Author: beckyjo125

The Great North Run

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Sunday 8 September 2024

Does anything prepare you for the emotion of seeing your little girl running a half marathon amidst the incredible throngs of the Great North Run …

We manage the early start! After a long day yesterday dropping Smallboy off at University, Prom-dress daughter resolutely set our alarms and, posters packed, raincoats on and swigging down hasty cups of caffeine, we hit the road to Newcastle.

We manage the journey. Undaunted by M62 closures and a myriad of North East traffic diversions, my middle child skillfully navigates me to the centre of town and by noon, wristbands on we are riding the Newcastle Metro to our race spot.

We manage the crowds. The steamy carriage is rammed with spectators, all swapping tracking updates and top tips for good vantage positions. Although it looks as if we are full, to bursting, at every stop the masses somehow manage to squeeze every closer to let a few more avid race viewers join the odyssey.

We even manage a bit of lunch. Our tracking app reports a delay to the start time for ‘our runner‘, my lovely eldest child and hence, the window opens for us to eat. By chance we happen upon the best of eateries; a mall cafe just outside the Southshields Metro stop. The welcome is warm and the food and prices are amazing – £7.99 each buys us a delicious hot meal accompanied with a pot of tea and a plate of bread and butter.

Ooh – that’ll do us nicely thank you!

We manage..just about…to find a great spot to watch the runners. The rain is lashing down and it is a bracing battle, across muddy banks to our marker, one mile back from the finish. But then, gosh what a sight. Thousands of runners battling bravely along the road, all shapes and sizes, all levels of fitness, sporting countless charity T-shirts, some unbelievable costumes and manging to keep going despite the conditions. It is such an inspiring moment.

And, what we…or should I say I…do not manage is to hold it together as my daughter comes running into view. I am so overwhelmed with pride and emotion that, waving our banner like a lunatic, I actually run out into the road, teary eyed to give her a hug and a kiss – eek! (I hope I don’t slow her down too much!)

Out meeting at the end is very joyful and long after we survive the hour long wait for a Metro and I eventually drive back to the NorthWest her fundraiser page hits a whopping £1000 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

What an achievement, what a girl…what a great day…

Small boy goes to University…

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Saturday 7 September 2024

Deep breaths and a spare pack of tissues for me today, for a day I have been dreading has finally dawned. Small boy is leaving home, to start his University adventures …

Of course I am incredibly proud; he is hard-working, talented and has a genuine passion for his subject. It goes without saying that, having loved my own University years, it is all that I would want for him. But golly gosh, it is going to be a wrench and, forgive the cliche but, the end of an era. For three years it has been ‘Mum and Small boy’ in this house, sharing crazy jokes, the silliest of songs, episodes of ‘Suits‘ or ‘The Office‘ , Sunday roasts and Friday takeaways. Such great memories and so much laughter… the thought of the house without him is… well it is unthinkable. Gulp; I need to get it together!

And I do, mostly. Prom-dress daughter is joining us on the road-trip South, for moral support and an extra hand with all the boxes and bags of belongings. With Windsor packed to the rafters with pots, pans, Korean noodles, gaming consoles and, or course, Geoffrey the Bear, we hit the M6. Someone’s Spotify playlist is streamed onto the car radio and, with the promise, of a breakfast stop en-route spirits are high. If only Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Changes’ hadn’t been queued, even I might have made it all the way with dry eyes. But, come on, those lyrics would break even the most resolute!

Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I’m getting older too

Let’s hope no-one else in the car notices as I quickly brush a few tears from my cheeks.

Happily, there is not time for melancholy, as we hit the bright lights of a new student city, all buzzing with life and excitement. The challenges of parking and lugging the contents of the boot up to the 6th floor in an apartment building where the lift is ‘out of order‘ are now centre-stage. We may be red-faced and sweaty but Small boy’s room is soon looking pretty stylish and, although he is a little nervous, cheerfully greets his flat mates, who seem lovely. We have time for a quick stroll around the city and decide it is time to leave as he is sitting chatting in the kitchen with his new household, setting up a WhatsApp group and planning a night at the pub.

