parkrun tourism: Highbury Fields

Posted on September 12, 2022 by lindaharley

parkrun #319 event #88

Reason for visit – Jemima starring at Sadlers Wells! Oh, and I got to see Hamilton while I was there also….

Access:

Normally when I’m visiting Jem we sit on Friday nights trying to match nearby parkruns with route maps, and they can be quite lengthy and complicated. This time I was staying in the Travelodge Royal Scot, where I could see St Pancras out my hotel window.

Highbury and Islington is one stop on the Victoria line, and the course is only 200m from the station! Definitely one of the easiest London ones to get to by public transport.

Course:

No gonna lie, it’s 5 laps. Mostly on tarmac footpaths, with any obstacles such as “mud corner” marshalled or coloured coned. Starts and finishes on grass, and there’s a designated baggage area. It does go up a slight hill (I was tempted to do a Crocodile Dundee-esque “Call that a hill?”), before a slight meandering path at the top of the park, (no short cuts across the grass!) and then a delightful gentle downhill section. For those at the back of the pack like me, you will be lapped a few times, but the last couple of laps will be quieter and less crowded.

Facilities:

Start and finish is at the same spot, so there’s always someone around near the bag drop. There is a 20p public loo, I asked politely and was allowed to use the ones in the little leisure centre. Plenty of cafes around for parkfaffing – I had to get back and changed as I had a whole day of theatre-going ahead of me. And a snigger-worthy pub.

Gear:

It was just after the death of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, so I wore my black 100 volunteer shirt. (I did see someone in a rarely spotted 250 vol one). Skirty leggings, cow cowl, and zippy belt. Sadly, when I got back to the tube station, my debit card was missing, must have fallen out of the zippy belt while I was taking photos. I was quite glad of the short lap, as I retraced my steps, but to no avail. I wore my Saucony shoes – the What Shoes spreadsheet does suggest road shoes, though the wet grass bits can be slippy.

Crowd:

Having beaten the slugs at (S)Limefield and Knockbraken, this time the slugs beat me!

A few tourists chatted to me having spotted the cowl, and there plenty of cheery volunteers.

Time:

My reported time was 38 minutes, which frankly I don’t believe. But the official result is the official one, so I’ll take it! I wasn’t wearing a sports watch so I can’t corroborate, but it would be the first sub 40 in quite some time if it’s correct.

Strangely Appropriate Song on Shuffle:

I wasn’t listening to any music or podcasts- running on busy public footpaths I like to be fully aware of my surroundings. Over the weekend, though, we had several renditions of God Save The King, which we are all trying to get used to.

And the Rest:

Jemima was – of course – amazing! And I got to meet up with my best friend and her husband, and my cousin and his wife, so we had quite a fan club for her.

Hamilton was just mind blowing, so much happens on stage that it’s hard to take it all in.

All my parkruns:

NI (and other) parkruns: summary list

Filed under: London, Parkrun, running | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

Dulwich parkrun

Posted on October 22, 2021 by lindaharley

Event #77 run #289

Reason for visit: the London marathon, baby!

Access

I was staying with my daughter in Crystal Palace.  I didn’t want to redo that parkrun as I’d already done it ( twice!) and anyway it was cancelled that week. My alternative plan was to run Victoria Dock before dropping my bag off at the Excel. But IT was cancelled too! They knew that a lot of marathoners would have the same plan and didn’t have enough space for a safe event. So Jemima used her expert knowledge of local transport options, and worked out which bus I should get to arrive at Dulwich in time.

Course

This is well known as a fast course, and many parkrun records have been set here. The start and finish are in the same area, with the “ hang it on a tree” option for storing belongings. It’s 3 laps, wide tarmac surface all the way.

Facilities

There are loos behind the cafe by the bowling green.  I didn’t get a chance to try out the café but I believe it does good brownies.

Crowd

Usually about 300 or  so, there were 414 the day I attended. I did get chatting to a few other cow cowls, also in town for the marathon, but checking their what’s app to make sure their home events were running smoothly. A rather sweet grandfather-grandson pair were completing milestone (arbitrary) runs together.

