!!