second hand bookshops

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Aliveandrunning January 9 2015 Janathon Day 9

DSC_0319 Wimpole Hall, a National Trust property, in all its glory. They keep the front aspect of the house clear of plebs, poor people, lower middle class, New Age travellers and children not attending fee paying schools. Luckily, the grounds are extensive and us parkrunners don’t have to encroach on the upper class gravel. We are allowed to run freely over the undulating park land, however, and visit the lavatories when necessary.

But tomorrow’s dream parkrun at Wimpole is now a shattered aspiration. It’s been cancelled because of the expected gales. No run, no visit to the second hand bookshop, no National Trust rock cake , jam and coffee in their cafe. At the moment Cambridge parkrun at Milton Country Park hasn’t been cancelled and a decision will probably be made tomorrow morning around 8 am.

Another 2 mile run in the dark tonight but unlike the previous couple of runs, I didn’t set out on a full stomach. It was windy, although not excessively, and very mild. I think those Scottish winds will increase during the night so the fate of Cambridge will be in the hands of the Gods.

The NHS spending on children’s mental health has fallen by more than 6% in real terms since 2010, according to official figures. This equates to nearly £50m and was disclosed by NHS England in a parliamentary question. These cuts have been made against a background of decades of chronic underfunding. Who says we live in a civilised society? Who cares, anyway. It’s not a high profile service, there’s probably not enough money in it to attract private interest and most parents will be grateful for any level of help. Let the children suffer.

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Aliveandrunning January 8 2015 Janathon Day 8

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Yes, it’s Mr Cool Running here. I’ve seen the future and it’s orange. I give tips, too. Best diet? Eat less. Want to run faster? Increase your speed. Having relationship problems? Make up fast. Constipated? Eat Brussels sprouts three times a day until I tell you to stop (or you explode). Simples being a running agony uncle when you don an orange hoodie. You positively reek of authority and wisdom.

For the past two evenings, I’ve been out running after I’ve eaten or rather I’ve not left sufficient time for digestion. So my stomach hasn’t felt comfortable. What advice would I dispense to myself if I chose to put on my guru hat? Eat after the run. Simples.

Hopefully, we’ll do Wimpole Estate parkrun on the weekend. Unfortunately Wimpole Estate management stop access to the parkland when winds are above 50 mph and current forecasts predict 53 mph. Unless wind speed forecasts reduce, parkrun may be cancelled. Thus depriving me of a lovely run plus a visit to their impressive second hand bookshelf. Despite Wimpole being 12 miles away, Cambridgeshire’s flatness allows sound to travel long distances. On a quiet day, I often hear the books calling to me and begging to be rescued. I hope I don’t disappoint them.

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Aliveandrunning November 16 2014

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I should have been running the St.Neots half marathon today but my lingering, three week old cold and no training scuppered it. I did do Cambridge parkrun yesterday, and last week, plus I ran a 10k race two weeks ago but these were more than manageable given my level of running fitness. I haven’t been out with the club for three weeks and there have been no training runs. So a bit of running but not much. Before my heart attack five years ago, I definitely would have run the half marathon today despite the cold and insufficient raining. In fact, I wouldn’t have given it much thought. Now, I give it a lot of thought. It’s great to be running at the same level as before the heart attack (despite the baleful effects the bloody cardiac medication has on my running). I describe it as baleful only in the sense that it restricts my speed and effort. I have to accept that overall it probably has a positive effect on my heart health (see how I have to qualify the (possible) benefit I am receiving?. Am I not incorrigible in this respect? Do I not have a shipping container stuffed full of caveats?) Recent research suggests that placebos have a very good health benefit (among many others, see Mind Over Medicine:Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself by Lissa Rankin). I’m rehearsing a conversation with my GP.

Me:Pretty please, Doc, take me off my heart medication and prescribe placebos instead!

GP: I fail to see the rationale behind this idiotic request.

Me: The current prescription is slowing down my running which won’t be the case with placebos.

GP: You want me to take you off meds which strengthen and regulate your heart so you can run faster?

Me: You’ve got it Doc! Current research points to a measurable benefit in a given condition even if the person is fully aware that they are taking an inert placebo. I believe a placebo would be very good for my heart health. You gotta believe as well, Doc. Together we can do it. I’ll keep you fully informed of my parkrun times.

