Chris Cutforth's Blog

Hot chocolate and politics My planned trip this week to Rother Valley parkrun was delayed - too much going on at home and no time for the journey there and back, so it was the next best thing - a return to Endcliffe Park for the second successive week. My sole objective was to complete the course without a recurrence of the sciatica and in preparation for the Edinburgh hairy haggis relay next week. That goal was accomplished albeit in a mediocre time of 25.03 - the legs felt quite heavy after a two week layoff which I guess is be expected at my age! Loud and bossy Rachael was waiting at the finish with a token and a friendly smile which was followed by an equally pleasant chat with Fran, the editor of the Endcliffe parkrun Facebook site, as a result of which I am hoping that my blogs will now be read by more people across the city and hopefully bring more smiles to more faces! Joined Fraser in the cafe for a mug of hot chocolate before spotting Nick Clegg doing a spot of

Rachael - what a star..! After a week off due to injury (mild sciatica - very irritating with the Edinburgh Marathon Hairy Haggis relay just 2 weeks away) it was back to Endcliffe Park this week to offer my services as a parkrun volunteer. Nice chats on my arrival with work colleagues Frazer and Steve before the 500+ runners of all shapes and sizes departed on their two laps of the park. A minor incident occurred at the start in which one runner hit the deck, but thankfully he emerged, a bit battered and bruised, but otherwise unscathed and soon rejoined the pack.  My volunteer role was to help run the funnel alongside  Rachael from Barnsley who, I discovered later, is also a colleague of mine at SHU but whom I had never met - what a small world! Rachael was perfect for the job - a self-confessed loud, bossy lady, she clearly knew what she was doing and certainly took no prisoners, least of all me, but in a friendly way. I simply did as I was told - just as well as the logistics