Bibliophilia

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Aliveandrunning January 24 2015 Janathon Day 24

DSC_0199 This is the tithe barn in the village where I live and today it had an Open Day. In 2027, it will be 500 years old but there is currently a struggle to obtain funds to restore and maintain it. If these efforts fail, it could be converted into a house or houses. That would be a great pity. Unfortunately there are limited options regarding how it could be used if funds could be found to save it.

DSC_0213  It’s on church land but is owned by either the parish council or south Cambridgeshire Council. A £100,000 is needed to restore it internally and to repair the thatch (straw on top of reed).There’s no parking and access is restricted to the grass path  in the pic below.

DSC_0244 We went to Wimpole Estate parkrun today. The weather was glorious – sunshine and blue skies. It was cold but that’s often a common feature of winter, isn’t it (see how knowledgeable I am about meteorology and seasonal variations!) There was more mud than last week and, blinded by the low light, I followed the couple in front of me into a quagmire whilst wiser runners skirted around it. A lovely run and good coffee and jam scone in the cafe with running pals. If there was a cloud on the horizon, it was the second hand bookshop not opening before we left (again). The cries of the books begging to be re-homed was pitiful and clearly audible through the heavy locked gates of the Courtyard.

WP_20150124_001 This weimaraner waiting patiently for its owners to reappear fixed me with its plaintive gaze. I half expected it to drive away!

I’m still only 70% fit. I can run but have difficulty putting my socks on. I may have another walking Janathon day tomorrow and run on Monday and Tuesday,

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Aliveandrunning January 18 2015 Janathon Day 18

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I ran into Cambridge city centre from my teeny weeny village today. From my door to Heffers bookshop in the beating heart of academia, I clocked 6 miles. I entered Heffers in my hi viz jacket, radiant as a sun god, stated my business and was immediately taken to the book of my desire. The very same scenario was replicated in the Cambridge University Press bookshop. Owing to the pretentious nature of the purchased books, I cannot reveal their titles. I can only offer a hint. They are “substantial.” Need I say more?

It was getting late and rather than run back with two books jiggling around, I got Park and Ride and jogged back 2 mile s home.

Eight miles in all.

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Aliveandrunning January 17 and a half 2015 Janathon Day 17 and a bit

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Abject apology to the entire world. I accidently published this blog instead of pressing the preview option, earlier in the day. It only showed two pictures and is now deleted. I don’t go in for self flagellation but if I did I would (but I don’t). I have already forgiven myself.

Anyway, back to my reality. Wimpole Estate parkrun did go ahead after a course inspection. The temperature was around -1c or-2c with minimal wind. At the start, the sun shone in a blue sky. A few minutes later, the snow came down in super large flakes. It didn’t last for long and it felt quite magical as we ran over the Wimpole parkland.

It was a lovely run over one of the best parkrun venues. Trail shoes were needed over the frozen ground which was churned up in places and there were a few areas of mud which couldn’t be avoided. It was cold enough to slow me down and my body only started to warm up at the end of the 5k. My hands remained freezing despite good gloves. It took at least 15 minutes in the Wimpole cafe to feel comfortable. Another one or two layers required, I think.

DSC_0166 This pic features Ms Alive and Running and arch rival Kerry. I beat Kerry soundly today. The main reason for leaving him behind eating my dust was that he wasn’t running. He has a cold and cough and a bruised chest sustained after being blown off his bike into a Cambridge ditch last week. Honestly, I’ve heard some excuses in my time but this takes the biscuit!

DSC_0172 This is a large pair of closed doors. Beyond it is the Courtyard wherein exists their bookshop filled to the gills with pre loved books, made of paper, given to them by self deluded people who have convinced themselves they don’t need them. These doors should have been open if there was any justice in the world. They looked shut and when I put my weight against them, their unyielding nature confirmed the evidence of my own eyes. Yes, they were definitely closed (tight). The horror of the situation was intensified by the muffled sounds of the books calling to me (by name) like little lost souls. Oh, the pity! Ms Alive and Running gently led me away and I walked back to the car in a daze. “There, there,” she said soothingly,”I’ll buy you a copy of the Mail. That’ll snap you out of it.” Grrr!…..

DSC_0119 Our parkrun director today. It looks like he’s being menaced by someone in a sky blue hoodie. If the truth be known, I am very envious of his stove pipe hat. It looks good quality. Just the thing to wear out and about in Cambridge.

So, another parkrun Janathon day completed.

 

 

 

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Aliveandrunning January 15 2015 Janathon Day 15

DSC_0096 No aches or pains after yesterday’s 9.8 mile run. I don’t feel as tired as previous Janathons or Junathons (as far as I can remember) and I’m certainly sleeping more soundly. Today I ran a brief 2 miles before 10 am and then I went into Cambridge with Ms Alive and Running. Unusually, we didn’t see any runners in the city centre but there was plenty of evidence that people were walking around (but not briskly). There were a surprising number of people smoking which always shocks me. Given the degree of awareness of the harmful effects of smoking, it feels like  a public form of self harm which has continued to enjoy public acceptability.

WP_20150115_001 A snap of the Cambridge University Press bookshop window display on the market square. There should be a law against this kind of thing because it tempts the weak minded to waste their meagre finances on books rather than food or fuel. Personal disclosure : I covet one of these books and it shall be mine! I tend to covet books, rather than want them, because it sounds more dignified and reasonable.

DSC_0075 One of the porters of a Cambridge college. I was able to step inside one of the old wooden doors directly off the pavement which open out onto beautiful courts and take this pic. Not clear why he was waiting. It wasn’t open to the public and there were no gilded youths in sight.

DSC_0077 This is the particular old door I walked through to take the previous image. What an ace opportunist I am ?

