tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59938425794108444422024-02-07T02:32:14.533+00:00Where's Eric?I'm trying to come to terms with my dad's failing mind. He was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia AND Alzheimer's Disease in June 2016.Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-17297647366048791782017-07-10T23:15:00.000+01:002017-07-10T23:15:09.928+01:00Vascular Dementia: The Journey<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sorry to sound so negative but I'm starting to think that the 'end is nigh' with my poor old Dad. Well, the 'nigh' might not be too far away anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In addition to his Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer's, as mentioned in previous posts, this year Dad has survived pneumonia, a mild stroke and heart surgery. He's been back in hospital today with 'poor kidney function' and an 'enlarged prostate'. Well that explains his needing the loo every half hour. He had over a litre of urine drained from his body. He's suffering, and Mom is falling apart at the seams.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There is a programme on BBC1 at 10.45 pm tomorrow called <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08y3tcp" target="_blank">'My Granddad, Dementia & Me'</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It may be uncomfortable viewing but I'm interested in watching it. It's about a young man following his 79-year-old Grandad's journey into Vascular Dementia. Let's see how this compare's with my 89-year-old dad's journey.</span> Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-12639967540890932072017-07-07T23:37:00.000+01:002017-07-08T00:03:53.740+01:00TAVI<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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since my last post. Where to begin? Dad had his TAVI (transcatheter aortic
valve implantation) in April and he’s made a good recovery. My mom and I have
been looking forward to this for so long. In our distorted thinking, we
believed that Dad’s dementia would improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, it hasn’t – he’s much worse. The operation means that he is no
longer struggling to breathe, which is fantastic. However, he is struggling to
think, walk, talk and go to the toilet.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I do at times, have to smile at his behaviour. For instance,
he went through a period of getting up early, having breakfast, going back to
bed, getting up, having breakfast, back to bed, more breakfast etc. At lunch-time
my mom would ask what he wanted to eat and he would respond, “I can’t say I’m
hungry”. He was too blumin full of Weetabix, that’s why!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other times he has got up and put his
trousers on over his pyjamas, or put shorts on back to front. Things are much
worse now. He’s not capable of getting his own breakfast or making any
decisions about what to wear even if they are the wrong way round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Dad frequently has ‘accidents’ so Mom is
constantly washing his pants and trousers. She encourages him to wear
incontinence pants, which are a Godsend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I took Dad for a walk to the park on Tuesday (to give Mom a
break) and it was quite hard going. He clung on to me and needed regular rests
on park benches. I go over 2-3 times a week (a 50-mile round trip) but it never
feels enough. If I lived nearer, it would be every day and I always feel a
terrible guilt that I have to go to work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dad will be 90 on 24th<sup> </sup>August. I feel blessed to
still have 2 living parents but oh God, I would not wish this bloody awful
dementia on my worst enemy. It’s been heart-breaking to witness Dad losing his
mind and Mom (almost) fall apart with stress and anxiety. God knows what will
happen if my mom becomes ill but I dare not think about that……</span></div>
Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-36845539789360110832017-04-14T21:44:00.000+01:002017-04-14T22:23:47.418+01:00A Very Good Friday<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Trevor and I went to a Good Friday service at Church this morning. It's always a solemn occasion. The minister can't exactly extract humour from the story of a man suffering an excruciating death on the cross. Jesus was a man who at one point felt he had been deserted by his father. I think us post-Jesus people are very lucky.... at least we know that there was a happy ending (or should that be beginning?) 3 days later 😊</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This afternoon was a very happy time. Trevor and I took Mom and Dad out for a Good Friday Fish and Chips lunch in Solihull. Yes, took them OUT! There has been an improvement in Dad's physical health since my last post 2 months ago. (There was a blip a couple of weeks ago when he suffered a small stroke but he recovered quickly). Though a little doddery, Dad is able to walk without a frame and is no longer housebound. He has gained a little weight too and doesn't resemble a famine victim. More good news is that FINALLY he has been given a date for a new heart valve implant - next Friday! He has a diseased valve which means, without tablets, fluid collects in his lungs and he can't breathe. Even with tablets he struggles to breathe at times, so the new valve will make a massive difference. The procedure isn't without risk, ie. major stroke, heart attack, bleeding and acute kidney failure but let's not think about that and stay positive!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Dad's dementia will not improve. There is no short-term memory and he is unable to think rationally or make decisions. He doesn't remember that he has to go into hospital for an operation. Trevor is brilliant with him though and always manages to ignite memories from the past. Today's subject was cars and Dad managed to list some cars he previously owned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I hope and pray that my father's mind will not desert those he loves and that there will be a happy ending to next week's operation. A x</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-52117409552282923042017-02-12T22:21:00.000+00:002017-02-12T22:21:03.190+00:00Zimmer down now.....<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dad seemed ever-so-slightly better today... a bit more lucid and strong. He can't get to the loo without a walker/zimmer frame but at least he's not incontinent now - yay! Fingers crossed all goes well with the heart consultant tomorrow.....</span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-36790619202950494572017-02-11T21:39:00.000+00:002017-02-12T22:15:02.066+00:00Hospital<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I watched a great documentary on Wednesday, called "Hospital" and this week, episode 5, featured a 98-year-old who had a TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) This guy was the oldest to have the procedure... he had a stroke during the op but recovered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The TAVI is exactly what's recommended for my 89-year-old dad, Eric.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08dxcgd/hospital-episode-5" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08dxcgd/hospital-episode-5</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dad has an appointment booked on Monday at the QE Hospital in Birmingham to discuss this TAVI procedure. I hope that he is fit enough to go through with it. He has lost over 2 stones (around 30 pounds) and now weighs 8 stones 10 lbs. Mom is encouraging him to eat high-carb/fat food to put the weight back on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I visited my mom and dad on Monday and Thursday this week and thought that's Dad's dementia seemed very much worse... it was quite shocking really. Just a few weeks ago he was frail but able to wash, shower and pop to the shops to get a newspaper. Now he is housebound and can only walk with a frame. He stopped his "pompey pom" tuneless singing and replaced it with nothing. Absolutely zilch. Silence.