Sunday, August 19, 2012
Sunday lie in, storms, sunshine, athletics and a gripe.
I lay in bed, debating.
Get up? Stay in bed?
Just up the road the huge car boot sale would be beginning - people unloading their treasures.
Oooh! I should be there.
Then I thought about all those hundreds of stalls filled to overflowing with nothing much of use to me - that would be so frustrating.
Just 3 weeks ago I uttered the words "Never again"
But today I only had time for the Pease Pottage sale.....surely I should go?
No - bed, cup of tea and sudoku conquered.
By half past eleven we were out - off to the track at Horsham.
The skies had been blue, the sun shone and it was delightfully warm.
But cloud filled the sky as we drove.
Still very hot.
The first rumbles of thunder were heard and spectacular flashes of lightning.
Storms excite me - but people must be aware of the potential dangers.
People didn't stand out in the middle of the field and others were advised not to be leaning on the huge vertical bars of the throwing cage......just in case.
Suddenly there was one awesome streak of lightning and instaneously a violent crack of thunder.
The storm was right overhead.
But still it hardly rained.
The meeting continued. It was a very busy open meeting.
People of all ages from 8 to 80 (maybe that was some of the officials!) competed in the whole range of track and field events.
We were a happy band of 9 timekeepers - yes 9!
Everybody was relaxed and enjoying our normal chat and banter.
There were no electric times today - so possible to tease each other about their times being wrong; but done with no malice.
I was working with a young man, Steve, who has only recently taken up timekeeping. I am pretty sure I have convinced him to come and timekeep at the Crawley open meeting on Bank Holiday Monday.
It was a lovely meeting.
It is such a shame that this track and sports centre will be demolished.
It has only been there about 25 years.
First the council pleaded that it needed too much money to renovate the buildings.
Since then housing developments have already commenced quite close to the site.
The truth seems to lie along the lines of......the council can make so much money by selling the site.
A new track is promised - to be built in the grounds of a local school.
Ah well, that's progress.
The place was alive with hundreds of people today.
Families mostly.
And the tribe of Sussex officials.
Get up? Stay in bed?
Just up the road the huge car boot sale would be beginning - people unloading their treasures.
Oooh! I should be there.
Then I thought about all those hundreds of stalls filled to overflowing with nothing much of use to me - that would be so frustrating.
Just 3 weeks ago I uttered the words "Never again"
But today I only had time for the Pease Pottage sale.....surely I should go?
No - bed, cup of tea and sudoku conquered.
By half past eleven we were out - off to the track at Horsham.
The skies had been blue, the sun shone and it was delightfully warm.
But cloud filled the sky as we drove.
Still very hot.
The first rumbles of thunder were heard and spectacular flashes of lightning.
Storms excite me - but people must be aware of the potential dangers.
People didn't stand out in the middle of the field and others were advised not to be leaning on the huge vertical bars of the throwing cage......just in case.
Suddenly there was one awesome streak of lightning and instaneously a violent crack of thunder.
The storm was right overhead.
But still it hardly rained.
The meeting continued. It was a very busy open meeting.
People of all ages from 8 to 80 (maybe that was some of the officials!) competed in the whole range of track and field events.
We were a happy band of 9 timekeepers - yes 9!
Everybody was relaxed and enjoying our normal chat and banter.
There were no electric times today - so possible to tease each other about their times being wrong; but done with no malice.
I was working with a young man, Steve, who has only recently taken up timekeeping. I am pretty sure I have convinced him to come and timekeep at the Crawley open meeting on Bank Holiday Monday.
It was a lovely meeting.
It is such a shame that this track and sports centre will be demolished.
It has only been there about 25 years.
First the council pleaded that it needed too much money to renovate the buildings.
Since then housing developments have already commenced quite close to the site.
The truth seems to lie along the lines of......the council can make so much money by selling the site.
A new track is promised - to be built in the grounds of a local school.
Ah well, that's progress.
Families mostly.
And the tribe of Sussex officials.