GP: Request denied with knobs on. Next patient, please!

Note to family : only joking!

I’ll go for a leisurely, longer run this afternoon. It’s chilly but not cold, will probably be raining, will definitely be dank, dark and overcast but I’ll just take it on the chin.

I wore trail shoes for yesterday’s parkrun. Unlike last week when a number of people fell and injuries included a broken ankle, I didn’t hear of anyone coming to grief. I wasn’t far off my old times so I mustn’t complain. I was thinking about placebos as I went around. See how beneficial they can be!

I picked up the above books in the Emmaus (homeless charity) store which, conveniently, is less than a mile from me. The Rare Words book is good to dip in to, if you like words. It means you are a logophile (not a lover of wood fires). Not much, if anything, on etymology, though. Of course, If you are a Sun, Star or Mirror reader I don’t think you need a vocabulary greater than 500 words so don’t bother (gratuitous insult of the day).

Grumpiness! Very much under rated, very much maligned. Far better to call it discernment or sagaciousness. It should be recognised as an art form and as an academic subject. Should this be offered, one might be able to do a Phd in Grumpiness. It would certainly appeal to people over a certain age.

WP_20141115_001  This ailing walnut tree continues to fascinate me. Despite its appearance, it soldiers on and had a good canopy of leaves this year.

I listened to the excellent The Life Scientific  (BBC Radio 4 this week , available as a podcast on iTunes) and heard Professor Dave Goulson talk about preserving bumble bees in the UK. He set up the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and has done a lot of work on the reasons for the decline in bee populations. Very interesting and positive. I think one of the focuses of my therapeutic gardening project will be on creating a bee, butterfly and bird friendly environment. Must pull my finger out!

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Aliveandrunning October 20 2014

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A Porter cake made with Guinness and a banana cake with dates and nuts. I baked these for my 200th parkrun on Saturday at Cambridge. I’m the first Cambridge person to get to 200 and fellow runners finally had incontrovertible evidence that they had a senior running god among their number When my milestone was announced at the address by the run director, a huge cheer went up, men avoided direct eye contact out of deference and women fainted with excitement. The crowd appeared dazed and unfocussed. Luckily for them I kept my head and led them, stunned, to the start line. As soon as the air horn started the race they snapped out of it. Outrageously, 135 people reached the finish line before me thus creating a huge disrespect issue. Consequently, none of my cake passed their lips! All the more for runners who were able to persuade me they came in after position 137.

The  woodland path course was muddy in places and the going was soft. It was also surprisingly warm for October. All these factors ensured I didn’t dip below 24 minutes as I did last week. I also suspect that my forward progress was impeded by the celestial breath of a mischievous Greek god but it’s notoriously difficult to prove. Still, the cake went down well and people said kind things. Onwards and upwards to parkrun 250 when I will receive a hoodie and tee shirt and further adulation.

In the afternoon I went for a walk, with friends and others, on the National Trust Wimpole Hall Estate. Very enjoyable and it gave me an opportunity to rescue a few books languishing in the Courtyard second hand bookshop. I don’t take this level of responsibility lightly. Someone has to step up to the plate. These books were heavily traumatised and are currently undergoing debriefing. It’ll be sometime before they can sit on my bookshelf, feeling at home and relaxed.

 

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Started half marathon training yesterday. I ran for 1 hour 2 minutes in the afternoon when I thought my big bowl of porridge was sufficiently digested but my stomach still felt a bit queasy at times. St. Neots half in 4 weeks and a 10k Bonfire Burn in 2 weeks.

I’ve just sent off a request for pre-application advice for planning permission concerning my proposed therapeutic gardening project. This should result in an allocation of a named person to guide me through the process and determine whether or not I will will require planning permission. I’m arranging to visit a horticultural project in Saffron Walden (not too far from the excellent Oxfam bookshop) and I’m wading through the requirements to set up a charity. This means I will have to up my level of focus and concentration.