</span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-29566428497994160402017-02-04T23:25:00.000+00:002017-02-06T21:32:37.496+00:00Quando Quando Quando<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Quando Quando Quando - when when when?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">To be honest, the last 7 days have been hell on earth for my mom and dad but I don't want this blog to always be so depressing. Over 3 million people have seen the lovely video of Teddy Mac, a dementia sufferer, singing Quando Quando Quando and let it continue to bring a smile to our faces 😄</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I drove my dad home from hospital on Monday. He was still recovering from pneumonia and nowhere near ready to leave but the hospital needed the bed I suppose. On Thursday he developed an all-over-body rash. The GP came and said it was an allergy and prescribed more medication to add to the mountain of pills. Dad has also become incontinent and my mom is utterly exhausted with all the changing of underwear, sheets, etc. She's nearly 82 years old and is on the verge of a breakdown 😢 I would DEARLY love to give up work and care for both of my parents but I can't afford not to work. I'm juggling 4 jobs and feel so guilty all the time that I'm not there 24/7. Oh, what to do....?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Today, my mom rang 111 (the NHS emergency and urgency services number) to say she couldn't cope with Dad and a senior nurse said that she would contact Social Services. Let's see what happens. Dad has worsening dementia, is thin, weak and skeletal and in desperate need of this new heart valve.... WHEN WHEN WHEN?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="https://youtu.be/9UQ5mjFzHTA">https://youtu.be/9UQ5mjFzHTA</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Ps. I have a stinking cold and am unable able to visit this weekend for fear of spreading germs. My brother and his wife have the 'flu so Mom and Dad are very much on their own. Hoping they can hang in there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-9792219569045996922017-01-28T21:46:00.001+00:002017-01-29T09:15:37.624+00:00Apple Trees<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My husband Trevor and I visited Dad in hospital today. Dad is recovering from pneumonia and doing remarkably well but his dementia will not improve. Occasionally it will hide behind a mask of lucidity and he is so normal I want to cry with thankfulness. However today was a mixture of understanding and confusion. He looked weak, thin and vulnerable. He is not the strong father I remember from years ago. Not the father who used to repair the roof, rewire the house, build furniture, tend to the garden, take me fishing in the summer and sledging in the winter snow. Not the father who taught me mathematics, helped with history projects and proof-read English essays. He is not the father who took me elderberry picking to make home-made wine or helped me climb our apple tree. Beautiful memories! These times are long gone and my father is now just a shell of the man he once was. In my mind though he will always be my hero and I love him x</span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-88292070786812633102017-01-27T21:18:00.000+00:002017-02-06T21:32:11.230+00:00Pneumonia<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Poor old Dad... no wonder he feels so poorly - he's got pneumonia. Mind you, he's taken a turn for the better today. I visited him yesterday and he was very repetitive and unaware of any recent events. However, today, my mom said that he was quite chatty - she said it was like his dementia had been put to one side. I hope his lucidity will stay with him tomorrow.....</span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-53475269158956112532017-01-23T22:47:00.002+00:002017-01-23T22:47:53.667+00:00In Hospital<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Poor old Dad was admitted to hospital with breathing problems in the early hours of Sunday morning. He's been waiting a while now for an operation for a new heart valve and it's getting more and more urgent. Now he's developed a urine infection so I suppose they'll have to wait until he's recovered from that before operating. He's so confused and doesn't understand why he's in hospital. My mom and brother spent the afternoon with him today and when they said they were leaving, he thought he could go home with them. Lordy me, parents are a worry..... </span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-50034359349134179452017-01-21T22:31:00.001+00:002017-01-21T22:34:26.051+00:00Hobos and Hippies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mom and Dad used to be involved with the Solihull Amateur Winemakers Circle in the 1960s/70s. I don't think it exists any more, which is a shame because it was a lot of fun! There were often fancy dress events and this was a Hobos and Hippies evening. Dad is the chap in the denim jeans and waistcoat and that's my mom next to him in the red top and spotty skirt! I guess Dad would have been in his late 40s and he's now nearly 90!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I visited my parents on Thursday and Dad seemed a bit more confused. He's got this habit now of walking around singing tuneless "pompy pom pom pomp pom pom" notes. Goodness knows what that's all about! </span></div>
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Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-69207294304503818052017-01-15T22:36:00.000+00:002017-01-20T00:31:01.998+00:001940s Remembered......<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today was a good day with my dad, Eric. Just before Christmas I bought him a book <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forties-Good-Times-Around-Corner/dp/1843171457/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484872012&sr=1-3&keywords=1940s+scrapbook" target="_blank">about life in the 1940s</a>. When I mentioned the book, Dad had no recollection of me giving it to him but when my husband Trevor and I started showing him the pages, it conjured up many memories.</span><br />
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Dad knew immediately that the above picture was the work of British cartoonist, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fougasse_(cartoonist)" target="_blank">Fougasse</a> (real name: Cyril Kenneth Bird). I definitely recommend the book, available from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forties-Good-Times-Around-Corner/dp/1843171457/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484872012&sr=1-3&keywords=1940s+scrapbook" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</div>
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</span><br />Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-4296462480306021182017-01-14T22:11:00.001+00:002017-01-14T22:29:16.132+00:00My dad, Eric<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My dad Eric, aged 89, was diagnosed with "mixed dementia" in June 2016. He has Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. If someone had told me a year ago this is what would happen to him, I would have been very surprised. He's always been so incredibly fit and mentally alert. Something 'just happened' under a year ago. He stopped joining in with conversation and responding to questions. To be honest, I thought he was going a bit deaf and am shocked by the results of memory tests. It has been very hard on my mom, Pauline, aged 81. Dad has always been in control of everything and now Mom is in the position of Carer, not Wife.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dad is fine with routine things... he can wash, go to the toilet, eat and remember the immediate family....actually that's about it. He can no longer think, make decisions or help with household chores. He cannot remember how to record programmes, use a mobile phone or sort out any kind of paperwork. My heart is breaking and if anyone can offer comfort or help, please do. I'm too emotional to write any more.....