Time

37:53, my fastest this year. But I’ve been focusing on long slow runs in prep for the big one.

Strangely appropriate song on shuffle

“I can’t keep up” by Silhouette

And the rest

Can definitely recommend City Mapper asa useful app for getting about by public transport.

Read all about The London Marathon

And you can still donate here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/linda-harley6

Also see NI (and other) parkruns: summary list

Filed under: London, london marathon, Parkrun, running | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

The London Marathon

Posted on October 18, 2021 by lindaharley

Running the London Marathon

I’ve always said I didn’t have a marathon in me – I’m a keen parkrunner, for sure, but there’s a massive difference between running 5km and running 42 of them, all in one go.  But as part of my *cough cough* milestone birthday celebrations, I was somehow persuaded that this would be A Good Idea!

The first hurdle was getting a place.  There is a ballot which takes place every year, but most runners who apply are unsuccessful.  So I decided to go for a charity place instead.  Big events like marathons raise a huge amount for charities, and the absence of races and the like during the pandemic has been a massive blow for many, especially smaller and less well-known charities.  I was able to secure a place for the Smile Train, which provides medical treatment to children born with a cleft.  This can make it difficult for them to eat, drink, or talk, and has a detrimental impact on self-confidence.  I was very moved by the stories and pictures shared, and of just how life changing and enhancing this simple operation can be.  So even a small amount of money makes a very big difference.

Then came the training.  I was following a beginners 16 week training plan, which entailed a couple of running sessions during the week, with a progressively longer one on a Sunday.  Those long runs were vital in identifying what gear was comfortable to wear, most importantly socks and shoes, as well as how I was going to fuel en route.  Trying out jelly-babies versus mint imperials was one of the more enjoyable parts of training!  I also discovered that I got cold very quickly post-run, and that I liked listening to podcasts which distracted me from thinking “how much longer do I have to run?”

The final few weeks flew by, and I really appreciated “tapering” where instead of running for 3 ½ hours my long run was now a “mere” 90 minutes.  I received my kit bag in the post, and carefully packed it with all the things I would need at the finish line – warm clothes, Compeed plasters, and comfy footwear (crocs!) to change into.  Arriving in London, I headed to the Excel centre to drop off the kitbag, which I wouldn’t then see again till the finish line, and pick up my race number.  I double checked that I knew how to get to the starting point in time next day.  There are so many runners taking part that there are actually three different start areas, and within each of those, groups of runners set off in waves at allocated times.  This means quite a lot of hanging around (i.e queueing for the portaloos), and I was glad of the jacket I was wearing to keep me warm.  There are designated bins at the start where discarded clothing is collected and then redistributed to charities and the homeless.

Just after 10.30 my wave was called to enter the holding bay, and the excitement was really building as I chatted with other runners around me, many of them also doing their first marathon.  And then we were off!

Everyone who has run this event will tell you that the atmosphere provided by the crowd and supporters in London is something special.  They are not wrong.  Each side of the road was full of people cheering and calling out our names, with helpful encouragement like “nearly there!” (at mile 1…..).  A pub was playing YMCA as we ran past, and to a woman we all joined in with the actions.  As I passed a bagpiper I did a little bit of Highland dancing.  And the drummers, samba bands, Morris dancers, jazz groups etc all propelled us along on a wave of great spirits.   Many other runners were in fancy dress – I was overtaken by a pair of minions, a few rhinos, the queen, and Freddy Mercury, a telephone and some sort of internal organ.

The route continued past the Cutty Sark, and shortly after that crossed the iconic Tower Bridge, where I took the mandatory selfie.  From there the route weaves out to Canary Wharf, where it started to rain and quite a fierce wind blew up.  I was really struggling by now, and my walk breaks were getting progressively longer and longer.