For Small boy, I know that the days will just get better and better, full of opportunities, stretching your brain around amazing ideas and embarking on terrific new friendships. For me, now a confirmed empty nester… it is more of an unknown. The Satnav is set for home and, as I steer Windsor into the darkness, with Prom-dress daughter now asleep by my side, it feels more like an abyss for me, than a bright new dawn.

I am sure I will adapt in time, but I realise I really was not ready for this. Round and round in my head, play the haunting  words of the great Stevie Nicks,

‘I’ve been afraid of changin’, ’cause I’ve built my life around you…’

Cake run 6: chocolate muffins

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Friday 6 September 2024

My work patterns are a-changing this Autumn and, for September at least, I have Fridays off – what a treat! How to celebrate? Well what better than a walk on a glorious sunny morning, followed by a chocolate muffin!

It is 21 years since I last had a ‘free Friday’. Back then, Prom-dress daughter was a new-born and whilst I still wanted to balance some work with two under 2s, four days a week was quite enough. I loved it then and I am loving it today.

There are no ‘Toddler Groups’ or ‘Ballet Classes’ today but I do have company, the sun is shining and my mood is ecstatic. We hike around a beautiful reservoir, catching up on lots of news and enjoying some stunning views and countryside. It is peaceful, calm and beautiful. Away from the hustle and bustle of work, the overwhelming stress of a punishing workload, and the chaos of gridlocked commuter traffic, this feels like living!

And, of course, we have cake. Not a specialist bakery today but a ‘Tesco finest Belgian Triple Chocolate Muffin’. Do we recommend? We certainly do. Mini chocolate cakes with white, dark and milk chocolate chunks, filled with a rich gooey chocolatey sauce. The buttercream topping finishes off the indulgent, velvety experience of these post-walk delights. Truly delicious and a fitting reward for our morning exertions.

It also sets me up for a more frantic afternoon of shopping for my mum, who is really immobile these days, helping Small-boy to get packed for University and gathering up Prom-dress daughter from the train station. We all have a busy weekend ahead. Thank the Lord it will last three days instead of two!

The cake run 5: Old School Cake

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Friday 23 August 2024

Some days just have a pleasing symmetry …

Old school cake

I simply could not be in higher spirits as we stride out this morning. I took the big decision, several months ago, to move on from a school I’d worked at for over a decade but agreed, as usual, to run their examination results days. Yesterday was the final one of these, GCSEs and other vocational qualifications. As the young people leave with their envelopes of grades, the wave of relief that it is now someone else’s job: to analyse the data, to communicate the conclusions to various audiences and to set the priorities for the next academic year…well it washes over me like a tsunami of joy. I feet elated, I feel giddy…I feel free!

And today, I am still on cloud nine!

Our walk is a reverse of a previous route and possibly because we have trodden these paths before (albeit with a pleasing 180 rotation) or possibly because another benefit of walking, over running, is that you have far more time to observe and enjoy your surroundings … or possibly just because I am feeling on top of the world, I take in new details that I missed the first time around. My favourite are the NORI bricks!

NORI bricks? Well here is tale the of these ‘Accrington’ celebrities. The bricks are famed for their extreme hardness, allowed by the chemical make-up of the clay gathered from the neighbouring quarry. As for the name, well that originated when the word “iron”, denoting their strength, was painted upside down on the works chimney. The resulting misapprehension led to a joke which became a widely used nickname.

So the bricks are ‘back to front’ and our walk is also, by comparison to our previous hike, end to start. It all sees to fit!

As does the cake. Today’s exercise-reward is a generous slab of ‘Old School Cake’, this retro-wonder of confectionary so named because it evokes the classic cake often served with school dinners. For me, moving on from my most significant educational role, well what could be a more perfect choice? It is also delicious. Tasty, tasty, tasty cake that I polish off in quick time. As ever, I’ll confess to scraping away the icing and, with images of the school canteen of my childhood, find myself yearning for a bit of custard instead…just not the crazy pink stuff they sometimes poured out!