DSC_0071 This street is always fascinating (to me). It leads down to the river Cam.

WP_20150115_003 Finally, the Corpus Christi clock. It will tell you the time but only after you’ve worked it out and then checked it on your watch or mobile.

 

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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 January 6 2015 Janathon Day 6

WP_20150106_001 Today’s small haul of books bought at the charity Emmaus, a local large shop attached to residential accommodation for homeless people about a mile away from me. I showed commendable restraint in keeping purchases to a minimum. There were so many deserving cases which I had to leave on the shelves. Ms Alive and Running patted me on the head, acknowledging the self sacrifice I had made.

I went road running with the club tonight. We warm up on the Cambridge University athletics track which includes jogging two circuits before we split up into two groups to either do track or road training. However, the track had become icy as the temperature plunged (good tabloid word). So no track and both groups went on the road to do different training. It was chilly, the pavements weren’t slippery and there was no wind. I was fully wrapped up and didn’t feel cold. I enjoyed this invigorating session and returned home seriously hungry. Whereupon I devoured a mountain of food.

 

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Aliveandrunning December 28 2014

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Yesterday’s Cambridge parkrun was excessively muddy! Clearly the East Anglia rain gods were having a laugh when they created pond sized puddles across the running path. In fact it was worse than that. There were bogs, quagmires, sloughs and quickmud (a close relative of quicksand). I personally saw three men up to their necks in mud screaming at passing runners to stop and pause their Garmins. It was the proverbial nightmare of a run. Or so it seemed. Somehow we survived it but our washing machines will be punished.

It wasn’t exactly like running in treacle but the mud certainly slowed us down. The numbers were about half the usual crowd although my family did its utmost to boost the total. I ran with Ms Alive and Running and our five children for the first time ever. Fantastic! My eldest son just beat me by seconds (well, 280 seconds actually which is nothing at all compared with the age of the Universe). In fact we all ran well and I’m very proud that we can all take part in a race together on occasions. The next opportunity will be Cambridge half marathon in March.

Next race is the New Year’s Eve 10k at Ely (on December 31st, believe it or not!) and a special New Year’s day parkrun at Huntingdon on, yes,you’ve guessed it, January 1st.

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Cambridge junior parkrun this morning. 58 children between the ages of 4-14 took part, well down on the recent record of 138 but a good number considering the weather conditions. Plenty of icy, muddy puddles and an inspection of the course resulted in some changes to the measured 2k distance. Loads of parents became inpromptu marshals to line the course to maximise safety. One person dancing around, playing the flute and looking remarkably like the Pied Piper of Hamlin was turned away. They will have to wait just a little longer before their invoice for rat catching services are honoured.

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We had a serious outbreak of origami in our house over Christmas and this is the result. Old Rupert annuals are a good source of origami creations and I soon found a spectacular pagoda to make although the above examples are from a recent book left by Mother Christmas. It seems that Rupert’s origami can be quite complicated and the instructions are often not adequate. The internet will provide, however.

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My modest stash of Christmas books. Spitafields Nippers are poor children photographed in London around the start of last century. They reflect the harsh circumstances of their young lives and the dire poverty of their upbringings. Very poignant, very affecting. I’m sure God has a good reason for the breathtakingly high child mortality rate in times past, in this country and everywhere else. I would be oblige if anybody with a religious faith could provide a brief rationale explaining the religious justification for such suffering. I’ve read a few clever philosophical explanations but nothing which makes any sense to me. Please bring  enlightenment. Pretty please.

Gotta sign up for Janathon. Gonna be January soon.

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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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Alive and Running November 7 2014

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I sashayed into the City of Cambridge yesterday with premeditated intent. I didn’t start sashaying until I had  alighted from the romantically titled Park and Ride bus at the Grafton Centre (about half a mile from the City centre) with a view to exploring Mill Road cemetery. Consecrated in 1848, it is now full (around 3,500 marked graves and about 20,000 unmarked graves). Overgrown in many places, many people use it as a walk through, a place to walk dogs, a quiet private space and a valued green wild park like area.

I came out onto Mill Road, the “Bohemian”district of Cambridge with lots of independent shops, a sizeable ethnic Chinese population and controversial plans to build a big mosque complex. Bring it on! *

*other religions are available. All of them are self serving and perpetuated mainly by males, whose primary motive is to retain power, authority and wealth.. Other interpretations, possibly more benign, are available.

Looking into window of the large Oxfam shop in Burleigh Street, this 1960’s Penguin edition of John Wyndham’ The Kraken Awakes suddenly spotted me and called “Help ….I deserve to be rescued.. take me home…have pity.” So I did! John Wyndham is quintessentially old fashioned British sci-fi and this is a great cover.

The other two books I found in Cambridge Central library. The middle book on therapeutic horticulture in the UK looks at research and is very pertinent to the gardening project charity I am setting up. It discusses concepts and outcomes which I instinctively feel to be true so I think I am on the right lines. Earlier in the  day, I spoke to the Small Charities Coalition advice line which helped me decide not to go down a particular route. I don’t need to become a registered  charity because I don’t anticipate my annual income will exceed £5000. This will make some things a lot easier. I can still go for registration if I choose to expand.

Running has taken a complete backseat at the moment. I’m still not fully over my cold of 12 days. Well, not a complete backseat. But I haven’t run since last weekend when I did a 10k race. I am doing Cambridge parkrun tomorrow and I am registered for the St. Neots half marathon which is on November 17. I might visit the Oracle and take advice. Whatever, I will rise from the ashes like the proverbial Phoenix, leaner, meaner and hungrier, and go on to further running glory. Possibly. Anyway, volunteering at Cambridge junior parkrun on Sunday; always a pleasure as long as I don’t muck up the timing.

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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