We hadn’t seen Mick and Gayle for ages. So a plot was hatched to meet up at the Wammy parkrun in Newcastle-under-Lyme, then go for a short walk in Apedale Country Park, before M&G went to visit Gayle’s sister and we went to visit Dot, both of whom live nearby.
It was a great success. The Wammy, on which Mick is pictured below, is a fairly flat disused railway line with a tarmac surface. It’s a fast ‘there and back’ course. It must be fast, as I managed a very rare sub 23 minute time for the 5 km.
Gayle and Sue weren’t far behind Mick. Whilst Gayle looks comfortable, she did incur an injury – we hope it’s feeling better, and Sue looks to be in agony but later confessed that she was ‘just pretending’.
It was a very rare success for me, as I managed to come top out of the 275 participants, in the Age Grade results! (There are no prizes, and it’s not a race – but still very satisfying.)
The post run café turned out to be Bertie, pictured at the head of the posting. Mick and Gayle are imminently setting off in Bertie for some winter sunshine, hence us taking this opportunity to catch up.
It was a cool, dull day, not really suitable for photography, and the walking route we took in Apedale was just cobbled together to enable us to partake of a good chat in some fresh air. Not spectacular scenery, but it served a purpose.
Whilst returning to our vehicles after the run, we were passed by a cyclist who had chosen a rather inconvenient time to be on the crowded path… “That was your brother” exclaimed Sue. Either I have lots of brothers, or it’s a very small world!
Here we are, frolicking in Apedale. For a change, Sue decided not to fall over, despite passing through a muddy section which would have been ideal for a sprawl in the mud that she has developed a habit of adventuring into over the past few days.
Here’s our route – 8.2 km, 150 metres ascent, taking 2 hours.
After a spot of lunch in Bertie, we bade our farewells and headed off on our respective family visits. Sue and I were pleased to find Dot in good form, and able to play cards with the double size pack we got her for Christmas from the RNIB.
It had been great to meet up with Mick and Gayle, and we hope to combine more parkrun ‘tourism’ with suitable rendezvous points and post run walks with them in the future.
Finally, following Conrad’s comment on yesterday’s posting, I promised more pictures of the Lymm Dam cormorants. Here they are in 2009. I wonder how these birds are related to the birds we saw yesterday?
3 comments:
Good to see you tracking down Bertie and The Wanderers.
Looking at all of the other people in those parkrun photos, it seems that I was the only person who felt the need to wrap up warm. They must make them rufty-tufty in the Potteries (not to mention you northern tourists)!
Just imagine... if you'd stripped down properly you might have got a PB!
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