Could rant about the latest human rights violations perpetrated by the Catholic Church (recent small payments for abused boys attending a seminary decades ago and the cardinals watering down a more accepting text on recognising and welcoming gay people into the church). But I won’t at the moment. I’ll save it

 

 

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Aliveandrunning October 12 2014

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Record number of children  (138) at Cambridge junior parkrun today! It was chilly but dry with some sun. The weather gods clearly  favoured us! Well, that’s what I would expect after I offered a libation (Chateau Haut-Plaisance Saint-Emilion Grand Cru), extracted from Tesco’s deepest wine vaults and delivered by a uniformed courier who only spoke a dead language. He fainted when I poured it straight onto the parkrun course ground! We dragged him away before the children clocked him (don’t worry, he recovered completely). As usual, the children and everyone else involved with the race greatly enjoyed themselves. This is a quick snap of the warm up session which they followed with considerable attention and gusto.

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I haven’t been running very frequently in recent weeks but perhaps less is more. I was pleased with my parkrun time yesterday and generally I have felt less tired. This is my pal Kerry who is almost in his mid 60s and only started running 2 years ago. Amazingly his PB for parkrun (5k) is 21 minutes 40 seconds and he’s still improving. Yesterday was his 50th parkrun and he equalled his PB. It’s ridiculous. I’m going to organise an anonymous on line petition to get him banned for life on  grounds I haven’t quite decided on yet but it will be for his own good, of course.

Apart from Cambridge parkrun, my next race is the Bonfire Burn 10k in Histon on November 2nd and then the St. Neots half marathon on November 16. Following that my next half marathon will be Cambridge in March 2015. This race is always sold out quickly but somehow our seven strong family have all got a place. Yippee!

 

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Visited Saffron Walden in the week and made a beeline for my favourite Oxfam second hand bookshop. RD Lang is always thought provoking  even if you were never sympathetic towards the anti psychiatry movement in the 60s and 70s. The book on angels is very readable with lots of good pictures. Such an attractive concept, alongside the existence of God and eternal life.

 

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Aliveandrunning October 8 2014

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Hoohaah half marathon at Wimpole Estate last Sunday with young Jonathan leading for Cambridge and Coleridge (he eventually came second). I had a place in this race but my family felt running 3 half marathons in relatively quick succession was excessive given my heart disease. They threw research at me and I acquiesced! However, I went over to Wimpole with chum Kerry, watched the race and took a couple of hundred of pics.

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Unfortunately, the lure of this bookshop in the courtyard of Wimpole House resulted in me returning to the finish line late and failing to see the first three runners come in. Just out of camera shot, to the right , in the pool of sunlight, sits an old woman in period dress weaving yarn on a spinning wheel. Very evocative of a lost, bygone culture. This nostalgic cameo was only slightly undermined when, last year, faced by a large crowd of parkrunners blocking the entrance to the court yard, the spinning lady reversed her Mercedes estate more than a tad too fast, scattering said parkrunners in fear of their lives. She wasn’t a happy bunny.

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These are my running pals from Fen Edge running club. Mike and Kerry have only been running for a couple of years but they are during parkrun in 21-22 minutes. Over a longer distance like a half marathon, I can get within 2-3 minutes of them but incredibly they are still improving.

Parkrun went OK the day before but I couldn’t drop under 24 minutes. I collected the signage after the run. This volunteering task is enjoyable and relaxing. It’s very pleasant to walk around the deserted course. I sometimes see Peter who is in his mid 80s, walking the 5k  course but in the reverse direction. Not seen him recently, though. I do hope he’s well.

I went to Addenbrookes Hospital yesterday and felt mildly murderous when I smelt cigarette smoke from someone walking behind us as we approached the entrance. Stupid or what? Of course there’s more stupidity inside the hospital and this time it’s sponsored by the management. Burger King and other fast food outlets in the Food Court. So empowering to facilitate obese people to ignore dietary and health advice and conveniently enable them to gorge on high fat, high carbohydrate and high salt food to their hearts’ content.

We sought advice at the Inquiry Desk.

“How may I help you, my dears?” smiled the volunteer receptionist.

“Firstly, by desisting from addressing us as “my dears”, I replied.”Secondly, by appreciating I have a fear of split infinitives unless their utterance is Star Trek related. Thirdly, I want that person disappearing down the corridor to be arrested and charged with causing  environmental damage by smoking on hospital premises. Are you able to accommodate me?”