</span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-73479480292940472832015-03-18T00:33:00.000+00:002015-03-18T20:55:51.155+00:00PEA PRESSURE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Occasionally, my husband Trevor and I are called upon to cook breakfasts and lunches at the Coventry Methodist Central Hall. The regular chef, Steve, has super-human powers.... he must have, to cope with the pressure of the long line of orders. Due to a dodgy ankle, Steve was unable to work today so Trev and I responded to a cry for help and went to the front line to face the enemy... the army of customers with their orders of breakfasts, double breakfasts, fish and chips, jacket potatoes, baguettes, batches and everything with chips, chips, more chips and frigging peas. For some reason I have an aversion to frozen peas. I hate the fact that they are cold to the touch but when microwaved, they are so bloody hot, the bowls of them take the skin off my fingers. Burnt fingers I can cope with but my husband shouting "PEAS, HAVE YOU DONE THE PEAS!" every 2 bleeding minutes makes me want to stick every scalding pea down his underpants. I've so far managed to resist the temptation but how long before I succumb to this PEA..er pressure..?</span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-7897205755105777392015-03-05T21:00:00.000+00:002015-03-09T21:10:54.642+00:00Coventry Half-Marathon 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a break from blogging for nearly 5 years, I'm back!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;">What better than to start with telling you about our race in the <a href="http://www.coventryhalf.com/" target="_blank">Coventry Half Marathon</a> on 1st March?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;">Having nearly run ourselves to death in 2009, Trevor and I gave up distance running. We ain't exactly youngsters you know! However, we recently took our running shoes out of retirement to help raise funds for</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.pawprintsdogrescue.org/" target="_blank">Pawprints Dog Rescue (Rugby)</a>. (Just in case</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"> you have a few quid to spare, please visit our fundraising page <a href="http://www.everyclick.com/annie-trevor-pawprints" target="_blank">here</a>. I know I'm cheeky but it's worth asking!)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trevor, just before the run.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">....and little old me. Brrrr, it was a chilly morning.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finished the race in 2 hours 23 minutes and Trevor strolled in 14 minutes after me at 2 hours 37 mins. We stayed together until the 11-mile mark then Trevor took it more slowly.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The finishers medal is lovely!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-37105597286865148872010-06-24T11:00:00.012+01:002010-06-25T11:03:28.249+01:00Two Shakespeares and a Funeral<div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#000000;">Is it really 3 months since my last blog post? Yes (she says sheepishly) I'm afraid it is!</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I will start with the funeral (on 31st March) and the shock and sadness felt at the death of one of my fellow cast members from Rugby Theatre's "Gaslight". Barbara Finch who played the housekeeper, passed away just a month after our last performance in February. Aged 69 but looking much younger, Barbara appeared so full of life and zest. It feels such an honour that she spent her last few weeks of life within the happy family of the Gaslight cast and crew. RIP Barbara x</span><br /></span></span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zyoTRA7DNw4kxp3Ave-YrNIVIi9bpfrrrwKSTaolaWj_pdnBrvaXEU6kGCIFY6Os08Upf1VcOytb86ZcF2cW8iVfx2sr_rdoZvef3BWti32KHFmfLHbhsyoAJpWYP_APsHAzvp_Ustg/s400/_DSC0584e"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 283px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zyoTRA7DNw4kxp3Ave-YrNIVIi9bpfrrrwKSTaolaWj_pdnBrvaXEU6kGCIFY6Os08Upf1VcOytb86ZcF2cW8iVfx2sr_rdoZvef3BWti32KHFmfLHbhsyoAJpWYP_APsHAzvp_Ustg/s400/_DSC0584e" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#333333;"><em>Barbara Finch as Elizabeth (left) in Gaslight</em></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#000000;">Following my guest appearance on BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire on 'National No Smoking Day' on 10th March I was invited back to the station's "Coffee Club" on 5th April, presented by the lovely Annie Othen. It is a bit like a radio version of ITV's </span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="color:#000000;">"Loose Women", a very relaxed hour of chit-chat with three other women. On the agenda were finance, camping, football, cycling, holidays and skinny people. I returned to the station a couple of weeks later for "My Song", a 5-minute slot to tell listeners the story behind a significant song in my life, which was "Hello" by Lionel Richie".</span></span></span></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#333333;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#000000;">In May, I attended an audition in Birmingham for an acting company. Following 3 hours of improvisation, fun and frolics (not cockney rhyming slang, I hasten to add) I made it into their books! Just waiting for the phone to ring.....</span></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#000000;"></span></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#000000;">Also in May, I went, for the first time, to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London to see "Macbeth". It was a brilliant afternoon's entertainment and I can't remember having ever applauded so enthusiastically at the end of a performance. The whole cast was talented, but I particularly liked the 'Weird Sisters' and the 'Porter' (keeper of Macbeth's castle) skilfully and humorously played by Frank Scantori. He took great pleasure in throwing buckets of wee into the 'groundlings' who were the standing audience, many who stood under a large canopy with their heads peeping through.They represented the lost souls in Hell - utterly fantastic! Coincidentally, Frank Scantori was also one of the leading actors in the film 'Room 36' reviewed in my last blog post.</span></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGA0n5F-SoR1GjthRaLBxFq3KVem86N5NRZvLPSFhMt6VIh8zfvTLXkDU7XFm6wixckb-EbPk0KFfcHq9G88DU0gzVWeqBLlwzoMVV2lHetcr82uI7OCjQLPUnKpC_EbZ6PFOo9PxrVI/s1600/DSCN1986.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486096977523389570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGA0n5F-SoR1GjthRaLBxFq3KVem86N5NRZvLPSFhMt6VIh8zfvTLXkDU7XFm6wixckb-EbPk0KFfcHq9G88DU0gzVWeqBLlwzoMVV2lHetcr82uI7OCjQLPUnKpC_EbZ6PFOo9PxrVI/s400/DSCN1986.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#333333;"> <em>Outside Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London</em></span><em><br /></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5JhjSm4dB-pXXx_iFa_i9zzRPDlcQytag5BHW5hq8lkd4I86lbEZ6FAkclMd-42WcjGxQ2ct6np8BzDhQyFpn2I8yaYSbTljgNmW2KAKvVz-s1m4Ayv-lIaNkStaaAtwVBJDQ6PsB4s/s1600/DSCN2001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486096353114715250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5JhjSm4dB-pXXx_iFa_i9zzRPDlcQytag5BHW5hq8lkd4I86lbEZ6FAkclMd-42WcjGxQ2ct6np8BzDhQyFpn2I8yaYSbTljgNmW2KAKvVz-s1m4Ayv-lIaNkStaaAtwVBJDQ6PsB4s/s400/DSCN2001.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#333333;"><em>Frank Scantori as the Porter</em> </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#333333;"></span><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#000000;">The following day I did something I vowed a few years ago I would never do again... I worked as a TV 'Extra'. I'm a really easy-going person but past experiences of being herded about like cattle truly put me off! However, the opportunity arose to work in 'Midsomer Murders' in Henley-on-Thames, and offered a lift by a fellow Equity member, I agreed. As it happened, I was grouped (as a garden party guest) with a couple of very funny guys who looked after me all day. If Tony and Pete ever read this, thank you! During lunch we got lumbered with another chap who I nicknamed 'Duracell' because he went on and on, talking incessantly about when he appeared in Robin Hood with Russell Crowe (yawn). He carried on talking about Russell whilst eating greasy tomato pasta and never once paused to chew properly. Looking into the depths of his orange glistening mouth, I struggled to eat my own lunch! We managed to escape Duracell thankfully but we were full of sympathy for his other victims, who no doubt were tempted to gnaw off their own fingers in boredom. There is a limit to how much time one is prepared to hear about Russell Crowe and Robin bl***y Hood! I bet Duracell's teeth are happy when he's asleep.