I just spent a lovely weekend with my mates from university in a place called Hope. The high Peaks are beautiful even if they are hard going for a rather indolent middle-aged woman whose usual exercise consists of hefting icecubes into the G&T. My companions were three other middle-aged women escaping their domestic responsibilities:
- a bass-playing, karate chopping classics teacher
- a would-be author
- a consultant physician who (she tells me) knows everything there is to know about constipation.
The weekend started, as these things often do, with an almighty piss-up on the Friday night and the rest of the weekend was spent trying to recover.*
We chatted a lot, shared book and music recommendations and photos of the kids** and generally put the world to rights. I ended up being a right old misery, which is my wont, so for that I apologise.
On the Sunday morning, despite weather which (if you were prone to understatement) could be described as inclement, I was entertained by hundreds of people wearing lycra running down an extremely steep slope outside my bedroom window. I have never encountered fell-runners close up before and came to the conclusion that these people are clearly insane.
The journey home would have daunted Shackleton but I just about made it home again, mainly thanks to having this and this to distract me from the horizontal sleet and lightning at Manchester airport.
So, it's good to be back blogchums, hope you haven't all deserted me whilst I've been gone.
*If you are ever tempted to drink this stuff make sure you have nothing important to do the next day.
**You never, never, never get used to seeing photos of the children of people you have known in your youth.
34 comments:
Glad you had such a good time, Hope sounds just the place for a reunion. Have you enjoyed Black Swan Green? I loved it.
Just how much is there to know about constipation?
Considering Billy was hooked on my book of Bodily Fluids, there's probably never too much to know about constipation! Just so long as there isn't a karate-chopping cure for it ....
We missed you. Severed phonelines - ouch, sounds nasty.
Glad you had some time out and caught up with friends, it's the best thing.
Black Swan Green *jumps up and down* I loved it too Herschelian! And am loving the Neon Bible. Their concert tickets sold out in a nanosecond.
Ooh glad you are back Doc du Real. Ugh - lycra? fell-running? More like fell over running after drinking too much ale xx
fell running is excercise for the mental. i mean, why not just, i don't know, go for a nice walk or something.
i also find it very, very weird that my friends and i have kids. somehow, the sight of a girl i remember clearly wearing a fun-fur thong to my wedding ushering her four boys round tescos just does not compute. i'm looking forward to showing them the photos when they're older tho...
Sounds like a great time! Wish I'd have seen the Fell Runners. I've never actually heard of them before this post.
Learn something new alla time, eh? =)
Hope is fab. Expend a few calories by climbing up Win Hill, then put them back on in the Cheshire Cheese, with its big portions and bigger landlord.
The fell runners are very curious. If you were paying someone else to inflict that much pain on you it would be illegal.
A nice walk is much more my sort of thing, although a lot of the people I saw seemed to need enormous amounts of kit to do even that. We ate in the Castle where portions were very large and very delicious. The locals were having a Comic Relief knees-up in the Cheshire Cheese, best avoided I feel.
Hey RD - drunk in the company of old friends is the best.
And I bet the know-it-all doesn't know this - what's a fourteen letter word for constipation, beginning and ending with 'N'?
'Nnnnnnnnnnnnnn'.
that description sounded just like Hope, BC, and i'm right across the border from there. i was about to get peevish about not seeing you until you mentioned the fells runners.
that's just wrong.
glad you're back,though!
hope is v pretty
i think, unless its that other town in wich case it istnt
Hope looks grand. I'd like to go to the sheep-dog trials in August but will have to make do with the imported Speckled Hen at the supermarket here. Wahay!
Is this the real ale convention? Do we take our false beards off at the door?
I love a drop of Speckledy Hen.
My three girlie uni mates haven't wporgged out yet although 2 of them are married and the other won't be long following them.
That will be weird...
Thought you might be amused by this news item in the Sheffield Telegraph yesterday:
Nine runners were stretchered from a Peak District fell race with hypothermia in the worst conditions for more than 20 years. They were among 400 participants in Sunday's 20-mile Edale Skyline race, which ran into blizzards and high winds. Edale Mountain Rescue Team carried the stricken runners from Edale Cross, around four miles from the end of the course. They were treated by team doctors.Dave Cross, deputy team leader, said:"I've been covering it for 21 years and I have never seen conditions like it."
come I need a virtual asprin
back
see I'm so bad I'm missing out words
just popped by to say hi - hi! xx
Hey Doc - what's up?
Hmm - that didn't come out quite right . . .
Hello Realdoc - what's the score?
Oh, way late, as if of Speckled Hen I had drunk. It's a mighty fine drink, if you're under 40. It has a nasty habit of reminding you how mortal you are now. Do not, under any circumstances, combine any more than 3 pints of it with loud live music.
Where are you realdoc.........i need a real doctor
Just popped by to say hello again. christ - I sound like Lionel Richie! x Hope all ok in the land of docness.
Hello,
hope you're just really busy and haven't deserted us?
Come baaaaack - we miss you!
(Or not. No pressure...)
Is it something I said?
I thought I was being tactful.
I've done another podcast Realdoc - give us a sign. xx
Coooeee Realdoc...where are you?
Hope all is ok - as rockmother says - give us a sign.
(beginning to feel a bit worried)
Anxious here, too.
Realdoc, Realdoc, wherefore art thou Realdoc?
It's been a month now. Do hope you're OK.
Anyone at home?
What's up, Realdoc? You ok?
*nervously raps fingers on desk*
Post a Comment