They’re Giving Me a Medal 🏅

The temperature had dropped slightly, but the palms were still sweating and my BPM was at 70 instead of its usual 34-40, according to Garmin, which I love but it has annoying habit of telling me to ‘Move’ when I’m having a rest. Anyway… seventy two years ago, I’m kinda guessing as I wasn’t even a twinkle at that time in fact I’m not sure if I was ever a twinkle in my Dad’s eye as it’s common knowledge that I was a mistake, see not all mistakes are a disaster. Of course there has been no census from my ex-wives, so you’ll have to take that as a given 😉. Now, all that time ago they gave my Dad some medals, I think there were 6. I haven’t seen them for a while as I gave them to my sister (long story, but she felt she should have them) They’re medals from WW2, my medal is for dancing, so no bravery involved in actual fact there wasn’t a lot of skill either, but it’s my first medal, (I was a rubbish swimmer at school!) so I was a little nervous. Our Dance teacher said she would dance with us because I can’t count, well obviously I can count, but not in the right way and my rhythm is off. These are things that can hamper one’s progress as a dancer but then they said Fred Astaire, “couldn’t act, was going bald and danced a bit,” many years ago at an early screen-cast. So, under the keen eye of the examiner off I went with a Social Foxtrot. Barbara at Dance Safari and Carolyn at ABC of Spirit Talk are now laughing as it’s probably the easiest dance in the world, but I passed and more to the point, survived! 😘 Oh! the photo is me and mum-in law at a wedding not the Dance Teacher 😉

 

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So Happy!

Five years ago I developed a calf thing, hey I don’t know I’m not a Dr 😂 After running a mile the pain in my calf meant I walked home. This was a bummer for someone who loves running. I saw a couple of physios but I think they just thought I was too old. Then I saw this guy when we moved to Beverley and he really took an interest. This morning I ran the Beverley 10k in 48:03 which is four and a half minutes faster than my previous PB. Not much of a post but I felt the need to share. Happy Mother’s Day America 🙏💐😀

Freddie Star

I don’t usually do this, but this guy was a comic hero for most of my life and passed away yesterday. I’m not writing a huge tribute I’ll let him do it 😘 www.youtube.com/watch

The Boy in the Short Pants

The city sun was no different to the country sun, so why was it so scary? A strange question to ask your 10 year-old self? I should have asked why the other boys were throwing stones at my legs, but I knew the answer. It was the short pants. Let me explain, we had moved from the farm to a council estate in Bradford (not the best decision my parents made) now, country boys wore short pants whereas city boys wore long pants.

Dad and I on the farm

The maisonette with the boarded up windows was ours.

As someone different I had to be punished bullied maybe it was a form of banter ;-). I kept walking and they followed, until a girl began talking to me. She placed herself between me and them, they stopped throwing stones and dispersed. Her name was Christine Oats and we became friends. We played together that summer until one day it was over and we were sent to different schools. I saw her again once, 7 years later, I was with some ‘lads’ we were ‘lads’ on the last bus home and drunk. They were making some rude innuendos towards her and when I recognised her I went to sit with her whereupon they ceased their abuse. We talked for while, well, I slurred and she didn’t really speak much until we reached her stop and suddenly she was gone. I often wondered why she was so ‘offish.’ Then a few days ago I worked it out, she was disappointed. She saw what I had become, she thought I had become one of the stone throwers. It was shortly after that, as a 17 year-old I came to my senses and realised that ‘stone throwing wasn’t really me. I left Bradford for good. I’ve never been back.

Make an Easter Tree; Adorn with Chicks and Bunnies

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Originally posted on Charliecountryboy's Blog:
Sorry if you were expecting Chicks and Bunnies pole dancing in a tree, but this isn’t Playboy and I’m no Hugh Hefner 🙂 When we left Hampshire last year the Princess asked me to…

Nasty Followers, “like hobbits is”

I never post twice a week except this week I’m on holiday and planned a whole week of running and gym and writing and all things nice 🏃‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🧘‍♂️📇💃🕺🏻Instead, as you know I got a cold 😈👿🤮Anyway managed a 5k this morning complete with nose bleed? (No idea). After cold bath followed by hot shower, breakfast of Bran Flakes/banana/yoghurt/toast and a fruitless search for chocolate while cursing Princess for acquiescing to my request, not to buy any said chocolate, I decided to catch up on my latest WordPress followers.

This subject has been bothering me for a while. People that follow you without liking any of your posts. How does that work? I mean I’m not going to follow you back ‘you knob little monkey’ But why did you follow me? I can only guess it’s to get lots of followers themselves. If I read something I like and find their site interesting, I follow them. I don’t wander around WordPress aimlessly following people, just the same as I don’t wander the streets following strangers home. Then there are the ones that don’t exist FFS!

Or even better it says they have deleted the account. So today I am having a clear out. As for Instagram? Well, that is a joke. Have you any idea how many beautiful young nubile girls want to have sex with me? I generally block them, but sometimes I start a conversation and play along, with shouts from the Princess. “Stop teasing the sex workers” It usually goes along these lines:

SexygirlfromCA – “Hi, baby, have you been in my Cam Room?

OldCharliefromT’North – “Why? Did I leave my socks?

SexygirlfromCA – “Conversation ended” 😂😂

I’m a Bad, Bad Patient

The cold shivers ravage your body and your spine feels like its just come out of cold storage then you realise someone is drilling holes into the backs of your eyes. Meanwhile sweat oozes from every pore and you feel like a human Niagara.