Once I hit mile 20 I was determined to make it to the finish, and just kept on plonking one big ole foot in front of the other.  I did manage to break into a final jog to cross the line, though I was so emotional at that point that the official photos make me look very sad.  But I wasn’t, I was elated. It had taken me just over 7 hours, but I did it.

Afterwards I had a few blisters to deal with, and going up and down stairs was agony! But I recovered more quickly than I expected, and as is compulsory I now manage to shoehorn a mention of the marathon into every conversation.

It’s still not too late to contribute to my fundraising efforts, at

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LindaHarleyGillespie

or

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/linda-harley6

or contact me for other methods.

Filed under: fundraising, London, london marathon, running | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

parkrun tourism: Kingston

Posted on February 23, 2020 by lindaharley

parkrun #283 event #69
Reason for visit:  a rare chance to see both my little darlings being marvellous!

I was in London as J had been nominated in 2 categories for the National Dance awards, and I was also staying to see H’s latest West End venture. Originally the plan had been to do Bushy for H’s 50th, but when he couldn’t make it I switched to Kingston as the next closest.

Access:

I was staying in the Traveloge Teddington, a handy 4 minute walk from the railway station, and very close to Teddington High Street, along which many buses travel.

From there I was able to jog the mile or so down High Street, trying not to be distracted by the delightful little boutiques. Helpful indicators that I was near the river, across the footbridge, and another 500m down to the Hawker centre.

The 285 bus goes between Heathrow and Kinsgton, handy tourist knowledge.  Allow an hour to get to the airport though, what with traffic and roadworks.

Facilites:

There are clean loos in the Hawker centre, and presentation of your barcode gets 15% off in the cafe.

First timers briefing takes place here also.

Course:

The course is a sort of lollipop shape.  The start is around 200m further towards Kingston, runs on a tarmac path alongside the river, onto the towpath under the footbridge, along to Ham field.  This can get a bit mucky!

From there it’s back along the same route, finishing at the Hawker centre.  There’s one small section where runners are going in both directions, so keep left! And there’s a slight incline coming out of the field, otherwise it’s pretty flat.

There was a minor bit of panic early in the week as the council were carrying out work to the path, with a possible cancellation warning.  But they finished on the Friday, just in time.  I was still able to win “parkrun cancellation Top Trumps” with my Crissy Field story.

It can be a narrow path at times, but the crowd soon thins out.

Crowd:

There’s usually around 400 runners, some buggy runners bravely taking on the field.  I saw a  few dogs, though the sitepage says it’s a “no dogs” course, and quite a few adults accompanying thier under 11s.

It’s a popular one with toruists, I got chatting to a number of cow cowls and bobble hats, as well as some world tourists who were doing their 90th event!  Letter K is also a popular one for alphabeteers and name-spellers.  And look, a lesser spotted 500 shirt.

I got a shout out in the briefing as having come the furthest, and during the run got a “Well done Miss Northern Ireland!”, which was nice.

Gear:

I was wearing my purple Jog Lisburn top, with gloves and headband agaisnt the cold wind.  My purple skort is getting a bit tight, i really must lose weight. I’ve managed to find my missing zippy belt, and theres a ziped pocket in the back of the trousers where i kept my hotel key card, away from my phone.  No watch or music, so I was using counting to 100 and back down again as a distraction technique.  Hokkas were a good choice of footwear for this mixed terrain.

And the rest:

Well J was just amazing.  She looked stunning in her jacket by Adam Brady (not the Scottish dancer) and giant soled shoes.

A cross between Cruella de Ville and will.a.am.

The talent in the garden room at The Barbican was electrifying, and I really enjoyed meeting critic Donald Hutera, who I’ve followed on Twitter for some time.  And the awards ceremony was really well done, with short video clips of all the nominees shown in each category.

The next day I was able to meet up with my son, who’s working backstage on Magic Mike Live, an energetic and exciting show with lots of impressive dancing and cheeky audience interraction.

Thank you Magic Unicorn!