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><p align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#000000;">A couple of weeks later in June, one of the nice funny chaps, Tony and his very pretty wife, Helen performed in an outdoor production of Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. Trevor and I did a 180-mile round trip to see it and it was worth every mile to see this charming performance with a glorious backdrop in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.</span></p><span style="color:#000000;"><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUTqU0w09lMUzZRuCKyZ_ZXdCnm6OPRaeaPmfb8khptA2ejD8OLf6EEeqbBHWUdo5716mU8VitotCjDzVsmAHR7zxM_qSdZVkUF78Vd_rWcToljZV0jZgf-67Mvi_yyq7TPEGeh8xth8/s1600/2STR.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486095557956081586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUTqU0w09lMUzZRuCKyZ_ZXdCnm6OPRaeaPmfb8khptA2ejD8OLf6EEeqbBHWUdo5716mU8VitotCjDzVsmAHR7zxM_qSdZVkUF78Vd_rWcToljZV0jZgf-67Mvi_yyq7TPEGeh8xth8/s400/2STR.jpg" /> <p align="center"></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Malvolio and Sir Toby Belch (Tony)</em></span><br /></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#000000;">What else? Well, we've just returned from a pleasant 3 days in Devon, visiting family and friends in Torquay, Dartmoor, Plymouth and Teignmouth. Back to work... bye for now x </span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><br /></p></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 264px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486092392493797922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJr4Z63z0Ndgqn_fobPTGlSMAXRPYIFS-orY2Dde09f4j61f_M8GVWyqa8k_NuSZcODeFsCuK0VtKIBOkoNfbtG-lnW0wmFAIqBrbCxYIGzvt8eV26Hn-75cCGhkaACT56lIBZHA6hWE/s400/IMG_3789.JPG" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#333333;"><em>Taken on Teignmouth Pier</em></span> </span></p>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-66889425294974273382010-03-26T20:38:00.025+00:002010-06-25T13:19:38.356+01:00Room 36<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfgkH0WZuceT6JCKKaJ448ncxGLHTtX_kbo4AqEHiQnQPQJnStdjq_FtrWnnFgm0CM1Uf_CneP_YvZexQsv5gXq-PWRXOoxcvwsZeaAv2KMsgr3ExjEsJg1G1bwwVz-sLQCej_rcXUZ4/s1600/Room+36.jpg"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0JhxCb_vKSg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0JhxCb_vKSg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />I watched this rather unusual film the other night. I'm not a film buff and don't know if <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Room 36</span> is widely known. If not, then it certainly is deserving of recognition.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Room 36</span> has been described as a film noir, a horror, a comedy and a farce and it is indeed all of these things. Imagine a black and white Brian Rix farce with lots of blood and a few 'f'words. </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0); FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:verdana;" ></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Amongst the blood and gore it has some great comic moments. I particularly liked Paul Herzberg as the tidy-obsessive hitman and Frank Scantori as the large, naughty underwear salesman.<br /><br />Cursed from the beginning, it took 11 years to make <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Room 36</span>, causing problems with continuation, ie. aging actors! There is a heartwarming documentary which accompanies the film - telling a tale of sheer determination of director/writer Jim Groom to complete the project.<br /><br />Visit<a href="http://www.room36movie.com/"> www.room36movie.com</a> for more information and a synopsis.<br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Other news:<br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's my 50th birthday this summer and a few years ago, Trevor and I planned to celebrate it in the USA. We hadn't known then, of course, that we'd be flat broke in 2010. This year I resigned myself to inviting family members over for a glass of pop and a sandwich.<br /><br />Well there's no need for me to butter any bread because my fantastic parents have bought us a week's holiday to Jersey in the Channel Islands! I lived there for a couple of years in the 1980's and have always longed to return. We'll be staying in a hotel - I hope we're not in Room 36. </span></span></span></span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-86417723828760680842010-03-11T21:00:00.000+00:002010-03-11T23:23:56.397+00:00National No Smoking Day - 10th March 2010<span style="font-family:verdana;">I wrote a </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://annieslate.blogspot.com/2009/06/quit-n-run.html">blog article</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> last June about how I gave up smoking in 2004. This article was picked up recently by a producer at the </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_radio_coventry_warwickshire/">BBC Coventry & Warwickshire</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> radio station. She invited me to go into the studios on 'National No Smoking Day' (yesterday,10th March) for a live interview with the morning presenter, Annie Othen.<br /><br />The programme is available to listen to on BBC iPlayer, only for about a week I think, if anyone is interested,<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p006qwgt/Annie_Othen_10_03_2010/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p006qwgt/Annie_Othen_10_03_2010/</a><br /><br />I'm on air 8 minutes 45 seconds into the programme until 26 minutes 51 seconds. Annie Othen is such a lovely, interesting person you may want to listen to all of her programme!<br /></span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-44548012835620508422010-03-11T19:54:00.019+00:002010-03-11T23:19:54.303+00:00Making a Drama out of a Crisis<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Gaslight</span><br /><br />Playing Bella Manningham at the Rugby Theatre 6-13 February was a tremendous experience. After a 7-year break from stage acting, it was good to tread the boards again. Here is a small selection of photos from the 90 or so that were taken during 2 dress rehearsals.<br /><br />I don't know about my performance but that wig deserved a standing ovation. it managed to stay on, in spite of me throwing myself around the stage! I called it 'Fido' and fed it twice a day.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhrhAWyJM760E5L8r3fKLuiIdfrhdLGu7nu8Qs8RsFv9Oy01rH2Y678UFOwxwKFZXpfUvhpXpbtamR3tpEHQ_vDpiL5IiL74MkO_VJ8lNS0PuxGPO-X08wQN08UCIZSuLBDZRMA7U9XM/s1600-h/_DSC0030e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhrhAWyJM760E5L8r3fKLuiIdfrhdLGu7nu8Qs8RsFv9Oy01rH2Y678UFOwxwKFZXpfUvhpXpbtamR3tpEHQ_vDpiL5IiL74MkO_VJ8lNS0PuxGPO-X08wQN08UCIZSuLBDZRMA7U9XM/s400/_DSC0030e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447474105197075986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjA6RALglEIyXoPQFEYMuumNGJfojrQezla41iTV6MAiq3aoP-A4lDpr00nTKkp84Psg2hAhyphenhyphenkPX5FyqC4dmBC0XK4bRbTm4SyLUbjrm2zXuPorOFQ9G-2J_uw9bN8cYPLnqfCkryi4k/s1600-h/_DSC0042e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjA6RALglEIyXoPQFEYMuumNGJfojrQezla41iTV6MAiq3aoP-A4lDpr00nTKkp84Psg2hAhyphenhyphenkPX5FyqC4dmBC0XK4bRbTm4SyLUbjrm2zXuPorOFQ9G-2J_uw9bN8cYPLnqfCkryi4k/s400/_DSC0042e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447473935648100402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihXPMUs4J3LFNnZYCRHY8SvE_eBTNHKSPP9lmZndP4yJuyipmZVRge8-EnZHPkzINa8BAOLAhz7Mjb0SH_7j6DBkEwBt2eiG2WRhsG4WLPuZWPd_ZvOtBvFrXOAf4GE_qfjiyWz8sa7E/s1600-h/_DSC0056e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihXPMUs4J3LFNnZYCRHY8SvE_eBTNHKSPP9lmZndP4yJuyipmZVRge8-EnZHPkzINa8BAOLAhz7Mjb0SH_7j6DBkEwBt2eiG2WRhsG4WLPuZWPd_ZvOtBvFrXOAf4GE_qfjiyWz8sa7E/s400/_DSC0056e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447473213682381042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeqduly7nTl6L-_GgFwjvo7HI4dQJATy5_u43IlEBbLllAIyb7tgRYtoghYUbH25VcUW9xq8elW_IAz9-7dVyikucbbSQDmRc-GnwarrURMImQm10ILWU9yu8N5pxQau5FdHQGIS-zWc/s1600-h/_DSC0179e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeqduly7nTl6L-_GgFwjvo7HI4dQJATy5_u43