The Runday Shag
Issue 2510
Date: 25 February 2024
Hare: Flasher & Cap’n Stagg Webb
Venue: Downside
On On: The Cricketers
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?
My recent reports have failed to mention the early flowers – snowdrops, daffodils – which have added to the pleasure of our runs. Today we had so much tarmac and then bramble-tangled shiggy that no flowers bloomed, other than the ring of deep purple crocuses round the tree beside our Circle, doubtless carefully planted by the club whose car park we had monopolised. Now you will say that a report on a new hare should be especially courteous, and indeed Flasher got much of it right. To what extent he should attribute this to his mentor, Captain Webb, must remain obscure, since of Webb we saw nothing – he had gone home after helping with the trail in inappropriate footwear. Certainly we began with one of the pointless loops our readers have come to associate with my reports, 15 minutes on tarmac which took us back to where we had started; after that we found ourselves on the trail Dr Death laid here not so long ago. Thereafter, yes, the checks were at the right intervals, the solutions the right distance away, there were back checks, there were even stretches of the trail reasonably unfamiliar in this well-hashed area. We found eventually that this was a balloon-on-a-string trail, the finish a reprise of the early trail (after that loop, that is).
I did not notice any short-cuts marked, but we were definitely more than one hash today; towards the end we even found one small group, led by Little Mo (Turn On), going outwards as we came home. Another large group who had most certainly not been with us finished at exactly the same time we did, so to this extent at least Flasher was extremely successful. Our group included Chastity Belt, whose husband’s knees are indeed buggered for many weeks to come (a blood clot identified after an operation), Atalanta – punctual today, No Nookie, whose husband SFB is also a non-runner at present, Miss Bean – are we not fortunate that so many of our best runners are of the gentler sex! Well, of course, we did have men, whether conspicuous by their efforts, such as Stevie Blunder and
J. Arthur, or just keeping up gamely, Dormouse, Belcher. Popeye stayed with us instead of doing his own thing, which allowed him occasions for eloquence as RA. Avery good morning, even if road closures elsewhere made the traffic a crawl.
Children go to school for two reasons: so that their parents can earn money, and to acquire social skills. What is taught in classrooms is largely beside the point; it is of little relevance in adult life, and is soon forgotten. Oh, a handful of youngsters (mostly girls – boys have an absurd culture of not shining in class) will do well in exams, and then forget what they learned. What then of home-schooled children? Less distracted by their peers, they will retain more of their lessons, but are in danger of not learning to mix with others. Sure, they will escape being bullied, a subject meriting an article on its own: nobody who has been bullied forgets it, ever, but those inflicting grief on them seldom look on what they are doing as bullying. “Just having a laugh! A bit of banter!”
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So what does it mean that some schools are better than others? Some teachers better than others? I am suggesting that the real differences are outside the classroom, in the general ethos and atmosphere of the school: cheerful and friendly, or dull, hostile? It is in the corridors, playgrounds, dining halls, that real school life goes on.
On On, FRB
Letter to the Editor
Dear Ed
Through the medium of your respected columns may I congratulate all those who completed Run 2509 on 18th Feb. It seems that you are all that much closer to heaven having ascended 476ft and only then descended 456ft. There may be an element of flatulence involved in this phenomenon or perhaps it may be attributed to more broomsticks taking to the air with the approach of Spring. Nevertheless it is to be viewed as an achievement by us common mortals with our feet still on the ground.
Tosser
Where's Wally? Or heaven help the Kiwis
Where’s Wally? – a latter day Alan Whicker? – BSLog Number One
I am currently sitting on a Singapore Airlines plane Airbus A350-900.
Having used my charm by speaking in Malay to the Singaporean air hostesses, I got an upgrade plus free champagne – life isn’t that bad when not running with Surrey!
This is a 13 hour flight to Singapore so had a chance to see The Office American style starring Steve Carell.
He is a great actor but it is a shame in some ways that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant treated it like a franchise and it is really a carbon copy of the original.
Landed in Singapore Airport. You could have built the new Manchester United ground ordered by Jim Ratcliffe in here – there is even a swimming pool!
Switched to an Boeing 787.
No luck with the upgrade but sat next to a young girl who was researching insects in Auckland. But I was lucky again as nobody came for the 3rd seat and so we had a spare. She virtually ignored me all trip which was difficult to understand [Difficult? Or difficult to understand??!!] as she was into entomology and I kept bees and know everything about them and tried to educate her – as I always say – some words of wisdom fall on deaf ears. And she failed to sort my What’sUp out!!!
Not really my scene but as I was keen on getting some more free wine I chatted to one of the Chinese stewards in a man to man way – he was OK and got enough red wine to last me for the whole of the 10 hour flight.
Even when you get to Melbourne there are still 5 hours to go as the plane goes right across Oz [if you are lucky]– a big place.
So my pre-booked taxi was there to greet me at midnight NZ time and we headed into Auckland – the Land of The Hobbit and a few rings I hear!?
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Many more pictures and higher resolution of those above can be found at Google drive or Dropbox
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