All my parkruns

Filed under: Dance, kids, London, Parkrun, running, travel | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

parkrun tourism: Ally Pally

Posted on September 17, 2017 by lindaharley

ap1

Event number 42 (for all you Hitchhiker fans), parkrun number number 180 (said in darts commentator voice) and putting the A in DANCER.

Access:

There’s plenty of parking in and around Alexandra Palace.  I walked from a lovely Air BnB nearby, and the W3 bus goes through the grounds.  There’s a nearby railway station, and the closest tube station is Wood Green.

Facilities:

There are loos in the ice rink and in the Phoenix cafe.  We enjoyed coffee and sausage rolls afterwards in the Palm Court bit of the main bulding, but there’s some refreshements available at the ice rink also.

Course:

It’s 2 big laps with a start and finish section.  Start and finish are in the same place, so you can leave bags and belongings there.  The terrain is very varied, from tarmac, to gravel, to grass, and a steep muddy incline!  Not the easiest, but the views over London are just spectacular.

Crowd:

I was impressed at the number of young people here – a confident young man effectively delivered the first timers briefing, there were lots of teenage marshalls giving cheering support along the way, and I was in awe of young Georgia in her white 10 shirt, sharing motivational chat with her Mum all the way round, and managing a brilliant sprint finish. I got chatting afterwards to a 250 shirter called Liberty, who was really friendly, and there was a warm welcome from the RD and team. Numbers are usually in the 200s.

Gear:

I always travel in my second best trainers, and these were a good choice for the sometimes slippery surface.  My Garmin worked OK, but its clippy lead has disintegrated.  My headphones worked for half the yodelling song from Eurovision 2016, but then refused to behave at all. I wore my apricot Wallace top.

Strangely Appropriate Song on Shuffle:

No headphones so no shuffle.  But my earworm was a country song called “What Ifs”, and I distracted myself by trying to remember all the lyrics.

Time:

Tough course, no Minnie, no music, and I stopped to take photos en route.  So 36 something. Bleurgh, it can only improve. I did manage my signature skip-change step over the finish line.

Sticky letter:

IMG_2262

I’ve been trying to get someone appropriate to stick each letter of DANCER as I run them, and what better than an actual p’feshnil dancer to do the honours!  Jemima also took plenty of great action photos for me.

And the rest….:

I was in town to see Evita, which my son is working on, and what a rare pleasure to have both my children in the same room!

And I finished my Saturday with a bit of dancing at the RSCDS London Branch dance, where it was lovely to catch up with old friends, and make some new ones.

apdance

All my parkruns:

all the parkruns I’ve completed

 

 

 

Filed under: Dance, London, Musicals, Parkrun, running, Scottish Country Dance | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Fagin’s Twist

Posted on October 16, 2016 by lindaharley

I have been the proudest of mammas watching Jemima over the years, but her most recent venture has taken me to depths and heights that I’d never thought I’d see.

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A dancer’s career is brutal.  It’s a tough competitive industry, work is sporadic, and it is physically punishing.  You need so many things to be in your favour.  You need to be talented.  You need to be lucky.  You need to work your little socks off.  And you need to be nice to everyone.  As my son reminded me recently, in “the biz” there are not 6 degrees of separation, probably only 1 or 2.

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Jemima is talented.  Very.  But having watched her graduation show last year,  yes so are her other 49 co-graduates.

Lucky? Yes, you can be the most talented dancer in the world, but if your face or look is not what the director has in mind, or if funding can’t be obtained, or if the mix of dancers doesn’t quite work…..

So when the early stages of Fagin’s Twist began, and Jem was reading for the part of Oliver, I could see that the role was maybe a really promising one for her.  She has a vulnerable quality, a fragility and naivety that is very endearing. And which is key to the character of Oliver.

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Choreographer Tony Adigun likes to take risks.  His retelling of the tale we all think we now so well comprised a small and multi-functional cast, an amazing versatile set, some powerful emotion-stirring music, and a narrative that even included some spoken text.  Modern dance is often a bit wafty and ephemeral, but Fagin’s Twist has recognisable  characters that we can relate to, a story with a beginning, middle and an end, and the audience can’t help but be engaged.