Of course there was no response because this little encounter happened in my imagination but it was a close run thing.

 

 

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Aliveandrunning October 3 2014

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I really must stop taking pictures of huge fish on the front cover of angling magazines in Tesco. No sooner had I snapped this when the security guard suddenly appeared at my side.

“At it again are we,sir? It’s not normal y’know. Move along now and don’t dawdle in front of the Krispy Kremes’ cabinet.”

I am doubtful of the  actual existence of these mega fish. The three or four monthly magazines which feature them always depict grinning men casually holding a very heavy weight with no apparent effort. There’s something fishy about this! I suspect Photoshop can turn a goldfish into anything.

At the beginning of the week I went for my last long run before the half marathon at Wimpole Estate this weekend. I ran for about 75 minutes. It started raining as I set out and it didn’t stop until I returned. As a result, I suffered the excruciating pain known as Jogger’s Nipples and had to undergo the humiliation of applying Sudocrem to them  before going to sleep. Very rock’n roll.

I’ll be doing Cambridge parkrun tomorrow  but I won’t be running the half marathon after all. My family feel that it’s a half marathon too far (I had planned to do 3 halves in 9 weeks). I’ve done one and Wimpole was the second). They instanced this research http://heart.bmj.com/content/99/8/516.extract (O’Keefe and Lavie) which addresses the impact of excessive or more prolonged running on the heart. It describes the possible cardiac damage that running over longer distances and over longer periods may incur. I read the paper rather than the extract and I also read an article on this research in Runners’ World some months ago. The training and the half itself would fall into the category of “extreme running” if it occurs more than very occasionally. The paper gives clear guidelines regarding duration. It doesn’t discuss excessive running in the context of people like me who have had a heart attack or heart disease. So I will err on the side of caution. I’ll miss Wimpole but do the St. Neots half in November. My next half will be Cambridge in March.

I will still go to Wimpole, though. I’m giving my arch rival Kerry a lift and another arch rival, Mike, is also taking part. It’ll give me a chance to take a zillion pictures and spend a longer time in Wimpole second hand bookshop.

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Aliveandrunning September 28 2014

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I went to Wimpole Estate parkrun yesterday expecting to have social intercourse with normal people, and run with same but I was treated to this! The under dressed chap on the left is doing his 100th parkrun and also fundraising for MIND. I caught up with them at the finishing line and by that time the all terrain buggy was predictably busted. Good running weather; I ran up the short but steep hill instead of walking it; felt fine running. My two arch rivals both got PBs! Very well done. In the absence of mandatory drug testing/steward’s inquiry/ lie detector tests I utterly accept their times. I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for them continuing to run on the spot for 30 minutes after the race and laughing hysterically.

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Here’s me snapped by a discerning photographer and demonstrating the much under rated “running with open mouth”  style. We were requested to wear club vests in recognition of a club runner, aged 46, who died suddenly during a Round Norfolk Relay a short while ago. A very sad occurrence and thankfully very rare.

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Wimpole Hall, a stately house which is the backdrop to the parkrun, has a good second hand bookshop in their stately Courtyard. I picked up (or rather rescued) these iconic Penguin paperback editions which were inexplicably languishing on the 50p tables outside. I am now highly skilled in recognising Penguins from their spines, embedded in rows of non Penguin paperbacks. Do I have them already? Only a crazy person would buy the same books several times over with an eventual intention to redistribute said books to people who appreciate them! The top books were bought at Emmaus, a homeless charity which has a large shop of donated items and is only half a mile away. A good running and reading day!

Lastly, Cambridge junior parkrun this morning went very well. We equalled our 125 record attendance achieved last week. Ms Alive and Running was volunteer coordinator and I was timer. Always fascinating and enjoyable and a lovely coffee with chums afterwards.

 

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Aliveandrunning August 17 2014

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This chap (I presume it’s male) landed on a bamboo cane near the little pond I’ve created. How envious am I not to have two pairs of wings like him.

