We decided to make the most of the sunshine today and spent a large part of it at Hillier Gardens. Despite no longer being members, entry is still free with our Culture-all Passport. In some ways, the passport is better as, in my absence, Christine can take any guest along with her for free. I’ve put a small selection of photos up on Flickr. (I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to download photos in a more timely manner, sort them more ruthlessly and get more of them up on the web.) Unfortunately a large number of people had obviously had the same idea and, although they are easily lost in the gardens, there was a long queue to get something to eat.
Archive for the ‘Friends’ Category
New Year at Hilliers
Friday, January 1st, 2010Anderwood BBQ
Saturday, July 11th, 2009Thanks to Sam Massey for organising a good evening’s entertainment yesterday for SOC. Unfortunately there was a heavy downpour as we approached Anderwood which soaked the BBQ area but the weather then improved. Sam had put on a 45 minute score event with a handicap scheme that meant that the old/young had to get less controls. Sadly that meant I had to try and get all 20. In winter it may have been achievable but the head high bracken (which was also soaking wet in to the bargain) proved too much of an impediment and I only managed 19. The handicapping worked well with lots of different ages getting an adjusted 18-20 controls. Tamsin Moran was the winner having got her 14 controls with time to spare. The subsequent BBQ also went well although it was a shame there weren’t more members present. I dread to think quite how many sausages Emma ate!
Run the Pubs (and Car Parks)
Sunday, June 28th, 2009As regular readers may remember, around Xmas each year the Tuesday night runners do a run that takes in all of the pubs that we have visited during the year. This, it seems, was not enough of a challenge for Neil and he proposed that we should run not only all of the pubs, but also all of the car parks that we visit. This is particularly significant when it comes to our runs from Wilverley where we usual drink at Bank afterwards. As if this still wasn’t enough, Neil wanted to make it a round trip rather than the usual linear route. And, although to be fair he wouldn’t have known this at the time, he wanted to do it on a day when the temperature was in the mid 20s.
Needles Half
Sunday, May 31st, 2009We headed over to the Isle of Wight today for the Needles Cross-Country Marathon (although I was only running the half). Our gamble of getting the 8:45 ferry seemed to pay off and we arrived in reasonable time for the 10:00 start from the West Wight Sports Centre. There was a good turnout (around 300 for both events) with a fair sprinkling of Tuesday night runners present (myself, Neil, Darren, Roderick, Sue and Jane).
Weekend Helping
Sunday, May 17th, 2009It was pay back time this weekend as we spent both days helping out at various events. On Saturday we went along to the SOC event at Hut Wood. We walked there and got soaked as a result when the heavens opened. Thankfully the sun came out as we arrived and the rain didn’t return until later in the day. The downpour didn’t seem to have discouraged attendees either with over 60 participants. I went round with a group of juniors from nearby Halterworth Harriers running club. Not wishing to be stereotypical but the two lads did all of the work whilst the older girls discussed boys, films, TV etc. I’d originally only planned to shadow them for the first few controls but when they started heading off in the wrong direction to number three then I thought I’d best stick with them. Who knows – perhaps they’d have paid more attention if I hadn’t been there as the safety net? I think even Emma on the yellow course with Christine may have averaged faster minutes per km…
We’ve been to the zoo zoo zoo
Monday, January 26th, 2009A visiting friend and a dry forecast was all the excuse we needed to head over to Marwell Zoo on Saturday. It’s the first time we’ve taken Emma and she’s certainly of an age where she can take it all in now. There’s a good range of animals from giraffes to ants and everything inbetween and having arrived before eleven we were there until closing time. It’s perhaps debateable whether Emma enjoyed the playgrounds more than the animals though! Still, entry is free (for her) until she reaches three. I had the camera out but I’m not particularly impressed with any of the photos I took. The slightly less mediocre ones are over on Flickr.
Beale Park amusement
Sunday, September 14th, 2008We were visiting friends near Reading on Saturday and, at their suggestion, we all headed over to Beale Park for the day. Described as a “Wildlife Park and Gardens” it was soon clear that, in reality, the park contains almost anything that might be described as an amusement: from paddling pool to piggery, from gardens to goats and from trains to lemurs (sorry – the alliteration broke down on the third attempt!). As with many places of this size, you worry a bit about the welfare of the animals and, with some cages not labelled at all, you even wonder about the educational benefit. However, all in all, both adults and child enjoyed the day out.
Embarrassing breakdown
Thursday, August 28th, 2008Sadly it turned out that the quick charge that I gave the car battery following our return from Monmouth wasn’t going to be sufficient to get me in to work on Wednesday. Going via the sorting office to pick up a package the warning lights started popping up as I passed under the M3 on Leigh Road. I pulled in to the right hand lane to turn back for home at which point the engine cut out. Just where you want to be – in the middle of the road during rush hour.