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During the early stages of the show being created, I’d been intrigued at how they used the words of Dickens original text to inspire and develop movements.  The final version (I say final, every time I see it , it’s been changed a bit….!) still has the odd nod to the famous movie musical, with a bit of Food, Glorious Food, Consider yourself one of the family, and always wanting more.  The thumbs-in-braces swagger, the pocket-picking, the top hats and pocket watch, all add colour and content to the story.

I’d first seen it at The Lowry in Manchester, and was just blown away by it.  So I was keen to come to see in in London, at The Place, where I’ve seen many of Jemima’s performances, and who were very important in the funding and promotion of the work.

Jemima’s picture was front and centre of the poster which was appearing everywhere – my cousin even posted on Facebook when he’d seen it at a tube station – I think that’s a bit of an iconic defining moment.

img_0690  Inside (and outside) The Place she was on posters, videos, she even made it onto the wine list!14642491_10156117161143644_228110983077175251_n

The decor in the bar area was lovely –

top hats dangling above the bar, Dickens black and white pictures on the wall, pocket watches on the pillars, a quill pen to write your comments with, graffiti decals, and the old black and white movie version on loop.

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Jemima and I as Bill and Oliver…..

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….before we swap roles!

I’d managed to get there in time to see it on Thursday evening.  Made the mistake of getting off at Holborn (cos that’s where her poster is!), when really Euston or Kings Cross are closer.

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And I also went to the Saturday matinee.  Had a lovely pub lunch at The Doric Arch at Euston – highly recommended.

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The show was just amazing.  I loved listening to the audience chatting during the interval and afterwards, and how genuinely excited they had been by it.  It has come to the end of this London run, still a few more dates in the next couple of weeks, and some possibilities for the future are in discussion.

img_0841

Doing “the puppety thing”, aka Fagin’s skank

The cast members are all sweeties, I’ve been privileged to get to know them more each time I visit.  They and Tony and all the backstage and wardrobe etc crew deserve a huge round of applause, a standing ovation, and a resounding 5 stars.

stars

 

 

Filed under: Dance, London | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

parkrun tourism: Southwark

Posted on October 16, 2016 by lindaharley

In town to see Fagin’s Twist,

img_0831and I chose my accommodation based on proximity to a parkrun I had yet to do. So I ended up in a very well located Air BnB in Bermondsey right beside beautiful Southwark Park.

img_0734

I took time on the Friday to walk around the park, and I was struck by how beautiful it was.

img_0710Wide tree-lined avenues,

an old English garden,

a duckpond,

bandstand, and plenty of cheeky grey squirrels.

Access:

There are a number of gates/ entrances to the park,

img_0799and car-parking didn’t seem to be an issue.  Most people walked, so I’m guessing they live locally.  Bermondsey tube on the Jubilee line is a 10 minute stroll away, and there are a couple of bus stops near by too.  Sadly, the toilets are in the cafe,

img_0815which doesn’t open till 9, but Surrey Quays shopping centre is the closest alternative.

Course:

It’s a 3 lap course, on wide flat tarmac paths, with just a couple of sharp bends to hamper your speed.  There’s one short section where runners are going in both directions, but it’s very well marshalled at all the junctions.

There are no hills to speak of, so it’s theoretically a fast one.

Crowd:

There were over 200 runners when I visited, most of them quite young.

img_0806 I did spot my first cow cowl “in the wild”, as well as an apricot shirt from Stormont.

Gear:

The “round the tree” approach was taken to coats and belongings, but I didn’t want to leave my key there in case it got lost.

img_0810So I tucked the keys into my grey wrist band, and looped Cracker onto my watch strap.

Strangely Appropriate Song on Shuffle:

img_0716

It was a glorious bright autumn morning, with the sun glinting off the pyramid roof of Canary Wharf on the skyline, and I was singing along to Nicky Byrne’s “Sunlight”.

Time:

img_0814

I didn’t quite manage to sub 30 minutes, but I was first in my new age-category!

