Sunday, April 24, 2011
The trusty team of timekeepers.
Another day outdoors!
We were wandering amongst all the stalls at Pease Pottage by just gone 7 o'clock. At that time of the morning we were actually rather underdressed and began to feel cold. Fortunately there were jumpers in the car.
Bill bought some model cars and a pair of large 1930s military binoculars.
I didn't spend very much - but the bits are interesting; I have another ruler! I also have a medicine bottle which once contained "The Mixture" - patients were not to know what they were taking in those days. It was dispensed by Dr Hole of Nutley, village on the edge of Ashdown Forest.
Profits of some sort will be made.
I also bought a lovely coat for Ecky. It is sized for a 12 -13 year old - but if it is too small then I know I can sell it because it was originally from Monsoon. It cost just £3.
We were home by about 9 o'clock, with time to get some breakfast and be ready to go out again.
We were timekeeping at the Easter Sunday meeting at the Crawley track. We were a select band of timekeepers - just 4 of us. This was the same 4 as worked together at the last meeting. We do seem to make a very good team. We were stretched to the limit today because athletes arrived in droves.
I had agreed with the starters before hand that in the sprints we could only cope with 6 runners at a time.
Because of the numbers of runners, the programme was getting rather behind and suddenly we found ourselves with 8 runners - senior men who were fast and who had been graded to ensure exciting racing. In that race there were just 5 tenths of a second between first and last place with timekeepers having to take the times of 3 runners. The creme de la creme of timekeepers would never expect such challenges!
Now add into it that the starters have some dodgy ammunition for their guns, so that we had no visual signal at all and only the the quietest of bangs from across the track.
There was no panic on the timekeepers' steps. As chief I read the race - determining where and how big the gaps between runners were. The other 3 took the times.
We did very well - and I never thought I would hear myself saying this, but Gerry was a star!
It was a very good meeting and the heat, which had been lacking at Pease Pottage, soon increased. My arms feel quite tingly this evening from all the sun and fresh air. They don't look at all red though.
Once home , the computer was on immediately....well, what's new? EBay auctions had eneded during the afternoon and there were invoices to send and payments to deal with. As I can't post until Tuesday nothing has yet been wrapped.
I hope others have had a satisfying and fun Easter Sunday. Have you been hunting Easter eggs?
We were wandering amongst all the stalls at Pease Pottage by just gone 7 o'clock. At that time of the morning we were actually rather underdressed and began to feel cold. Fortunately there were jumpers in the car.
Bill bought some model cars and a pair of large 1930s military binoculars.
I didn't spend very much - but the bits are interesting; I have another ruler! I also have a medicine bottle which once contained "The Mixture" - patients were not to know what they were taking in those days. It was dispensed by Dr Hole of Nutley, village on the edge of Ashdown Forest.
Profits of some sort will be made.
I also bought a lovely coat for Ecky. It is sized for a 12 -13 year old - but if it is too small then I know I can sell it because it was originally from Monsoon. It cost just £3.
We were home by about 9 o'clock, with time to get some breakfast and be ready to go out again.
We were timekeeping at the Easter Sunday meeting at the Crawley track. We were a select band of timekeepers - just 4 of us. This was the same 4 as worked together at the last meeting. We do seem to make a very good team. We were stretched to the limit today because athletes arrived in droves.
I had agreed with the starters before hand that in the sprints we could only cope with 6 runners at a time.
Because of the numbers of runners, the programme was getting rather behind and suddenly we found ourselves with 8 runners - senior men who were fast and who had been graded to ensure exciting racing. In that race there were just 5 tenths of a second between first and last place with timekeepers having to take the times of 3 runners. The creme de la creme of timekeepers would never expect such challenges!
Now add into it that the starters have some dodgy ammunition for their guns, so that we had no visual signal at all and only the the quietest of bangs from across the track.
There was no panic on the timekeepers' steps. As chief I read the race - determining where and how big the gaps between runners were. The other 3 took the times.
We did very well - and I never thought I would hear myself saying this, but Gerry was a star!
It was a very good meeting and the heat, which had been lacking at Pease Pottage, soon increased. My arms feel quite tingly this evening from all the sun and fresh air. They don't look at all red though.
Once home , the computer was on immediately....well, what's new? EBay auctions had eneded during the afternoon and there were invoices to send and payments to deal with. As I can't post until Tuesday nothing has yet been wrapped.
I hope others have had a satisfying and fun Easter Sunday. Have you been hunting Easter eggs?