So some nostalgia for the past, genuine relief to be reducing my workload and optimism for the future. A decent bit of cake, plus a fine stretch of the legs. This was a good day …

The cake run 4: Victoria Sponge

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Saturday 17 August 2024

Can there be a better way to finish a bracing walk than with a 10 out of 10 slice of cake?

Victoria Sponge at Pearsons

Running is definitely out for me for the next few weeks. Despite daily yoga and a renewed commitment to my arthritis exercises, my knee joint is incredibly sore and not able to take the impact of even my modest jogging.

But, as the wise old adage goes, ‘every cloud has a silver lining‘ and for me it is walking. To quote the Arthritis Foundation

What’s not to like about walking? It’s free. It’s easy to do, and it’s not just easy on joints but it also keeps them lubricated and flexible. 

And on this sunny August Saturday, we enjoy a marvellous 4 mile stroll through the lovely Lancashire countryside, exploring new tracks, discovering little churches and pretty lanes and rounding it off with a trip to Pearson’s cafe: and that Victoria Sponge.

Oh it is glorious. A firm, delicious cake, thick rich cream and a fruity shot of jam. It is a taste sensation and I savour every mouthful, trying to put off the moment when the plate is finished. Perfection on a plate and our first score of 10 out of 10. Now that is what I call a great morning …

A Level Results – for the third and final time!

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Thursday 15 August 2024

Very little sleep, a sick feeling in the stomach and trying to fight away the thought that the next, few, uncertain minutes hold a totally unfair sway over my son’s destination … it is A Level results day and time to log onto the UCAS site for Smallboy.

In my room, I hold my breath. As a parent, I never feel disappointment in any of my children. They work hard, they try their best, it is all that I ask and always more than enough. What I fear, what I dread, is their disappointment and despondency when results are not what they have hoped for. It can be unbearable.

I hear voices and I say quick prayer. Please let it be good news.

“Mum… mum, I’m in!”

Small boy has his first choice University. We are both overjoyed and so relieved that we dance around the house in our pyjamas, waving arms and singing at the tops of our voices.

Later, for our mum-Smallboy treat, we hop on the tram into town to eat noodles and buy jeans. Even later than that, my son and what seems like every 18-year-old on our estate, heads back into town to dance the night (and most of the next morning) away.

Which gives me time to pour myself a well-deserved whisky, raise a toast to my youngest child and think,

“Thank the Lord that’s the last time…”

Living the student life…

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8 August 2024

A bathroom brimming with Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and a kitchen well stocked with vodka and wine? Yes, I am not in my corner of the North West anymore…week 3 of the Summer holidays takes me to student land!

I am spending a few days with Prom-dress Daughter at her digs in the Scottish capital. Her flatmate is away and so we have the place to ourselves and … I love it.

It is not even an entirely social visit. We both have a fair bit of work to do but this just makes it feel even better. As if I actually live in this lovely vibrant spot, as opposed to just being a passing visitor. Mornings, afternoons and some of the evening we are buried in notes or calculations in our respective corners of the lounge. But in between, we pop out. To trendy cafes, or to sit in the sunny Meadows with deli sandwiches in brown paper bags or simply to step out for a stroll.

Yes, the best bit about my stay? Location, location location!

My middle child lives right in the heart of Edinburgh city. It is August, it is Festival time and it is sunny. The place just buzzes with life and excitement. Whereas a trip at home might be the weekly shop, or filling up the car with petrol, here it is to watch a street performer, or mooch around a vintage shop or listen to some live music, whilst sipping a cool drink.

It feels wonderful. Is it just a reminder of life I once lived and the girl I was, many many decades ago? Or is it time to be that girl again? Next week, Small Boy picks up his A Level results and hopefully the passport to his University life and future career.

Which means that I will be … an empty nester. Eek!

Emotional times for sure … but maybe also the chance to rediscover the old (pre-parenthood) me? Gracious, as I see that in black and white, it feels a little too momentous and overwhelming right now. Perhaps I’ll make a gentler start to a whole new life… by adding ‘Brazilian Bum Bum Cream’ to my Christmas list!