All my parkruns

Filed under: London, Parkrun, running | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

parkruns: Crane Park, Feltham

Posted on November 6, 2014 by lindaharley

20141101_083050While I am working my way through the Norn Irn parkruns (8/19 at time of writing), I do try to visit others in the vicinity of where I travel.  I happened to be in London one weekend, and had a go at Crane Park, Feltham.

20141101_083032

Access:

My best friend lives in Feltham, and is my usual lodgings any time I visit the big smoke.  So I was truly delighted to find that this run was quite literally round the corner from her – a leisurely 10 minute jog took me to the starting point beside the children’s play area.

20141101_094351

Course:

Crane Park is a long thin patch of green around a stream.  The course is 1 1/2 laps of this rectangle, with the 2 short sides run on public footpaths.  It is very pretty, taking in an old shot tower.  And there’s plenty of wildlife around including the obligatory ducks, and a couple of squirrels.  The paths are a bit lumpy and narrow, but there are no hills to worry about.

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Crowd:

The turnout when I visited was 117, which seems about average.  They’re a speedy bunch, and they seemed to zoom through a pre-run brief, and didn’t hang around much afterwards.  What threw me a bit was the 9 am start – it’s 9.30 in Norn Irn and Scotland!

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Strangley Appropriate Song:

I was in town to attend my daughter’s debut at Saddlers Wells, so “Keep On Movin'” by Five made me grin.

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Gear:

I’m familiar now with my cordless earphones and Garmin watch, and they all performed well.  Had a bit of a panic when I got home and couldn’t find them, but they were safely tucked inside my toilet bag.  Phew!  I also got an email telling me that my red 50 Tshirt is still stuck in production limbo. Shame, I’d love to show it off on my parkrun tourism jaunts.

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Time:

I was disappointed with my 29:57.  I know I run much faster with canine-assist, and realistically, this is my first sub-30 without Mini helping me along.  But it was more than 3 minutes slower than last week, I was 97th, and 5th in my age category!  Oh well, parkrun is clearly doing wonders for the fitness levels of 50 year-old women in West London…

20141101_094200

List of all the parkruns I’ve completed.

Filed under: London, Parkrun, running | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

24 hours in London

Posted on March 31, 2014 by lindaharley

I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to w rite this blog at all – I’d taken some photos on my phone, and then lost the phone while in London. But miraculously, some of them survived on my iPad!

I was paying a flying visit to London – my son was working on his first ever West End show, and I was taking my best friend and daughter to see it on the Saturday night. Plans were to meet son and his girlfriend for lunch on the Sunday. I reckoned I could manage all this with one large handbag. I was staying with said best friend so I didn’t need to cart any cosmetics or toiletries with me.
With the hlep of Mumsnet’s Style and Beauty section, I put together a capsule wardrobe of 3 different outfits.

 

photo 1 photo 2 (2) photo 3 (1) photo 4

The basis was a pair of dark skinny jeans (Not Your Daughters jeans)
my brown Dubarry boots, and a beige trench coat (M&S).

For travelling, I wore a floral wrap top (Boden) with a coin and ribbon necklace (Fat Face). I carried a lavendar pashmina with beaded trim (won in a fundraising raffle in Luxembourg, about 10 years ago)

boden

A quick change in the loos during pre-show drinks into a purple and blace lace tunic (Florence & Fred), with a choker made from a purple silk ribbon and a cameo brooch (eBay)

after london

On Sunday, I wore a cream crochet top (Fat Face), with a chunky stone necklace bought form a native craft shop on Route 66.

The lot fitted into my owl-design satchel bag.

Filed under: clothes, London, Musicals, travel | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Photohunt Clean

Posted on June 14, 2012 by lindaharley

On our last visit to London we stayed in Moorgate, and were very taken with this modern glass building across from teh hotel. When we ventured closer, we discovered the window cleaners hard at work.
window cleaners in a glass buidling

I suspect that’s a full time job a City Point!

Filed under: buildings, London, photo | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

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