Chris Cutforth's Blog

Beautiful day, beautiful park, beautiful people  It was the local elections this week - I put in a shift for the Green Party at my local polling station as a teller. If, like me, you're interested in people and politics, this can be fun. My job was to gather data on voting patterns to help with party strategy and campaigning  Here's a sample of the conversations that took place during my 2.5 hour shift: “It's about the trees and the council needs a bloody good kicking.” “They’re the best of a bad bunch”. “Things really need to change around here.” “It’s the way I’ve always voted.’ “I really don’t know until I get into the polling booth.” “Mind your own business mister.” "I might tell you on the way out if you play your cards right."  Strange that last one as I didn't have any cards... After about an hour standing outside in the cold, I put one foot inside the polling station only to be told by the stern looking presiding officer tha...

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 ...

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 be...

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 i...

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...

Time travel and a love of running I’ve been on my own this week which has meant I’ve had to be more organised than normal - it's been quite a challenge but I've just about managed.   Another busy week - a heavy work schedule plus, with Ailsa away, I’ve had to dash home most lunchtimes to walk the dog. “A dog is for life, not for Christmas” which is so true. Being greeted by those sulky eyes, clearly so pleased to see me and apparently thinking deep philosophical thoughts, has been a joy to behold - and then having to walk the legs off her before returning to the classroom in the afternoon has been the best stress buster in the world. Thank you Isla for keeping my busyness in perspective and improving my teaching by at least 20 per cent! Something really interesting happened in one of my classes this week. Towards the end of the seminar 2 students who clearly didn’t know each other very well started discussing their views on Christianity and sexuality. During the ...

Mr Forgetful and hairy ankles Lots to talk about this week - hopefully some of it will be of interest.  Met one of my former students on an afternoon dog walk (he was running, I was walking). Jedde spoke enthusiastically about his role in leading on PE teacher training at Manchester Met University, how much he was enjoying the responsibility and how appreciative he was of the learning he had acquired during his time at Sheffield Hallam. Nice to catch up Jedde - keep up the good work and keep on running! Finally approved around 30 students for their international placements this week. They’re travelling as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Japan  and Spain. It’s quite a responsibility checking they have everything in place for their trips - also deciding whether they are mature and resilient enough to represent both themselves and the University abroad. I am looking forward to learning more about their experiences when they return to ...

Truth, sadness and a love of film  Last weekend we saw the Stephen Spielberg movie, The Post. You probably know the plot - it’s about the the Washington Post and the lies and secrecy of the US government's handling of the Vietnam war. The film starts slowly before gradually building to an exciting climax in which Meryl Streep, who plays the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, has to decide between exposing the truth about the war and the risk of prosecution and the survival of the newspaper her family has worked so hard to establish. Those of you with a good knowledge of American history or who have seen the film will already know her decision. It's a riveting movie with an uncanny resemblance to the Trump White House and its attitudes towards the mainstream media.    My son Luke's involvement in the film business is largely responsible for my renewed interest. I’m always on the lookout for good movies to go see; I read the reviews with a critical...

Rich and varied conversations It's been a depressing week weather-wise don't you think? - although slightly better on Thursday and Friday, I'll give you that. Roll on spring and summer  - we've booked a holiday to La Gomera at Easter to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, so that's something for us to look forward to. Last Sunday on the way to visit my 94 year old Dad in Huddersfield, I listened to one of my sporting idols, Roger Federer, winning his 20th grand slam whilst apparently, on the surface at least, barely breaking sweat. What an amazing sportsman and such a great role model - and he speaks four languages (three more than me) - such a talent.     Dad and I enjoyed lunch at a local farm shop, catching up on our respective news. Later we watched the highlights of aforementioned tennis match - I’m not sure if it’s more or less enjoyable watching one of your sporting heroes perform and win when you already know the result. The tears at the end s...

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 st...

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...

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 t...

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 ...