“Would you like me to fill your water glass?” She asks.

“No I’ll just lie here and die of bloody thirst.” I answer. There’s no comeback, people learn quickly, I am a terrible patient. Later I am asked if I would like some soup?

“You know what? As I can hardly swallow and my gums feel as though someone has been trying to cut them out with a Jig saw all night why don’t you rustle up me a T-Bone, FFS!!!” I’ve always been like that, I remember hearing voices outside my room when, as a kid I had the Flu. My elder sister enquired as to my well being and my mother replied, “Go in and see him if you dare, horrible nasty little demon.” Many years later after watching the Exorcist I had some sympathy for them.

So yes I am sick and have been struggling all week for a post, although I have been informed that going for a 12k run followed by a cold bath on Thursday wouldn’t have helped. But you know me, never surrender 😂😂😂😂😂

Batman and I

“One August day an eight-year old and his mum are picking blackberries, she is unaware her son is a Superhero and wearing his costume beneath his ordinary clothes. I was expecting a crime wave not a heat wave and as I sank into a lethargic state of heat exhaustion I began to have doubts about said costume.”                                                               That was an exert from an old blog Hawkboy  It was Batman’s 80th birthday last week which triggered the memory of the post. Batman was an old chum of mine when I was playing superheroes back in the day and we had quite a bit in common. I built my own Batmobile and although I was never paid, I was a Batman look alike for a while.

 

I had a den in the woods, den/cave lets not get picky. We both abhorred injustice, okay I didn’t catch the high profile criminals like he did but I did punch Micky Jackson on the nose when he stole Patricia’s packet of Smarties And of course the opposite sex found us both attractive, although I never got to screw Catwoman I don’t recall ever losing a game of Kiss and Catch 😉 There was a party last week for Batty at the Anaheim Convention Center No one invited me 😦 After all those years of watching Batman  reading Batman and listening to my Batman Soundtrack Album you would think I might have got an invite?

 

Park Run

The sweat is stinging your eyes, your lungs are bursting and your legs feel like one of those Hartley Jellies Mum used to make. After 5k you collapse over the line,  a gasping, sweating, wobbly mass that was previously a human being.

So why is is Park Run so popular? We are a herd animal, or is that horses? I forget. But anyway look at the towns; we all live on top of each other and I mean close together not what your thinking 😉 A new fashion comes out and we all want it, Apple, Dyson, Sky, (that’s Media, not the big blue thing) Donald Trump (ooops!) Brexit, oh okay maybe not all of us, but you get the jist. If we aren’t following what everyone else does then we feel left out, so it’s natural that as more people take to the Park Run then more people will want to? I’m generalising when I say ALL and of course you have to consider the feel good factor that you get when all those endorphins are released coupled with wanting to improve your health and body tone 😉

But where did it come from? The short version is Paul Sinton-Hewitt on 2 October 2004 at Bushy Park in London with some friends decided to have a 5k timed run. The whole essence is community, you can run, jog, walk, take the kids, a pushchair or the dog. It’s free and it’s timed, with the results emailed to you. Last week in the UK, 15 years after that first run there were: 599 Park Runs with 155,236 parkrunners and 13,189 volunteers. If you tie that to the Couch to 5k initiative (another story) It’s no wonder some GP’s are recommending both. Paul Sinton-Hewitt must be saving the Health Service a fortune! A few weeks ago at my local Park Run, the City of Hull Athletic Club brought 68 Couch to 5k runners down. These were 68 people of all ages who had never run before completing the 9 week programme. So, if you feel a little down, if you want a bit of self esteem and if you want to run with the herd 😉 Take a look, you never know what you can do until you try xxx

Malayan Spout Hotel

The princess said oooh! lets go on the North Yorkshire Moors for half term. This hotel is doing Bed Breakfast and two course evening meal for two at £99. I agreed because…… well its easier isn’t it and I like a good old hike, but frankly I wasn’t expecting a lot at £50 each. We arrived early, left our bags at reception and set off for a little walk. First impression of the hotel was, ‘Hmm Hm (sort of Laurel and Hardyesque)

The little walk turned into 20km as neither of us are very good with sticking to paths and rules and so it was we found ourselves in the woods with a setting sun. I realised that half hour from now we would be lost to the world, reduced to mere statistics. “Two hikers found torn to pieces after three day search.” The princess reminded me that there were no wolves, witches or demons on the moors and suggested we go back the way we came. I reluctantly agreed, there’s no fun in going back

This where I can safely say that if you are visiting the North Yorkshire Moors go to a place called Goathland and stay at the Mallyan Spout Hotel. The setting and ambiance was  fabulous 🙂

The staff were so lovely and welcoming that after the walk we sat and relaxed in the bar, after 20k I needed a couple of pints of liquid refreshment 😉 But you can’t sit in the bar all night, or so I was told, so eventually we headed up to the room to get ready for dinner and what a room and what views!

Heading out for dinner once again I was surprised not only by the beautifully set out dining room, but the menu and then the food, well I had Pigeon to start and then Pan Seared Venison Loin. Yes, I know I’ve probably upset the vegans and the Disney fans by eating Bambi’s mum, but there’s no point in lying is there?

Dry January was long gone so the £99 deal was a little more than that, with the wine….oh and the beer and of course the princess was right, we weren’t torn apart by wolves, witches or demons 😉 Have a great weekend folks xx