Chris Cutforth's Blog

Gas and air and speakers corner Another interesting, fun packed week - another week closer to retirement! Here are some of the highlights.  A  trip to see the Winston Churchill film, Darkest Hour at the Showroon Cinema - excellent movie, definitely worth watching.  A Burns Supper at our local church - members invited non-church going friends along like me who enjoy a Ceilidh but are still to be convinced that Jesus really was who he said he was (is?). The main speaker, who was excellent, reminded me of the scene from Chariots of Fire where Eric Liddle was evangelising to the locals at a Highland Games about his God-given athletic gifts and religious beliefs after winning a foot race.    Having reached the tender age of 55, I finally answered the call for a bowel screening this week at the Northern General Hospital - an experience  which proved to be funny, interesting and downright uncomfortable in equal measure. Have you ever had a camera stuck up your bum? It’s not for

Icy paths and conversations  I started writing this blog on the bus on my way to work on Friday morning. So preoccupied was I that I missed my stop and ended up in the city centre. When I realised, I jumped up in a fluster much to the amusement of the lady sitting next to me. She laughed and wished me a good day - oh well, at least I made one person smile on a cold and dreary winter's morning! So much to write about in a week which had a distinctly international flavour. This semester  I’m teaching a new course  where the students learn about how sport is developed in South Africa, Brazil, Australia and China/Hong Kong. They’re all interesting countries but my favourite by far is South Africa which of course has such a tragic historical past and is, I fear, still struggling to come to terms with the legacy of apartheid. Later in the week I spent a delightful morning with 2 Italian and 1 Chinese students who are new to the university. We spent most of the time playing g

Charity and megaphone diplomacy This weekend’s parkrun came at the end of another busy week in which, apart from the daily dog walks, there had been little time for physical activity - a week when my daughter Katie returned to university (sob sob - we love having her around) and my head had been full of ‘stuff’, spinning the proverbial plates preparing for the new term. Back to the normal routine you could say. I managed to persuade Ailsa (wife) and Isla (dog) to accompany me to Graves Park today, not that they needed much persuading. Isla in particular would follow me anywhere anytime provided it involved fresh air or food - Ailsa less so perhaps, particularly on Saturday mornings!   On arrival at Graves I immediately got chatting to Vicky, a delightful young German lady with a hint of an American accent acquired from 2 years living and studying over the pond. Vicky is training for the Brighton marathon in April.  Currently running 40-50 miles per week, she told me she had

parkrun poser Happy new year everyone! If, like me, you enjoyed a lazy and calorie filled few days over the festive season, the first parkrun of the new year couldn’t come soon enough - and what better way to get back in the groove than the short trip to Endcliffe Park with my daughter Katie. Today’s event also provided an opportunity for me christen my new parkrun shirt and wristband -  Christmas presents from Katie - no excuses now for forgetting my barcode! To be honest I felt quite resplendent in my new gear - almost like a proper athlete you might say. “If you can’t play, dress up..” - which reminds me of a holiday my wife and I enjoyed back in the early 2000s with another family when our kids were young. One day Ashley (the guy) and I decided to play some tennis. Ashley had all the gear - white shirt, shorts and socks (top brands), all beautifully pressed, a brand new racket and new balls (tennis balls you understand..).  I remember thinking he must be a pret