Photograph Quiz:
Photo no.78:- Which Godiva club official is chatting with the Duke of Edinburgh? Where are they? When was it?
Dear Blog,
Just think, this time last year we were up to our goolies in snow. Not that it mattered of course, because it was so cold, you couldn’t feel your goolies, the only fear being that they might drop off during a trudge and you wouldn’t notice!!! Contrast today. Windy and pleasantly warm. Did 10 miles this morning; leaving home, the first two miles were fast, I slowed briefly at the bottom of the first hill before I started on the narrow country lanes. I past one very very slow shuffler before my second slow down. Very few cars on the lanes which made progress nice and steady. Had to go slow in the penultimate miles as horse riders were out in force, and they were none too happy trotting along the lanes, especially those where the road was sunken and the hedgerows were high. The horses were a bit frisky as well. The final mile, being downhill, was quite rapid. Oh, I should have said, Blog, I wasn’t trudging, I was driving my car as backup for my younger daughter. It was she that was running the ‘10’. She has had a sore hamstring and didn’t want to go out for a steady run by herself in case the leg wasn’t happy. If it became uncomfortable, she had the option of protecting it by being able to hop into the car, if I followed. So I followed. Very sensible, a confidence thing really.
Another contrast for you Blog. Last week, the Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One third fixture was held in Coundon Hall Park, about a mile from where my estate is. Godiva promoted the event and have done for 30 (+?) years. I have usually done a bit of the spade work.
Imagine
15 years ago. Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus five weeks:- ‘Hello Bob, its Colin Kirkham’ ‘Hello Colin, are you OK?’ ‘Yes thanks. Is it alright with the Parks Department if we have the usual cross country race around Coundon Hall Park, please?’ ‘Yes, no problem. You will keep off the football pitches won’t you?’ ‘Yes, certainly. And can I have the key for the changing rooms, please.’ ‘Yes. Pick it up the day before. When can you return it?’ ‘I will pop into town on Tuesday, and bring it up to the office. We come into town shopping on a Tuesday anyway, so that will be no problem.’ ‘Hello, British Red Cross? May I speak to Linda please, it’s Colin Kirkham. Hello Linda, could the British Red Cross provide cover for the Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One third fixture at Coundon Hall Park as usual, please. Thanks. I will send the usual details through.’ [Time spent on phone 10 minutes]
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus four weeks and six days. Post details to British Red Cross. [Time spent 5 minutes writing letter, 5 minutes to jog to post box and back.]
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus one day. Pick up key. [Time spent 30 minutes]
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture plus three days. Return key [Time spent, a token 30 minutes as I was passing the office anyway]
Total administrative time for Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture 70 minutes. Setting the race up and taking it down is always the same, so each year is no different.
Imagine.
This year. Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture, same place, same course, same second Saturday in January, the same as every year for the past 30 (+?) years.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus five weeks. ‘Hello, could you put me through to the Department for Culture, Leisure and Libraries as their direct number is not available in the phone book.’ ‘Sorry, we don’t deal with bookings any more, I’ll transfer you.’ ‘Hello its Colin Kirkham from Coventry Godiva Harriers enquiring about promoting a cross country fixture at Coundon Hall Park in January’ ‘Sorry, we do not deal with bookings over the phone, you must go onto the Council web site, find the appropriate department, and complete the booking information sheets. But hurry, as we require four working weeks notification and we are off over Christmas and the New Year.’
Find booking form … eventually. Four pages. Keep having to re do the booking form on line as the person who designed the sheets, never thought that a sporting event would take place without having any spectators who weren’t charged an entry fee for not watching the event! No box available to explain the necessity for a key for the changing rooms. Send off. Twice. The instructions for mailing were too complicated for someone of my intellect.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus four weeks and six days. E-mail comes through saying the council computer has received my booking form and an e-mail comes through to say that the council computer has received my booking form.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus four weeks and four days. E-mail requesting copy of route taken for race, copy of full insurance policy, copy of first aid provision, copy of parking arrangements. Please to forward as an attachment. E-mail back saying I don’t do attachments. Will send information through by surface mail. Insurance is covered by UKA as part of them granting a permit for the event to go ahead. Jog to post box and post copies of route taken for the race and details of first aid provision … private company who require access to all parts of the park for the duration of the whole event
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One third fixture minus four weeks and three days. E-mail saying that a copy of the insurance is still required. Club secretary has to contact UKA and get a copy. Sent off five days later, jogging to and from post box.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One third fixture minus two weeks. Get a phone call asking for details of course. I am out. Phone back when I get home. ‘Sorry the lady you want to speak is not back in the office until next week.’ E-mail her asking what she wants.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus one weeks and one day. E-mail arrives asking where the course goes. E-mail back, with details mentioning that the course does not cross the pitches. E-mail arrives saying that is OK and that she did not realise it was an annual fixture. I am given two names of people who will deal with me and the race from now on. Never hear from them. New First Aid providers need a key to access the whole park.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus eight days. Ring up to find out where I can get a key from to access the whole of the Park for the first aid providers. I point out that the locks are different on each gate; the key for the gate near the school HQ would be most useful. Consternation, No one knows They will ring me back when they find out where the keys are kept.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus five days. The key is at the War Memorial Park offices but I had better take all keys. The deposit for each key is £25. I am told that if there is any damage to the park grass, we will be billed for any surface restructuring work that needs to be carried out by the Department for Culture, Leisure and Libraries after the race.
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus three days. Travel 5 miles to War Memorial Park to pick key up. I am told they need a £25 returnable deposit for the one key I am allowed to take away. I pay £25 returnable deposit. The key is for the gate furthest from the school where the race HQ is situated. Do a training session around the Park. I return home and I receive a phone call to say that I have been given the wrong key. Someone will go up and change the lock. When? This afternoon. ? Would it not be easier to give me the correct key ?
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus two days. I decide to do a trudge to check the key. I trudge a couple of miles and find the key does not fit. I trudge another couple of miles to find the key does not fit any of the gate locks. I trudge a mile to the changing room and find that the key does fit. I trudge home and phone up the office at the War Memorial Park. Someone will go up and change the lock. When? This afternoon. ? Would it not be easier to give me the correct key ?
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture minus one day. I decide to do a trudge to check the key. I trudge a couple of miles and find the key does not fit. I trudge another couple of miles to find the key does not fit any of the gate locks. I trudge home and phone up the office at the War Memorial Park. Someone will go up to change the lock. When. By half past eleven. I begin to panic. At two o’clock I decide to do a trudge to check the key. I trudge a couple of miles and find the key does fit!!!!
Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture plus two days. Travel 5 miles to War Memorial Park to return the key; the key that fit the lock on the far gate which was not very convenient. I am given my £25 returnable deposit for the one key I was allowed to take away. I train around the perimeter of the War Memorial Park.
Total administrative time for Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One, third fixture:- hours and bloody hours. But that is progress for you Blog. Who said it was better in the olden days?
In the 1970s, and you can check this Blog, Prime Minister Harold Wilson in his speech on the white heat of new technology, warned that we would have to adopt new ways to fill all our extra leisure time which would be created by the increasing use of computers. Obviously Harold had never heard of Jobsworth!!!!
Colin
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