The little lodge in the trees

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Thursday 25 July 2024

Week 1 of the Summer holidays takes me to The Lake District,  to quote William Wordsworth

” the loveliest spot that man hath found”

I’m joining friends who have recently purchased a cosy wooden lodge, a few miles north of  Ambleside … and I am instantly in love. The setting is just so glorious.  I actually feel as if I’m in a tree house with lush, vibrant greenery in every direction.  It’s peaceful, it’s magical…its perfect.

And I am not the only person to find trees such a source of bliss. There is much research about the benefits to both physical and mental well-being in aboretal locations.

According to NHS Forest, 

Specifically, spending time in woodland areas has been found to stabilise blood pressure, reduce stress levels, and induce a sense of calm.

It feels oxygen rich and re-energising and instantly…if not permanently…the stresses and worries of: work, money, family, friends all melt away.

So I make the most of a wonderful few chill days. And, after the soggiest of Summers so far, the sun even shines on us.

We walk. We bus. We eat. We drink. We enjoy…

The cake run 3: Ginger Cake

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Saturday 27 July 2024

Mannings Bakery: Iced Ginger Cake

Ooh Ginger cake … just the word, just the thought is exactly what my weary Saturday limbs need to motivate this morning’s run.

It evokes warmth, comfort and the reviving zing of ginger, ‘the wonder spice’, widely  recognised for its benefits to digestion and some muscular pain relief.

And I am needing all of these as we jog off today; my knee a little sore following a week in the Lakeland Hills. But, buoyed by a chance for a chatty catch-up, I manage a respectable 2 or 3 miles before my arthritic joint demands that I slow to walking pace.

And my reward? Yes, stick on that kettle and plate up that cake!

It is good. Fruity, rich and delicately spiced, we polish it off with relish. Perhaps it would benefit a touch more spice and I’d prefer a stickier topping in place of the icing but without doubt a grand post-run delight and we agree a score of 8!

My run buddy is off to a (celebrity) wedding next week so I’ll probably swap out the run for a fortnight of some serious arthritis exercises. Thereafter…here’s to my next cake run adventure…

End of an era…

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Sunday 21 July 2024

Friday was my last day in my current post, after memorable 14 years …

Yes, quite an ‘end of an era‘ and I’m not sure that it has entirely sunk in as yet. Even now, sitting in a house that resembles a florist shop with enough wine, fizz and whiskey in the cupboard to last me until Christmas my head doesn’t fully know what to make of it all. I imagine that particular reality will strike home as I begin training for a new challenge at the end of August and find myself, ever so completely, out of my comfort zone for the first time in a decade!

But, whilst the location and the colleagues will change, I shall continue working with young people. I got some amazing letters from pupils this term and I think it sort of hit me like a thunderbolt that, for some of them at least, I was ‘that teacher‘; the one who inspires, who builds up, who encourages them to be more that they dreamed possible and who is never forgotten. And that feels phenomenal, such a privilege and … unbelievable! Because when you set out on a career path, you never quite know how it is going to turn out.

And the same is very much true of parenting too.

Yes, back at home we are also fast approaching the end of an era. Small boy has finished his A levels and, with everything crossed (because Physics paper 2 was an abomination), plans to head off to university in the Autumn. Gracious me; when I started my last job he was nervously lining up outside Reception class and now… on the verge of setting out into a new life in a new city.

And he is a great kid, as are my girls, which also hit me the other evening. Because, who can predict what type of parent any of us are destined to be? I know I have made lots of mistakes, I could fill several posts with all them all, but nonetheless when I look at my lovely offspring, with their kind and caring ways, I’ll confess I feel pretty proud of myself as a mum too.

Yep, over the last 14 years, I’ve not done at all badly either at work or at home. So here’s to a ‘little bit of new’ mixed with ‘a good portion of carrying on‘ as I look ahead to the next stage of life’s big adventure…