Friday 24 November 2023 - RHS Wisley

Some pictures from today's visit to RHS Wisley. Well worth the struggle through a traffic jam due to roadworks.

Captions and some additional material should be added when I get home next week.

Autumn by the Bridgewater Canal in Timperley

The last of the autumn colours beside the canal. 

 

Weekend running

Saturday 18 November 2023 - Our usual parkrun at Wythenshawe was called off due to a plague of mud, so a few of the regulars met up in nearby Stockport, at Woodbank Park. A few of those suspects - Jeanette, Sue, Laura and Andy are shown above. Looking as if they have just emerged from their respective washing machines (apart from Andy's shoes!).

We got going promptly at 9 o'clock, thankfully in just about fine weather. There were soon quite a few people ahead of me. (I finished in position 142 out of 211.) (34:10, on my 350th parkrun.)
 

It's a two lap course, with a steep hill that needs to be negotiated twice. I caught up with Cary there, but he soon raced off ahead of me again - he's just ahead of me as I start the second lap.

The reflections looked nice, so I had a little break to seek out, not entirely successfully, a suitable puddle.

Meanwhile, there were some unavoidable puddles on the course, which Sue flew over. I think the next picture was taken by Laura, who finished in third position today. Well done Laura, and it was very gracious of you to allow the man pushing a buggy with a child in it to finish ahead of you in first place.

Full results are here. 

The four pictured above were then joined at the finish by Rufus, Cary and Paul.

Eventually I finished and could be included on a photo.

We spent some time in the cafe. It was afternoon by the time I got home!

Sunday 19 November 2023 - Wythenshawe Community Run

Over 80 men, women and children turned up with numerous volunteers for this Sunday morning ritual on a drier course at Wythenshawe than the parkrun mudbath route. I walked around the track by way of a 'warm up', then returned to the car to collect my waterproof jacket. At the point (below) when Colm was doing his briefing the drizzle intensified.

Here I am at the turnaround point for the 2km runners. Very tempting.

However, I braved the rain, and the footballs - the lady behind me in the next picture was hit by a football from one of the nearby pitches where only a few weeks ago hordes of Asian lads were playing cricket in the sunshine.

32:10 for the 5km was two minutes quicker than yesterday's effort at Woodbank. There are no hills at Wythenshawe... but it was definitely a soggy outing.

Friday = Isabella Day (59)

Another great day with Isabella, pictorial with captions:

                           Trying to 'twirl' without falling over

"I love tram rides"

The Science and Industry Museum has an 'educational' area

"We built a great big tower"

"Oops!"

An old car - next time I'll record the caption as well

We kept coming back to this, noting how our feet were looking warmer each time we visited

Back at home, it was time to assemble and post some letters,

most importantly a birthday card for Auntie Kate. Will it arrive? We'll see...

"It's Teddy's bedtime - I changed his nappy earlier, he had done a big poo"

"And NO, I don't want to go home!"

But she did go home, and sadly she wasn't able to attend Saturday's short notice dinner date with Auntie Kate and her cousins. Never mind, there will be another time soon.

Smart arse Jacob will no doubt wish to be recorded as Rummikub champion of the day, having won all three rounds that we played after stuffing ourselves with a roast chicken dinner.

"Cheers"