IlEBbLllAIyb7tgRYtoghYUbH25VcUW9xq8elW_IAz9-7dVyikucbbSQDmRc-GnwarrURMImQm10ILWU9yu8N5pxQau5FdHQGIS-zWc/s400/_DSC0179e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447472649633209874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGdDCEx8qMRCJa8_A7gW6oU51qbinMpzs7T0307DuDOsT2XX9huo6SXVIb8uvST6Fx2cy-MQGEM2r5Lmf_P3ZStZyNRMrTqruMYBFVy0w3yMRY_RBWz0MDnRfXkFj8FuDzXFrPQFHaQU/s1600-h/_DSC0243e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGdDCEx8qMRCJa8_A7gW6oU51qbinMpzs7T0307DuDOsT2XX9huo6SXVIb8uvST6Fx2cy-MQGEM2r5Lmf_P3ZStZyNRMrTqruMYBFVy0w3yMRY_RBWz0MDnRfXkFj8FuDzXFrPQFHaQU/s400/_DSC0243e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447472342956670562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLSkbSCUITHcUcqHPUwq6a2JNJJCLNWZDQfsc0gjSfNfriT2MlF4jxGpVJbpYkyyVDsH7gO8UVq0oBcKIzSO-QruRAZtEQA229FvEpSy6Ia3A85394DayyMXJGCIS9MEHg7MBOLaC-0M/s1600-h/_DSC0248e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLSkbSCUITHcUcqHPUwq6a2JNJJCLNWZDQfsc0gjSfNfriT2MlF4jxGpVJbpYkyyVDsH7gO8UVq0oBcKIzSO-QruRAZtEQA229FvEpSy6Ia3A85394DayyMXJGCIS9MEHg7MBOLaC-0M/s400/_DSC0248e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447472336390183218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgNEGY62ttqOIV7jf4R7qte_W9Xd_e0T0PT4dcck88oy0rkhxbmEnX3tp5hmtDjVGZK4DF7U9QkYjHBMDiytdmNLHAkPyKHrWgIWsqgkeveqcEWVXkunop71cPrdpgkLiwylxXsOzpFI/s1600-h/_DSC0475e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgNEGY62ttqOIV7jf4R7qte_W9Xd_e0T0PT4dcck88oy0rkhxbmEnX3tp5hmtDjVGZK4DF7U9QkYjHBMDiytdmNLHAkPyKHrWgIWsqgkeveqcEWVXkunop71cPrdpgkLiwylxXsOzpFI/s400/_DSC0475e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447471632001244850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zyoTRA7DNw4kxp3Ave-YrNIVIi9bpfrrrwKSTaolaWj_pdnBrvaXEU6kGCIFY6Os08Upf1VcOytb86ZcF2cW8iVfx2sr_rdoZvef3BWti32KHFmfLHbhsyoAJpWYP_APsHAzvp_Ustg/s1600-h/_DSC0584e.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zyoTRA7DNw4kxp3Ave-YrNIVIi9bpfrrrwKSTaolaWj_pdnBrvaXEU6kGCIFY6Os08Upf1VcOytb86ZcF2cW8iVfx2sr_rdoZvef3BWti32KHFmfLHbhsyoAJpWYP_APsHAzvp_Ustg/s400/_DSC0584e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447471239134972914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuMZbnxrXPOfnxAwxjsSywCxss3pDs877S61SkXzZwhJKzoZ5gGS02UwMgnooQvVTPparjJM7m_478w8Oend5nsR2rXrVGZFCKkHEWo0GqFXjPM_GWduD5pAVdTSFBLbQFdDBkWUrXwY/s1600-h/e_DSC0064.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuMZbnxrXPOfnxAwxjsSywCxss3pDs877S61SkXzZwhJKzoZ5gGS02UwMgnooQvVTPparjJM7m_478w8Oend5nsR2rXrVGZFCKkHEWo0GqFXjPM_GWduD5pAVdTSFBLbQFdDBkWUrXwY/s400/e_DSC0064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447470526945699746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN71puhVEMlyWQkZptoupH6lJTl2aquUF8uouFz1Lm0CGjwITNA5y8YM_7Bxu7qozq9L3C8FIBAlMSVH6oKr7MU7fBqWaRf2w9MMKVXOKGqw1_zAtvunh5PuZrW0S9GMJvpxp6qE-xUWo/s1600-h/e_DSC0078.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN71puhVEMlyWQkZptoupH6lJTl2aquUF8uouFz1Lm0CGjwITNA5y8YM_7Bxu7qozq9L3C8FIBAlMSVH6oKr7MU7fBqWaRf2w9MMKVXOKGqw1_zAtvunh5PuZrW0S9GMJvpxp6qE-xUWo/s400/e_DSC0078.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447470143093380322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbQa2kHMzSqWYbKucJ2ppjbb2qJpwwhswj2pep9N0_aSlN7HlBWbX4OKRbiCRjXB4mvAN4_rKua8hdHE2V5YO3V4eqVFutccUiAy91pCzdMR3sy38h2ZoQcjnqyEtNVwVTo7m1T2lJ8U/s1600-h/Gaslight+Team+Feb10+%5Bsepia%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbQa2kHMzSqWYbKucJ2ppjbb2qJpwwhswj2pep9N0_aSlN7HlBWbX4OKRbiCRjXB4mvAN4_rKua8hdHE2V5YO3V4eqVFutccUiAy91pCzdMR3sy38h2ZoQcjnqyEtNVwVTo7m1T2lJ8U/s400/Gaslight+Team+Feb10+%5Bsepia%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447469779235252002" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Moving wallpaper - or furniture anyway</span><br /><br />Referring to my last blog post on 21st February - the crisis is over. It sounds over-dramatic I know, but a few weeks ago I thought I'd never feel happy again. Business was slow in 2009, resulting in mounting debts and the need to drastically reduce our monthly outgoings. We made enquiries to let our house and before we knew it, it was advertised and snapped up with tenants wanting to move in within 2 weeks! We weren't in a financial position to turn it down and it meant we had to find somewhere else much cheaper to live, and find it quickly. As luck would have it, a flat was available to rent in the same road, just 65 yards away at an affordable price. Extremely lucky, you might be thinking, and you'd be right, the flat is fabulous BUT... no dogs allowed! If we'd had time to consider it all properly we would NEVER have parted with our 2 gorgeous little dogs, but we had to make an urgent decision, so the dogs went. Trevor, my daughter Lucy and I never expected it to be as painful as it was and we all cried buckets for days after we gave them to another family.<br /><br />However, just over a week ago, we contacted the family and they agreed to us taking the dogs out for a few hours. It was lovely but when we returned them, the pooches seemed so pleased to be back with their new family, we accepted they aren't ours any more and it was time to let go. Crisis over and happy times have returned :)<br /></span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-89494544520124007252010-02-21T08:47:00.003+00:002010-02-21T08:57:45.213+00:00Moving On...<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's been a manic few weeks.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">We find ourselves in reduced financial circumstances. We have let our house and are renting a flat over the road....moving today.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Our 2 dogs were given to another family on Tuesday, which has been traumatic for all of us......<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Gaslight" went well... more about that and photos in a future post.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">We will have no internet access until 1st March.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">XX</span></span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-68309296068241390172009-12-20T17:00:00.007+00:002010-02-01T09:58:11.808+00:00Gaslight<span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Well, here we are, 5 days until Christmas and I'm 2 weeks into rehearsal of "Gaslight". Click <a href="http://wapedia.mobi/en/Gas_Light">here</a> for a synopsis.<br /><br />Despite initial nerves, I found the first week enjoyable. The other actors are talented and easy to get along with. There is Keith, who plays my deranged manipulative husband, Mr Manningham; Howard is the kindly, efficient and delightfully eccentric retired Inspector Rough; Barbara plays a kind and helpful servant and Rebecca is a flirty and impudent teenage servant. In charge of us all is Steve, impressively making his debut as a director<span style="font-weight: bold;">.<br /><br /></span><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Friday 8th January 2010:</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Postscript: I have deleted the second half of this post and all comments, but will endeavour to post news and photos, as soon as I get some time!</span><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-8001895805268264142009-12-01T20:24:00.001+00:002009-12-04T11:09:28.591+00:00New Look<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Welcome to my new-look blog, previously called 'Running for Carers' and now simply 'Annie'</span>. <span style="font-family:verdana;">Trevor and I have finished fund-raising for Carers UK so I'm not quite sure what to do with this blog.... I probably will just share snippets of news from time to time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Graham Kendrick<br /></span>In the last month Trevor and I have been busy organising a Graham Kendrick concert, which will take place at the Coventry Methodist Central Hall on 8th December. It has been a massive financial risk for the church as we needed to sell 550 tickets just to break-even. We've had to pay for Graham and his musicians, sound engineers, their hotel accommodation and meals, posters, fliers, newspaper adverts.. oh the list goes on!<br />Thank God, at the time of typing this, 600 tickets have been sold and there's still a week to go.......