What's this all about?

A new adventure beckons, and this is once again about my personal journey to make it happen.

It might make you laugh; it might make you cry, but by 'eck lads and lasses, it will be worth a quick skeg every now and then, tha's for sure.

Saturday 11 June 2011

Saturday, part 1

Lunchtime and while my Shepherds Pie is cooking thought I'd report back on my Saturday morning tyre-drag (the first of two today).

I actually didn't make it out last night to drag the tyres (the lure of Tescos' was quite simply just too much for a man of low morale standards and little physical substance) so I decided that this morning I'd take 2 tyres for a 2-miler and then a single tyre for a 2-miler this afternoon. Sunday SHOULD be a single tyre for THREE 2-milers ... but let's wait to see if it's peeing it down or not first.

Oh before I move on, it was great to see 'young' Anthony on Thursday evening at Mark Byrne's leaving-do, even though he had his pale blue Henri Lloyd polo shirt completely buttoned up (yes Ant' you're right, the chavs and the fashion victims who are under 22 years old DO wear their polo shirts like that). Now get hunting those BUPA exec's with the large Marketing budgets and even larger hearts.

So this morning; a 2-mile 2-tyre drag, a photographer from the Yorkshire Post newspaper, my 'boss' and his son and a German shepherd (a dog, not actually a 'German shepherd' wandering round Rothwell Park for goodness sake) and yet it all started so badly.

I hadn't gone half a mile when my legs and my head started shouting at me ... "Stop, you're just not going to be able to do this this morning" ..... What?!?!? Hang on, I'm supposed to be building up to becoming a reet 'ard Polar explorer and you're telling me to give up this morning???

I stood and literally gave myself a good talking to and, after 30 seconds of self-berating activity, I carried on in that strange psychological state of being humbled that I'd been told off and yet also proud that I'd told myself off. Err isn't that a little schizophrenic?

It was at this point Stephen (my 'boss') sent a text to say he and his son were on their way over to watch me pull the tyres. What he ACTUALLY said in his text was "Josh and I are coming to see you. Josh has a bag of stones to throw". So I dragged as I waited for the laughter, the mockery and the stoning.

About 35 minutes later James the YP photographer (or was it Chris) turned up and started taking photos of me through the trees and using flash-guns on tripods in the middle of the Park. Attracted a bit of an audience actually. Mind you my legs have NEVER ached so much as they did whilst holding a couple of 'dramatic poses', all in the name of art you understand.

He was good though and I'm looking forward to not only seeing the photo they choose for the paper but hopefully also the photos Heart Research UK (who arranged the article) and I can use. I got so excited I decided to play amateur paparazzi on James (or was it Chris) ....


It's okay, you don't have to say anything as the National Museum of Photography have already told me not to bother asking for a knighthood for services to photography. In fact they have even barred me from buying a visitors ticket to the Museum.

After cramp had set in for the 4th time, he finally admitted he had enough photos and we parted company which was good timing because Stephen and Josh had arrived, albeit at the wrong end of the Park, so we all set off to meet somewhere in the middle.

(My buzzer is going off so I'm just heading downstairs to get my Shepherds Pie out of the oven. While you wait please take some time to admire the art work from my friend Alison who will be one of those displaying their wares at the fundraiser at Zinc. Alison only picked up charcoals about 6 months ago, yes for the first time EVER in her life, and she's now producing stuff like this ... all self taught too!!)



And I'm back. Now where was I .... oh yes, Stephen and Josh.

I could hear Stephen laughing 300 metres away. I must have been a strange sight as their dog stopped in its tracks and you could see Josh move visibly closer to Stephen; he clearly felt he really should hold his Dad's hand for protection.  As they got closer Stephen was good to his promise of a few months ago and he immediately and gladly gave me another £10 donation for laughing at me.

Josh on the other hand was fascinated; so much so he let go of his Dad's hand and started to smile. It was like one of those horror-movie moments where the innocent boy seems suddenly unafraid of the psychotic monster whilst the audience are screaming in their heads "Don't do it little boy, don't go too close". Sadly for Josh he did. In an instant he was wrapped happily in the harness and ready to give the tyre-pulling a go ......


Sadly he has a little way to go before he can even MOVE the tyres. It was as if they'd been super-glued to the floor but he had a good time and I'm sure his Mum will love to see the photos : )

Of course once Josh had had a go, it was only a matter of seconds before 'Big Daddy' did too.



Stephen clearly found it easy, although he seemed less than keen when I said he could pull it to the goal posts and back (they're the little white dots in the distance ...about a 1/4 mile round trip at the most I'd guess)


And so I re-took the harness and we all walked, quite slowly I have to admit, almost to the goal posts (and yes Tom Chadwick I'm sure I really could be doing more than a mile an a hour but give the old guy a few months to get fitter and you'll be trailing in my wake young man).

We noticed a German shepherd dog and Stephen recalled the tale of how he lost part of his bum to a German shepherd (a German shepherd DOG!!!! Do you know you just CAN'T get the quality of audience these days).

Oh and here's a question for all you dog lovers. Why are small dogs so brave that they always run up and pee on my tyres when that great big hairy scary German shepherd dog has just run a mile at the sight of them?? Actually that was pretty much the behaviour of the owners as I offered them a leaflet about my Trek and Charity Challenge (the organisers) but they took it.

Anyway just after that little episode, Stephen felt a 'hunger gap' in his stomach opening so clearly the McDonalds breakfast hadn't filled him up as much as he'd hoped ... hmm was wondering why they were late ..... so we parted company and I turned and headed back towards the hill for the final pull.




And so that was pretty much it for this morning. Time for a cup of tea before I get ready to do my afternoon stint and then shower, change and head over to Manchester for the evening, Maybe next time Andrew and William will come and watch me drag the tyres but, for now, Peter and Stephen clearly have Andrew far too busy, working at his desk.



I'll type to you later folks.

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