GOFFA FROM THE BLOCK

My time for 3 miles (approx 5k) running at the gym.  Only my second run of any kind (apart from the occasional Dad jogs for the bus) since 3 May 2014 and possibly my longest continuous run ever. Well, I did the Great North Run in 1981 when Tony Landers dropped out with a week to go but I know I didn't do any training and from memory I stopped for a walk every half mile or so. I've never been one for running.  It's just too bloody hard and I'm just too bloody lazy.  If I'd been running on the road or round the track I would have stopped but I just set the treadmill for 6 mile per hour and counted the minutes down from 30. Of course there is a purpose.  There's a chance I might be doing the magnificent  Albert Park run  a week on Saturday and I wanted to try the distance to see if I could manage it. Why do the park run?  Well it's Boro and it's brill but mainly because Mike coming home on Sunday for a week and he usually does the run when he's h...

I missed my 9th birthday party on Friday.  Oh well,  will try and remember 10th birthday next year, God willing. Me and Sham went out for a nice walk this morning.  Albert Park to Ladgate Lane via Ayrsome Street, Linthorpe and Acklam and back via Grove Hill.  As we walked past the old Ayrsome Park, it occurred to me that today is 46 years ago today since I went to my first Boro match.   4th January 1969 Boro vs Millwall .  I was 7 years old.  It's easy to remember the date because it was the 3rd round of the FA Cup which is always the first Saturday in January. My Uncle Joe took me.  He lived at 6 Cromer Street behind the old Telephone Exchange on Marton Road with my Grandma.  I can't remember how I got to his house, maybe my Dad took me down but he didn't come to the match with us.  I remember Joe buying me a big bag of fruit pastilles and I ate the lot.  What a greedy get. We walked to the ground via Albert Park getting ...

How many times to we say Happy New Year?  When is it ok to start?  30/12? 31/12, 1/1.  When is the latest you can wish somebody HNY (seems to be the latest thing to abbreviate)?  1/1? 2/1? 3/1?  The first time you see somebody in the new year?  What if you don't see or speak to somebody until March? Should you/is it still ok to wish them Happy New Year?  Think I might go with first time I see/speak up to end of January so no offence if I don't see you until April and I don't wish you HNY. In the interests of full disclosure I confess I didn't avoid Hootenanny completely, I saw about 2 minutes (11.57 to approx 11.59).  We broke off from our Homeland  series 4 cramathon (not bad) to consciously see the New Year in.  We tried Beeb 2 where Queen appeared to be doing a Karaoke with singers from the audience (they must be really pissed off with Freddie Mercury for dying before they made any money).  It was horrific and in a moment of m...