Quick update from the land of Oz

Results eventually published for our Parkrun and I managed my first sub twenty 5K since last year. Report and a photo are at http://www.parkrun.com.au/wynnum/news/ just look at those lovely trees which are planted to shelter the promenaders on the seafront from the searing midday sun.  There's me in the middle in my red Welsh Castles t-shirt, being a 'technical' t-shirt it helps me to run faster, shelters me from the rain and sun and means that I can see myself in the photos a mile away - yes I do have my Denbigh Harriers vest with me and will wear it next time! Vicky was slightly held back by a Kelpie Fox Terrier cross called Gizmo.

 

Very sad to see Robin 'na nu' 'Williams has died. Particularly 

impressed with him because, fair play, when he visited Billy Connolly at his Scottish highland estate he competed in the highland games hill run. Having done one of two of these I know they are a good match for some of our Welsh fell races. Impressed also that he didn't come in last. OK despite he wasn't Welsh he was still a quirky funny character. Billy Connolly was too, in a way, before he became famous, likewise Mike Harding before he became cuddly. All these guys had to make it or break it on the circuit in the 70's and 80's and if they couldn't handle the hecklers in workingmen's clubs on Friday nights they were doomed. Personally I thought they were sharper and more incisive all those years ago. Jasper Carrott was a case in point - he might have been a bit of a dork all along but when I saw him at Heaton Moor Rugby Club many many years ago he was a modest Brummie with an incisive wit. Vicky met him many years later, she had no idea who he was and he was quite insulted - what a dork!

Romiley Folk Club in the famous Stockport suburb of Romiley in 1969 was a real proving ground for up and coming funny men and I saw many folk who became superstars in later years. Another chap who passed away fairly recently was Bob Hoskins who appeared several times at Romiley with Sylvester McCoy as  part of the backing team for Ken Campbell's Roadshow - what a star Ken was, he along with McCoy was auditioned for the part of Dr Who some years later , McCoy got the part and he was good but Campbell would have been on another planet. Other legends who managed to successfully present their talents in front of 200 assorted folk groupies, under age drinkers (like my younger brother) and hangers on were Ralph McTell, the Oldham Tinkers, one or two solo Fairport Conventioners and the inimitable Bob Williamson who nobody seems to have heard of nowadays but was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining of the lot. Oh where is he now?