Saturday! It’s Cambridge parkrun. I’m feeling fast. I’m confident. I look skyward and see Zeus reclining on a low cloud. He gives me the thumbs up. I can’t fail to get a personal best. It’s a big field of runners today so I position myself  nearer to the front than usual. We’re off and I’m running like a fierce wind or alternatively, like the shape shifting, liquid metal T-1000 Terminator in Terminator 2 : Judgement Day when he chases Arnie’s speeding car. It seems to be going well. But what’s this? A chum greets me as he runs past! “Morning David,” I manage to gasp. A few minutes later, Sylvia passes me followed by Paul, then Mike, Paula and Giles, all cheerily acknowledging me as they cruise past. This is not how it’s supposed to be! Only my pal Dominic, who is recovering his running fitness, remains one second behind at the finish line. When I recover my breath and look up, I have a clear view of  Zeus lolling around on an even lower cloud, shaking with laughter. Obviously I am nowhere near a personal best.

In the afternoon, I went into central Cambridge which was saturated with tourists. This is really unproblematic unless you can’t manage crowds. They generally keep to a few well defined areas and it’s easy to avoid extreme congestion by leaving this well trodden path. I like them. They create an interesting atmosphere. As usual I headed straight for a bookstall on the Market Square and, lo and behold, I found 3 Penguin paperbacks that I couldn’t afford not to have. The bookseller remonstrated with me, advising me not to buy them. “Sir,” he said,”your small cottage overfloweth with books. You have enough. Think of your lady wife, the long suffering Ms Alive and Running. Do not risk her wrath, I beseech thee. Forego the sublime pleasures these low cost volumes, awash with nostalgia for your your youth, can afford you.” I considered his little speech for three whole seconds. “Thank you for your wise words but I regard it as a counsel of despair. Now, my good man, will you or will you not accept my custom? I proffered metal coins which glinted i the sun. His eyes seemed to light up but a scowl played over his face. “Aye, laddie, I will,” he muttered. “On your head be it.” He wrapped up the books in brown paper and handed them to me. Several book browsers applauded as I turned on my heels and strode away. Believe me, it’s not easy buying books in Cambridge

Cambridge junior parkrun today. 15 minutes before it’s due to start, it begins to rain fairly heavily. The adults don’t like the conditions. The children hardly notice. Despite the weather all goes smoothly. Junior parkrun is well supported by volunteers and parents and continues to be hugely enjoyable. Each runner is loudly encouraged all the way round the course and particularly over the finish line. Their faces light up with pleasure.No need to rely on the  good will of the Roman gods.

In the afternoon I went for a 10 mile run along the river Cam as part of my preparation for the Grunty Fen half marathon in three weeks. It felt easier thn last week. I got back in time to see Mo Farah win the 5k race at the Zurich European Championships. He’s got my running style!

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Aliveandrunning June 28 2014 Juneathon Day 28

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Wimpole Estate parkrun this morning. I felt tired initially but I finished  only 13 seconds off my personal best. I decided to walk up the short, steep hill rather than jog up and feel all in at the top. After a flat 400 metres, there’s a lovely rough grass downhill stretch towards the  lake. It’s a great course and, as an added bonus, cows with remarkably pointy horns are strewn liberally around the running line to keep us alert.

We had coffee with friends and then I was compelled by my personal genetic imperative to visit Wimpole’s excellent second hand bookshop where I bought the above treasures (of course they didn’t provide me with a large bowl of steaming porridge. I added that for creative interest). Will I read them in their entirety? Probably not. But I will read them in part and that’s good enough. It’s wonderful to turn to pages at random and become immediately absorbed in the content. You can easily do that with non fiction. I still can’t get my head around the concept of abandoning books,( particularly non fiction), to a “shop” or online, where they wait to be loved again. Anyway, their loss is my gain. I’ve reassured them they are safe with me and can (figuratively) put down roots.

And talking about roots, I bought this substantially discounted Solanum laxum “Album” at their plant shop.

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Various people congratulated me on my shrewd book and plant purchasing decisions and even though Lorna didn’t verbally heap praise upon me, I could see the glint in her eyes revealed full approval and a sneaking pride. I think I detected a challenge along the lines “just see if you can repeat your success next time we visit Wimpole.” Yes, mam!

Tomorrow is Cambridge junior parkrun trial run. The inaugural run is in a fortnight.