<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Gaslight</span><br />I used to work as an actress but due to a change of direction, I have not performed professionally on stage since March 2003. It is something I would very much like to return to in 2010, as I approach my 50th birthday. I recently auditioned for a small part in an amateur production of Patrick Hamilton's Victorian thriller,"Gaslight" at a local theatre (6-13 February 2010). Amazingly I've ended up with the main part as Mrs Manningham, a woman brought to the brink of madness by her manipulative husband. Ingrid Bergman played this part in the 1944 film. First rehearsal tomorrow - SCARY!!!!!!<br /></span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUddr2N_B2OPzbqKvEpZygJC3x83r0BIEaTADmUdUCnaV_mWBA8x2P3AGh82ZF7HbEXGgR11-5ynPBgHsiSJlNdajSabMo0tjbd5ildb-n6isbhcfZmNCvUYGWx3pPBpX2PeLNfMJ7dnQ/s1600/Annex+-+Bergman,+Ingrid+%28Gaslight%29_04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUddr2N_B2OPzbqKvEpZygJC3x83r0BIEaTADmUdUCnaV_mWBA8x2P3AGh82ZF7HbEXGgR11-5ynPBgHsiSJlNdajSabMo0tjbd5ildb-n6isbhcfZmNCvUYGWx3pPBpX2PeLNfMJ7dnQ/s400/Annex+-+Bergman,+Ingrid+%28Gaslight%29_04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410366911428106354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer in the 1944 American MGM film version of "Gaslight"</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLAE1xMWl5R3nmW-KWcEgejgLwaxIYOQoa0S2QCbbECH7Y8Yzj5krL6nW8sDhypy_DeC0iK7J5HqHTonhWorsxUVpi39rv_aDwrSxC874IjTXUfMRoyKJpsiea9rX2h_hqmsLmnMKWhI/s1600/6a00e5518490a0883401156f1b0a96970c-800wi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLAE1xMWl5R3nmW-KWcEgejgLwaxIYOQoa0S2QCbbECH7Y8Yzj5krL6nW8sDhypy_DeC0iK7J5HqHTonhWorsxUVpi39rv_aDwrSxC874IjTXUfMRoyKJpsiea9rX2h_hqmsLmnMKWhI/s400/6a00e5518490a0883401156f1b0a96970c-800wi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410366909118491618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ingrid Bergman</span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhe4Owv7kJ2jbUOEEo2iGubyS_HuR9nvMieqGKbZqoPQNY6LEfWl0zjeFz1QXDKoW-hpKu3NsvZs3UhyphenhyphenjgvS1fTIMMM2ggXC87tfayjLQYp3_YKp4dEB6TDcOdX9E7I_CKjtVfY6o_78/s1600/gaslight40.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhe4Owv7kJ2jbUOEEo2iGubyS_HuR9nvMieqGKbZqoPQNY6LEfWl0zjeFz1QXDKoW-hpKu3NsvZs3UhyphenhyphenjgvS1fTIMMM2ggXC87tfayjLQYp3_YKp4dEB6TDcOdX9E7I_CKjtVfY6o_78/s400/gaslight40.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410366563906214946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Diana Wynyard and Anton Walbrook in the British 1940 version, called "Murder in Thornton Square". This is my favourite of the two films.</span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-7091942058435415012009-10-26T16:33:00.019+00:002009-10-26T23:01:50.172+00:00Fast Forward<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Has someone pressed the fast-forward button? Only a short while ago it was July and we were preparing the garden for the barbecues we didn't get around to having. We were waiting for the glorious summer that must have been over in a flash. Did I miss something? All of a sudden it is almost November... Christmas is coming and the goose is starting to gain a little weight.<br /><br />Well, our series of races for <a href="http://www.carersuk.org/Home">Carers UK</a> has finally come to an end. Sorry we didn't quite make the £3000 target but our <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/runningforcarers/">fund-raising page</a> is open until the 30th November so I still live in hope of raising another £300.<br /><br />Trevor and I ran in the Great North Run in September which was an amazing experience. After this event, Trevor decided to hang up his running shoes. The impact from all the running has aggravated an old knee injury. However my knees were well enough to participate in the Northampton 10K run in September and the Coventry Half-marathon yesterday.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">There are no more races planned for this year so I shall be putting my energy into a more dramatic project (a stage play). In the meantime, will someone please stop fiddling with that perishing fast-forward button?<br /></span></span></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquZ-dtKVsJcMF_RbZsMrKjPzvaArS3p273EHQWGamVebpimSrvSUrZsEB11WCnf7XGtCgO14VJZcEN0dfdVWWP0wvdagAvznJqwFDK8aOtWaUGpV-9_6LS99moB4qcCJuxY68Y_vn0bs/s1600-h/Great+North+Run++Annie+did+it+%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 340px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquZ-dtKVsJcMF_RbZsMrKjPzvaArS3p273EHQWGamVebpimSrvSUrZsEB11WCnf7XGtCgO14VJZcEN0dfdVWWP0wvdagAvznJqwFDK8aOtWaUGpV-9_6LS99moB4qcCJuxY68Y_vn0bs/s400/Great+North+Run++Annie+did+it+%5B3%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396968221859113506" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >The Great North Run finished in South Shields</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >20th September</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBFWMRsqOIcR-MDdRnWovGvRVfTDOznq48o1anaDTlhsTiq9OSmIiuCxlZ4yVhxyXGKaqeLwmgharKJHX61IgpoHujlTQyzTut2lmHeatfNaHU4kMi6Qab_w1kRkHVlxT_pcjmTCTRaU/s1600-h/Trev+did+it.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBFWMRsqOIcR-MDdRnWovGvRVfTDOznq48o1anaDTlhsTiq9OSmIiuCxlZ4yVhxyXGKaqeLwmgharKJHX61IgpoHujlTQyzTut2lmHeatfNaHU4kMi6Qab_w1kRkHVlxT_pcjmTCTRaU/s400/Trev+did+it.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396968084412038210" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Trevor, tired but glad it's all over</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-ILpV7YYf3vAUO0L6gBmfiAZAhPoFB_-GCJ0xOwK0VThul41PM0vSE-f-9w6R3zG_r0gsdYF4HxvZpzpGKWOFcmvkRpHzi3K8Q9SD6Rr4mYVcFVYzAfMQvdZwCO5Cek2RWQzUQBecJE/s1600-h/Northampton+10K+4.10.09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-ILpV7YYf3vAUO0L6gBmfiAZAhPoFB_-GCJ0xOwK0VThul41PM0vSE-f-9w6R3zG_r0gsdYF4HxvZpzpGKWOFcmvkRpHzi3K8Q9SD6Rr4mYVcFVYzAfMQvdZwCO5Cek2RWQzUQBecJE/s400/Northampton+10K+4.10.09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396967514699653826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">'The Run 09' at Sixfields Stadium, Northampton (10K)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">4th October</span><br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHZ6FrLovzA7uYOLH1Uq_ZuC42jaD08_h7-J6Yi185oRPTA2OM7LAUel2sXBOSPRfuKWPC0KvO0KFzyg5Egc2hitXBLjY229Wv4P2Lh872RiPkOi7_xMxMpCAXG1eSlRzjjXWtNe6ugY/s1600-h/IMG_3521.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHZ6FrLovzA7uYOLH1Uq_ZuC42jaD08_h7-J6Yi185oRPTA2OM7LAUel2sXBOSPRfuKWPC0KvO0KFzyg5Egc2hitXBLjY229Wv4P2Lh872RiPkOi7_xMxMpCAXG1eSlRzjjXWtNe6ugY/s400/IMG_3521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396966894736240002" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Coventry Half-Marathon<br />25th October<br />Nearly there!<br /></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB6XKRdtSNENcQjpUi2iA1sbj_asAh3xwhUWix8l_9Tiv4JeS1HtnaUfUXnEO5zb76LrEg9nYgaYnzhaDaBtUQms5bcDLZ6kh__kAdcZ_ZqFn8xTgab1XS0ypRC6wNULGzuRaQXRx1Bs/s1600-h/near+the+end.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB6XKRdtSNENcQjpUi2iA1sbj_asAh3xwhUWix8l_9Tiv4JeS1HtnaUfUXnEO5zb76LrEg9nYgaYnzhaDaBtUQms5bcDLZ6kh__kAdcZ_ZqFn8xTgab1XS0ypRC6wNULGzuRaQXRx1Bs/s400/near+the+end.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396966540338862546" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Just a few more yards!<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-VzEWIuL0OC6Gr-UTqB3hmUF1mfLBFwnOwv2vcYBDj9G2KthWeBpyeGTmv1Sh6f6cdZGATfbAn9jQm6v5mMAxoC5mnZ0J3X3t8ScrXXPKwaBsrVdfRKxstYLDchgUcfYMXr_mkOnR_I/s1600-h/Did+it.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-VzEWIuL0OC6Gr-UTqB3hmUF1mfLBFwnOwv2vcYBDj9G2KthWeBpyeGTmv1Sh6f6cdZGATfbAn9jQm6v5mMAxoC5mnZ0J3X3t8ScrXXPKwaBsrVdfRKxstYLDchgUcfYMXr_mkOnR_I/s400/Did+it.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396951299932796050" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >All over!</span><br /></div>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-68543187343810391162009-07-18T00:03:00.031+01:002009-07-18T23:09:32.645+01:00Owl's About That Then?<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >It's nearly 3 months since the London Marathon and we're back in training, this time for the <a href="http://www.greatrun.org/Events/Event.aspx?id=1">Great North Run</a> on 20th September.