Chris Cutforth's Blog

Pints, pizza, Platts and parkrun My weekend started early on Friday with a leaving do for a much valued and respected colleague. Judy - you are one of the nicest, most caring people I know - like me, you say things as you see them which is often the way they are - your honesty and integrity are second to none. These qualities will be sorely missed around the place. Judy’s farewells provided a good excuse for a couple of swift pints before meeting the family for pizza and more beer at the Greystones followed by an early night. My plan to venture out beyond Sheffield was put on hold for another week - instead I chose Hillsborough accompanied by brother in law Ross who’s down visiting from Edinburgh. Met Dr Chris Platts at the start looking resplendent in his shorts and Sheffield Wednesday shirt - arguably the best looking sociologist in the world (arguably!). Chris had managed to drag himself out of bed after a few more beers than me last night. After a slow start and

Snoring changes everything I chose Endcliffe Park this weekend - the easy option in terms of it being closest to home. The original plan to take Ailsa (wife) and Isla (dog) to Graves was scuppered by my excessive snoring during the night which meant that Ailsa needed a bit longer in bed to recover. Nice chat with James and Sarah-Jane before the start - the former making his return to running after an achilles injury, the latter a music and languages supply teacher. They were clearly really close friends who look out for each other every day - such pleasant and interesting people. Sarah Jane’s  closest parkrun is Clumber Park and she encouraged me to pay a visit. I said I would, it's definitely time to venture out beyond Sheffield - this has to be a priority for the spring and summer. Felt quite good today - the recent training with Katie still bearing fruit. As I came down the driveway towards the finish I was determined to pass a few people and not to be overtaken

Exercise and relaxation are good for your health  I'm writing the early part of this on Friday evening sitting relaxing at Forge Dam listening to the sound of water pouring out of the pond and down into the city - very therapeutic. In my last blog I spoke about not feeling so good and some of the underlying reasons - mental exhaustion, the weather and aspects of my personality that I have learnt to live with.  Well I’m pleased to say that after a month which for long periods have felt like living under a dark cloud, I am feeling much better. A couple of weeks’ holiday over the Easter period seems to have done the trick although I’d be lying if I said it felt like it at the time. Ailsa and I spent 10 days in La Gomera, the smallest and least touristy of the Canary Islands, to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary (yes I know, you get less for murder these days!). Despite it being a very relaxing time physically in a beautiful location (both the island and where we we

Ready for a holiday  I’ve not been feeling great this week - s everal reasons I think.  First, I’m tired - ready for a holiday after a busy and at times stressful period since Christmas. Second, I’ve been marking students' work which often effects my mood - I've written about this before, only this time I’ve found myself questioning my teaching abilities which is rather unsettling. Third, the weather - it’s been such a long winter and according to the latest forecast, we're not done yet. And finally, it’s a part of my personality to experience mood swings, even depression, from time to time.  At least one in four people will experience mental health problems during their lifetime.  My symptoms include l oss of confidence, negative thoughts, broken sleep patterns - classic symptoms I guess. They feel really significant to me but I suspect are much less obvious to others, except to those who know me well. I’m  comfortable sharing these things - indeed I believe I have

Learning from life, death and funny people I will remember this past week as one in which we said farewell to some great and funny people. First, Professor Stephen Hawking whose work has transformed our understanding of the universe and our place within it. This is one of his most famous quotes which I love:   "One of the greatest revelations of the space age has been the perspective it has given us humans on ourselves. When we see the earth from space we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity not the divisions - it is such a simple image with a compelling message: one planet, one human race.  We are here together and need to live together with tolerance and respect - we must become global citizens. I have been enormously privileged through my work to contribute to our understanding of the universe, but it would be an empty universe indeed if it were not for the people I love and the people who love me. We are time travellers together journeying together into the f

Running and doing good After another busy week and my regular late Friday afternoon visit to the Norfolk Arms, I must have slept like a baby because I awoke at 6am on Saturday morning with the radio still on, to be greeted by an interesting discussion on the role of farmers in preserving wildlife and the environment, followed by an equally engaging piece on the challenges posed by human migration. I’m much more interested in these ‘big issues’ now than I was in the past - older and wiser I guess, less concerned about personal success and status, more bothered about the state of the world when my time is up and I’m finally pushing up the daisies. It took an extra dose of will power to drag myself out of bed this morning - but with the Beast from the East finally departed it was time to take one more step closer to the magic 100. Hillsborough was my chosen destination this weekend - having not run much lately I fancied one of the flatter courses. Whilst walking to the st