The debonair Basil Marigold's

Now, every now and again it is nice to head into a pub and have a quiet pint in honour of all the good things in the world, Real Ale is one of those. I tend not to be a lager drinker, unless its Czech. So imagine my surprise when, while walking past a local pub I spot a new type of drink! I presume of course that it's a new style of drink. It may be that pubs are now going the route of Fast food takeaway's by offering you the ability to 'max it', here perhaps you can make your drink larger, for £2.40. I have a feeling though that this may not be the case. It seemd the case in the other window too. The famous saying about pub lanlords, 'You don't have to be a pedant speller to work here, but it helps' seems apt right now.

The irony is of course that this event occurred today, over a few thousand miles away in what was then one of the most advanced collection of states. How many people know that we actually run marathons in honour of a battle, fought over 2500 years ago, which it can be argued help define our western civilisation as we know it. but to remove myth from fact , it was the Athenian army that travelled the 26 miles from Marathon back to Athens. Pheidippedes, the runner, actually travelled 140miles to Sparta to deliver the request for help against the Persians from the fledgling Athenian demokratia. So, we run in honour of the Athenians (mainly) defeating the Persian Empire and altering the course of history by proving they, the invincible Persian hordes, were in fact beatable, as they finally proved 10 years later when they were destroyed by the Spartan/Athenian army at Plataea (after the Spartans had immortalised their hoplite prowess at the 'hot gates' of Thermopylae, if you have n...

Okay, it hurt. It hurt pretty bad but at the end of all the pain and suffering I got my free T-shirt for running the half marathon at Worksop....No wait, I didn't get my free T-shirt at all...I got through the finish and went to get my T-shirt and was in fact told that the box of Extra large T shirts, unlike me hadn't turned up for the event. So all I got was a plastic bag and a bottle of water! This is not the point of running of course, the goody bag at the end, each event differs, but none have ever surpassed Mansfield Half marathon who after completion gave me a bag of biscuits, crisps and water and then handed me a box of 6 free range eggs??? Which if I wasn't completely shattered from racing a hilly course in 27degree heat I may have asked, why? So, I could whip up a post race omelette? The only real comparison to inappropriate post race gifts was the kilomathon this year when I was handed after a race a token to redeem my free half pint sample of real ale from the be...

Nope...I really didn't, that's the honest answer and I was pretty surprised almost shocked by it. I am running in the Worksop half marathon tomorrow, which offers nothing but 13miles of pain. It's part of my planned running comeback, having raced the Kilomathon in March this year and struggling through that I felt I owed myself to re-discover my fitness, motivation, weight loss plan and that competitive streak that used to make me pretty unstoppable when the mind was focused. So, after a few months of training and a calorie counting diet later I am 1 stone lighter when I started training and feel comfortable I can finish a half marathon. So, I check my race history, when you are a geek you have one of this, in a spreadsheet or other form to see when I last ran a half marathon...it was September, 2006!!  My head nearly fell off, has it really been 4 years? yes, yes it has, it was Nottingham Half, timed finish at 1hr 33mins. I shall be fortunate to make it under 2hours this ...

A challenge today as a friend of ours is coming for dinner to celebrate her completion of the Scottish Kilomathon last weekend and collecting an ebay purchase for us too. So as a treat I am experimenting on her with a nice piece of sirloin steak, with a homemade peppercorn and wholegrain mustard sauce with a red wine Jus. Homemade and roasted thick cut chips with a side of honey Carrots and mangetouts. While I am attempting this I also want to go out and view the model railway exhibiton in the town. So am preparing as much as I can now.

We recently went for a 20 week scan for our new addition at the local hospital. We've been a few times before and I have only just paid to the notice that has been placed in the reception window and actually thought, really thought what it said or indeed, what it can, potentially offer. Now if the shoe was on the other foot and it was me that was pregnant then looking at this notice, I would like to be accompanied by one adult and that would be Neil Young, that would be cool. The hospital seem to promise that it's my choice.

How true this is and so it was proved by the following husband and wife conversation we had this afternoon regarding the Alarm clock. First, a little background, Internet (wireless) being a little temperamental so I resorted to the classic IT solution of turning it off and plugging it back in. Though it is on a multi plug, so when the wireless goes down, so does the bedside alarm clock. When turned on it flashes the time and needs resetting. So here we go! W(wife) = Why is the alarm flashing M (me) = because I had to reset the internet W = is that the right time? M = yes, pretty much, though 5 minutes fast, as you like it. W = well press a button on the top and it'll stop flashing I then press a button and the radio comes on, good to hear R4 again, another story. W = That was the wrong button M = but you said 'a' button, I was to press any button. W = i didn't think you'd press that one! M = But you said, 'any' button, How was I to know you didn...