<br /><br />Will it seem a doddle running a mere 13 miles instead of 26? Well, it'll certainly be less strain on the joints but I don't think anything over about 10 miles is easy. During the marathon training I had a couple of falls, landing on my knees. The joints are still painful but oh well, such is life. We'd never do anything if we let a little thing like intense pain get in the way. Thank Heaven for knee support bandages, freeze gel and Ibuprofen.<br /><br />We ran the 'Stratford Summer Six' on 4th July which was a 6-mile run starting and finishing at Mary Arden's</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > House </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >(home of Shakespeare's mother)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > in Stratford-upon-Avon. It was organised by the Stratford Athletics Club and whilst the other runners were all supportive and friendly, we felt out of our depth because they were so much fitter than us! When we saw them, we chose to run from the very back so that no-one could overtake us. As it happened, we overtook 4 runners which surprised (and pleased) us!<br /><br />Six days earlier on 28th June, we took part in the <a href="http://www.coventryfunrun.co.uk/index.php">Coventry Fun Run</a> which was, in truth, 'nearly' fun because it was too hot to be fun. Mercifully, it was only 4 miles and I don't suppose it would sound right calling it the 'Coventry Nearly Fun Run'.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stratford Summer Six - 4th July</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcUQi8nAJiSKvsXLNZn_3OqozJ7qsv_tKaAYQuMk3bVU2w47Yd_bKJJW_M8hLh0-cII6toDy2daR4UK19xiuLSC-mYeqTXi_4eird5ownnO_fGlu1SqaijfhOY3tNUoz0ebvUoXRt2Zk/s1600-h/1.+%5Bb%5D+Trev+with+owl+4.7.09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcUQi8nAJiSKvsXLNZn_3OqozJ7qsv_tKaAYQuMk3bVU2w47Yd_bKJJW_M8hLh0-cII6toDy2daR4UK19xiuLSC-mYeqTXi_4eird5ownnO_fGlu1SqaijfhOY3tNUoz0ebvUoXRt2Zk/s400/1.+%5Bb%5D+Trev+with+owl+4.7.09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359904999864169346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Before the run. Oh look, an owl is nibbling at Trevor's ear....<br />(Also will you please note the Eric Cantona t-shirt)<br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyIR9x6KI_BGhriX6Bl8IyxD5zVyD6G9s9zvVsnS5U-0jgdSNYQON59IOus8LZ0o63da52hfYXPPZ5tLBkHBGS5h8YHzeiY1cVfhIYLM8o1uOjJOomfp5HNID5yxyKFwuNBJgCzET8dE/s1600-h/2.%5Bb%5D+Annie+with+owl+on+head.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyIR9x6KI_BGhriX6Bl8IyxD5zVyD6G9s9zvVsnS5U-0jgdSNYQON59IOus8LZ0o63da52hfYXPPZ5tLBkHBGS5h8YHzeiY1cVfhIYLM8o1uOjJOomfp5HNID5yxyKFwuNBJgCzET8dE/s400/2.%5Bb%5D+Annie+with+owl+on+head.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359904888986222626" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">That blessed owl has nested in my hair. Harry Potter.......?<br /></span></span></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfo6HH1oG1ygOMt6Ju2rGWST5XAoURD8Oa_HTJExFfYI_1G1Uc3x3GjtUtOveatx1mMAD-Ye7CYeAb7shXlMXMu8LyeYzckedDwGPbOAJcyu569B0yxQLMfrha1OEhXSfeO618QXiK98/s1600-h/3.+Annie+before+race.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfo6HH1oG1ygOMt6Ju2rGWST5XAoURD8Oa_HTJExFfYI_1G1Uc3x3GjtUtOveatx1mMAD-Ye7CYeAb7shXlMXMu8LyeYzckedDwGPbOAJcyu569B0yxQLMfrha1OEhXSfeO618QXiK98/s400/3.+Annie+before+race.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359904699447301858" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >...he's moved, what a hoot...</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqZ499hKtUgDkClmBnWpJjmqTI3A5G872piRc7EwGbMdPwC64ztWm0gknKige9OwPkF-4Mz_JAvWYDIuKjXWrEh0M6Vqv6oJLxu2u6z9-T2CyWrC2_lFZcUsEkI_dDdqlQ61hEXWzGg0/s1600-h/7.+Trev+before+race.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqZ499hKtUgDkClmBnWpJjmqTI3A5G872piRc7EwGbMdPwC64ztWm0gknKige9OwPkF-4Mz_JAvWYDIuKjXWrEh0M6Vqv6oJLxu2u6z9-T2CyWrC2_lFZcUsEkI_dDdqlQ61hEXWzGg0/s400/7.+Trev+before+race.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359904433502281154" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Trev looks nonchalent but he was actually thinking, "cripes, this lot look like serious runners - help"</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDsjftTIWgEXT6KCW0Wro2AsJfMHVVvlzTzbmg_bW2OUZFivYO7MnCaOWOeVrdd4bwUs0LUPY-c5pAl3chD_G7kaQVXq9m4Nb1S7dT6CpHCrdtDNJOXf3veBFQq_Xq_p60mgUaPlVRWg/s1600-h/4.+People+gather+before+the+race.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDsjftTIWgEXT6KCW0Wro2AsJfMHVVvlzTzbmg_bW2OUZFivYO7MnCaOWOeVrdd4bwUs0LUPY-c5pAl3chD_G7kaQVXq9m4Nb1S7dT6CpHCrdtDNJOXf3veBFQq_Xq_p60mgUaPlVRWg/s400/4.+People+gather+before+the+race.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359904431973731842" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >The other runners, from different athletic clubs, do look fit, especially him in the floral shirt...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o0vVgLm7LHxhRuzpGYz6hjPlP0dmUlyD6glsiR1AkGDLR00bsRzUPVAYXu0TTPHj9hyphenhyphenrq5ICiS0ehy72TvkourQ7DmwCPbmyYJG2PPKkfXWk9uIkKLhpag1Q4DAEpKTdQRRJyj3qKVM/s1600-h/Stratford-c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o0vVgLm7LHxhRuzpGYz6hjPlP0dmUlyD6glsiR1AkGDLR00bsRzUPVAYXu0TTPHj9hyphenhyphenrq5ICiS0ehy72TvkourQ7DmwCPbmyYJG2PPKkfXWk9uIkKLhpag1Q4DAEpKTdQRRJyj3qKVM/s400/Stratford-c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359904031015335730" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >This was taken approximately halfway round the course.... smiling but trying to catch up with those ahead of us - all 207 of them...</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Coventry Fun Run - 28 June</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcPf8030BVDA1kKo4uzLiYGB5QSYhjHe35v-s76nRO9-nREFOFImBIzX0AbC9ssROVDdjGUWTCESjEb9uy0oqCGSeL9XkWlkhpu6EU8si7nasy2AthNMAKveLnwi-TvvoWvo-KvZeZQc/s1600-h/1.+cov+fun+run+28.6.09.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 321px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcPf8030BVDA1kKo4uzLiYGB5QSYhjHe35v-s76nRO9-nREFOFImBIzX0AbC9ssROVDdjGUWTCESjEb9uy0oqCGSeL9XkWlkhpu6EU8si7nasy2AthNMAKveLnwi-TvvoWvo-KvZeZQc/s400/1.+cov+fun+run+28.6.09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359569849950090002" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >We bumped into our postman, before the race and he took this pic</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuLnF0lTRMyeFDdbmQQjbQcUM-QNZ8gN6GY34kSehe6q6WB5IVtfiSfaFtJiuInB6TzPfeQIGFgLjBBYDaGFycvyz3U5UOirlCTmXkaWPQePNMP17uHfJP2SB0Ey806yNv1z-dtZgG_M/s1600-h/5.+trev+annie+28.6.09.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuLnF0lTRMyeFDdbmQQjbQcUM-QNZ8gN6GY34kSehe6q6WB5IVtfiSfaFtJiuInB6TzPfeQIGFgLjBBYDaGFycvyz3U5UOirlCTmXkaWPQePNMP17uHfJP2SB0Ey806yNv1z-dtZgG_M/s400/5.+trev+annie+28.6.09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359569842255736930" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I took this pic at arm's length and didn't expect this to turn out, especially as I wasn't even looking at the camera!</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTdJ9Wdx1raKv_8aI_BaAtOMejWIS54hQ_AILhiujyC3eEEbhYN2Hkrk1WgGxlaWBMxi4obZ28lEnG7aXWrAN35W7WczdhbbJAFAU16zMWmIF-vaBR3SPTDTjkH2evTfGkCkCidJokro/s1600-h/9.+very+sweaty+after+28.6.09.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTdJ9Wdx1raKv_8aI_BaAtOMejWIS54hQ_AILhiujyC3eEEbhYN2Hkrk1WgGxlaWBMxi4obZ28lEnG7aXWrAN35W7WczdhbbJAFAU16zMWmIF-vaBR3SPTDTjkH2evTfGkCkCidJokro/s400/9.+very+sweaty+after+28.6.09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359569606393334082" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:verdana;" >After the race, all hot and sweaty!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >At the time of writing, we are still just over £300 short of our fund-raising target for Carers UK so we'll keep on running until we have raised £3000</span>.<br /></div></div>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-44475282161009683632009-06-19T15:24:00.039+01:002009-06-20T08:55:03.088+01:00Quit 'n' Run<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yesterday, I was interviewed by the <a href="http://www.solihull.nhs.uk/stopsmoking/">Solihull Care Trust 'Stop Smoking' </a>service, for a local newspaper. I quit smoking nearly 5 years ago after using this wonderful service. I would like to share with you my story of how quitting led to running....</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I smoked my first cigarette at the age of 12. By 14, I was smoking 10 a day and by 16, around 15-20.