Frost, family and football An early start this weekend for my journey to Huddersfield, the furthest destination so far on my parkrun tour. I caught the 5.42 bus to the train station to be met by a strong contender for the friendliest bus driver of the year award - is there such a thing I wonder? If not, there should be as in my experience most of them are fairly miserable. Not only did he give me a warm smile as I got on the bus, he thanked me as I got off which in my experience is unheard of (I thought that was my job) - and all before 6am on a Saturday morning - that man deserves a medal, preferably a gold one. After a quick snooze on the train I awoke just north of Barnsley to be greeted by a beautiful sunrise which lifted my spirits even further - at that precise moment it felt good to be alive. My main reason for travelling to Huddersfield was to see my brother who is over from the States visiting family. We had agreed to meet in Greenhead Park and do the parkrun ...

Rugby, family and values Back after a week away - did you miss me..?!    Family commitments took priority last week with my 94 year old dad visiting for the weekend.  On my drive to  Huddersfield to pick him up I drove past Greenhead Park on the outskirts of the town, the home of the Huddersfield parkrun - judging by the number of people it seemed like quite a big event to me. I will be doing that one with my brother next weekend. My alternative to   parkrun last week was an afternoon with my dad watching 3 fantastic games of international rugby on the tellie. First it was the rugby league world cup semi final between England and Samoa (boy what a game!), followed by Scotland v Australia and Wales v New Zealand playing the other code.  For me watching international rugby is as close to heaven as I'll probably ever get! I sometimes wish I could have been a better player - sadly I was never strong or aggressive enough to go much further than pl...

Vision and action can really change things  This weekend Concord was my chosen destination on a bright, sunny but cold morning. On arrival I was greeted by Tan and Lock, 2  beautiful border collies, who had just completed their own version of parkrun - 2 laps of their park with their owner (also a parkrunner but not today). I remember being intrigued a few years ago when I learnt that Concord parkrun had been started by the local fire service. Chatting with Race Director Neil this morning, I asked him if they were still involved. Apparently they are, albeit on the periphery - they recently donated a defibrillator and also make their facilities available free of charge for volunteer training - good stuff.  My time of 25:01 was a bit disappointing and a step back on my goal of breaking the 24 minute barrier by Christmas. The Concord hill held me back (I'm not very good at hills) but I did come first in my age category which was pleasing - I think I might dine out on th...

Running and the human spirit    Another busy week  - not much teaching but loads of meetings, student interviews for an Africa volunteering project (very exciting) plus piles of marking (or 'grading' as my brother in  America   calls it). Marking students' work is the least enjoyable and most stressful part of my job, mainly because I know it's important but also because I don't feel entirely comfortable forming judgements on other people's work.   So the parkrun couldn't come soon enough - an opportunity to relax, unwind and have some fun.   Hillsborough was my chosen destination this week and it didn't disappoint. It was their 250th event and Dorothy, wife of Roy who runs in the 85-90 category, had baked an awesome cake on which Stephen's Corner had pride of place (more about that later).   Before the run I chatted with Kate, a year 10 student at Stocksbridge High School and one of the  volunteers, who told me she was pursuing he...

parkrun, family and happiness Back after a weekend away with the family in Edinburgh - my second favourite city (after Sheffield of course!).   My daughter Katie, an Edinburgh university student, was running in a cross country event. I suggested I might join her and her running buddies on the coach, perhaps teach them a few drinking games learnt many years ago when I was a student. For some unknown reason she didn't seem that keen, so I decided to focus my efforts instead on persuading my son Luke to join me at the Edinburgh parkrun. Sadly he too declined my invitation in favour of a lie in, so I decided to follow his example. Later in the day we did a gentle 10k together around Arthur's Seat, which was fun, leaving Ailsa, my lovely wife, to relax in Katie's rather luxurious student flat  which she shares with 4 young lads and a family of friendly mice.   The run was followed by a trip to the cinema to watch 'Breath', a powerful portrayal of one man's...