<br /><br />I've lost count of the number of times I tried to quit during 3 decades of cigarette addiction. Willpower was non-existent. I chewed nicotine gum so vigorously I pulled out 2 fillings. The patches didn't work .... I'd take a patch off to have a cigarette, then replace the patch! I even tried acupuncture, and was cured for precisely 15 minutes.<br /><br />In 2004, after visiting the local GP surgery for various health problems: regular bouts of bronchitis, breathlessness, high blood pressure and a racing heartbeat, my doctor scribbled down a telephone number and said, "I really think you ought to give up smoking... you can get help from the Solihull smoking cessation service" Sighing, I thought, "no chance" though I did keep the number.<br /><br />Three months later something amazing happened. I fell in love! I'd been divorced for 9 years and after a subsequent disastrous relationship, it was like a bolt from the blue! From the day I met Trevor, I wanted to spend a long and healthy life with him. (He had given up smoking 6 months prior to meeting me.)<br /><br />I retrieved that telephone number of what is now called the 'Solihull Care Trust Stop Smoking Service' and made an appointment. My advisor, Dawn, tested my carbon monoxide levels which indicated that I was a heavy smoker. She went through the list of chemicals that I had been inhaling for last 30 years. There are around 4000, with at least 43 that can cause cancer. Embalming fluid, petrol additives, toilet cleaner and rat poison are amongst some of the chemicals. I felt sick with disgust and shame.<br /><br />We set a 'quit' date for around the end of July, though I actually smoked my last cigarette on 15th July 2004, my son's 16th birthday.<br /><br />Dawn was brilliant and so encouraging! I went to see her fortnightly, and did not dare smoke, because I knew it would show up on the carbon monoxide test. I had hoped that my breathlessness would ease off after a few weeks. This is no word of a lie - it eased off after just one day!<br /><br />In early 2005, Trevor and I started some gentle jogging to keep fit and reduce a little middle-aged spread. Little did we know then that we would end up running the London Marathon in 2009. I can hardly believe it now... we actually ran 26 miles, which would have been completely unachievable if we were still smokers!<br /><br />Now approaching my 5th anniversary as a non-smoker, I give my heartfelt thanks to Dawn and the Solihull Care Trust Stop Smoking Service.<br /><br />It goes to prove that some actions that feel beyond our capabilities ARE possible. It just takes a little focus and determination to quit and run.</span><br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAdmoluEB0xOZhohZ4A_Dv5JK4GusaiJ5X6RknygCPqgHZTISd2IZy7KF-nqmPww9oPpmVLQYRqeBJ_qvCGiTe4yAD4dY6ljKyxSGpFd_gkDt7fvNxJI7HPhyxChtwIItH6kYeLSFHJU/s1600-h/smoking.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAdmoluEB0xOZhohZ4A_Dv5JK4GusaiJ5X6RknygCPqgHZTISd2IZy7KF-nqmPww9oPpmVLQYRqeBJ_qvCGiTe4yAD4dY6ljKyxSGpFd_gkDt7fvNxJI7HPhyxChtwIItH6kYeLSFHJU/s400/smoking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349049703139304802" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">By the way, Trevor and I got married on 14th October 2006.<br /></span></span>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993842579410844442.post-17481068845135687012009-05-28T22:54:00.015+01:002009-06-18T16:46:43.243+01:00A few more photos from the London Marathon...<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">It is now 4 weeks, 4 days since the London Marathon ....more photos below.<br /><br />It's been a busy month really, with decorating the house, gardening, looking after guests from abroad, and baby-sitting Trevor's gorgeous grandsons, aged 18 months and 4 years. Poor old Trev has had a stinking cold since the marathon and he is only just starting to shake it off. I had one too but women's colds are always much shorter, milder and they suffer far less ;-)<br /><br />The amount we have raised for Carers UK is now just over <span style="font-weight: bold;">£2600</span>! We're hoping to persuade people to part with a bit more cash in an effort to reach our <span style="font-weight: bold;">£3000</span> target. We're as pleased as punch with the amount though, and very grateful to our sponsors.<br /><br />On the 14th May, Trevor and I attended a Reception at the House of Commons, hosted by Carers UK. It gave us the opportunity to meet with Carers UK staff, Dr. Hywel Francis MP, carers themselves and other marathon runners. As we were early, we popped into a House of Lords debate first. Embarrassingly, I fell asleep!<br /></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIIFY76KERGi99EXaC8zoiMxmxeNkiD-aS8GCKN6DGUBGEF11UKV8PM1wrO681bDsE9jgLy7Xfo5AP97hOjmWkpD8_UiARgM2EgbPBdDm69wDC7K0R1fx9-2tCjxkyZur9yL-v95ibHg/s1600-h/nearly+there.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIIFY76KERGi99EXaC8zoiMxmxeNkiD-aS8GCKN6DGUBGEF11UKV8PM1wrO681bDsE9jgLy7Xfo5AP97hOjmWkpD8_UiARgM2EgbPBdDm69wDC7K0R1fx9-2tCjxkyZur9yL-v95ibHg/s400/nearly+there.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340998976111144306" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Here we are, just before reaching the finish line</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOpEsg3nGN5NA90QZe2FRTmrf5FfXnBFSQmLS1lMjNEqNcOYgRkGrT5nTCpe-QxQbZYU-L_Dxqyz5F1anqx8qIY6Ij_3qL3c7xPFrIecSxQYcVQEIuKXAP31EKlNTA5E4jZ3Y4eBDosA/s1600-h/We+did+it.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOpEsg3nGN5NA90QZe2FRTmrf5FfXnBFSQmLS1lMjNEqNcOYgRkGrT5nTCpe-QxQbZYU-L_Dxqyz5F1anqx8qIY6Ij_3qL3c7xPFrIecSxQYcVQEIuKXAP31EKlNTA5E4jZ3Y4eBDosA/s400/We+did+it.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340998785981128914" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;" >This photo was taken with a disposable camera, carried in Trevor's 'bum bag'. This picture was damaged as Trevor threw water over himself (and the camera) to cool down during the marathon!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHT_YCGDu7VVFXkLrV3HTuxRaWTlKJE5EXJcvn0x5JTE8W6lJRaZjoLxjDkJb6Z414erRaWpiKE5Oa2FIFpWOmRtBPbQ0F7bfFm_UdVvWVsPZy3A97I1x9xaUTrVzGjNAD_aDtypTpCw/s1600-h/img126.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHT_YCGDu7VVFXkLrV3HTuxRaWTlKJE5EXJcvn0x5JTE8W6lJRaZjoLxjDkJb6Z414erRaWpiKE5Oa2FIFpWOmRtBPbQ0F7bfFm_UdVvWVsPZy3A97I1x9xaUTrVzGjNAD_aDtypTpCw/s400/img126.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340998526375486786" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Trevor's still smiling after a 26-mile run....</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirv8g84gXtWDvCvoRrYWuSmu8ujzOJKeI5YEsVJwLS40aVgYeHnBFuzUz4CzNvoDNZC88cDCPTcAUzEsnKlX_fbi61f7DV710RGOuByyDm9VkojGEMdJU8mD1s2RMA5lu_O6PngmliaDA/s1600-h/Annie+post-marathon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirv8g84gXtWDvCvoRrYWuSmu8ujzOJKeI5YEsVJwLS40aVgYeHnBFuzUz4CzNvoDNZC88cDCPTcAUzEsnKlX_fbi61f7DV710RGOuByyDm9VkojGEMdJU8mD1s2RMA5lu_O6PngmliaDA/s400/Annie+post-marathon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340998518255822722" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">....so am I, but some of the people around us looked exhausted!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSD9hZ97KhpnDxsn7ovLW_lenR7iCh8pnvmlIndVHa2_dF0dYXUKXfyLKrsay6idh2u7VbG7-9b_OCA6YkCZaJUdM3WTcywRxr6lgJTLUKqdN8C9HO6frYqFNhfVU60XZ4UV_taoAzZA/s1600-h/IMG_4745.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSD9hZ97KhpnDxsn7ovLW_lenR7iCh8pnvmlIndVHa2_dF0dYXUKXfyLKrsay6idh2u7VbG7-9b_OCA6YkCZaJUdM3WTcywRxr6lgJTLUKqdN8C9HO6frYqFNhfVU60XZ4UV_taoAzZA/s400/IMG_4745.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341004139035481778" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Marathon runners for Carers UK<br />The House of Commons - 14 May 2009<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span>The most-asked question since we finished the marathon is, "will you run in another one?" Trevor's answer is, "probably not" and mine is, "maybe". We've got a few shorter races lined up, including the Bupa Great North Run (Newcastle to South Shields - Half-marathon) in September.<br /><br />We'll make a decision in October but in the meantime, there is a life besides running, and we intend to live it.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div></div>Annie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04703057351436504483noreply@blogger.com0