Roy Williams 
pete hall
Lots of comments added to my blog today on whether women feel safe #running and #walking alone. I don't. Do you? http://lovemymondays.blogspot.co.uk
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Round the world in 57 days...really?
Hello...and thanks for popping by.
I'm just getting ready for a quick whizz round the world. I'll be back on here again soon,but in the meantime.... fancy popping over to www.thetimeofourlives.net to find out about our trip?
If you click *follow* on that site, you'll be able to follow our progress....37,250 miles, 9 countries, three very different train tracks oh....and how about the post I wrote today about missing people...and even an English autumn.... while travelling.
See what you think? http://wp.me/p7ezGr-MV
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Turn a different corner.....
It just happened.
I was in my favourite coffee hang-out. I had no food in the house after a few days away... so I ordered breakfast too. While I ate, I chatted with the owner and chef, Martyn. We often compare notes about our London days....people we've met, places we've worked. Today we agreed that much of life: love, business, relationships...is down to timing. It was one of those conversations that drifts away into the middle distance...
A couple came in, and ordered food. The woman looked vaguely familiar--someone I'd been to school with, partied with, even holidayed with on a couple of cocktail fuelled teenage girls' package holidays.
Surely not. It had been more than thirty years. More than 200 miles.
I got up to pay, and tried to get a better look. It had been a long time; so I was probably wrong, and anyway, she probably thought I was a bit odd, staring back at her. I didn't want to interrupt their meal...so I left. I headed home, and three paces from my door, did an about turn and walked back up the hill, past the coffee shop and back again....and there she was. " Um.....you're ...not....erm....Sue...are you?", I tried, tentatively...now certain that I'd been right.
Yep, it was Sue. There with her partner....just days after they'd tied the knot, and in my now home-town for a brief honeymoon before heading back down south. In the few moments we had...we compared notes...jobs...children....homes...lives.
Coincidence? Fate? Both there for a reason? Or just a damn fine latte?
You can never be sure, really, can you? But I won't die wondering. And I know I'll be grinning about those "summer nights" for the rest of my Wednesday, now.
Ahhh.... timing....
Tuesday, 12 July 2016
You don't HAVE to take your clothes off....
Women around me are lying oiled and topless.
The man beside me is
stripping into shamelessly skimpy trunks; cologne reeking more strongly with
each discarded layer.
This is Nice in November, and sitting alone and I'm feeling coy, British, and slightly overdressed.
Beach man half runs, half hobbles painfully over pebbles towards
the glistening sea; arms flailing, throwing shapes like a drunken dad on the
dance floor. After five minutes' immersion, he's mincing back over the stones
to his sun-roasted shirt and shorts; scent still, inexplicably pungent.
Above the beach, the beautiful people are barely breaking sweat as
they pound the Promenade des Anglais, happily lapping the designer clad walkers
in the slower, 'no-look-at-me' lane, out to pose in size two
Gucci, with poochie.
I'm now feeling overdressed, and overweight, in Nice.
I grab a comforting almond croissant and retreat to the cooler,
shadier old town, for my own work-out: an ungainly clamber back up the near
vertical, hamstring-stretching 39 steps to my rented top floor studio. It's
five minutes and several centuries away from the city's blindingly bright
yachts and designer stores; and thankfully so.
The sunlight's dappled here; dancing on higgledy terracotta
terraces of homes so close you can inhale the heady aroma of someone else's
supper; hear who`s coming… and (cue slamming door…) who's going. You can squint
at the headlines in Monsieur's "Nice Matin", opposite; or the frilly flutter of
Madame's smalls on their balcony line; blushingly close.
But with holiday clock ticking, I chase the bigger picture; the mesmerizing, breathtaking, sparkling sweep of city and shore from the wooded castle ruins high above the town. Far, far below, more beautiful beach people are home from school with their beautiful children, splashing and squealing as they play in the warm water.
Reluctant to leave the view, I dawdle down, stopping for a crisp, skinny slice of socca, and a fat scoop of sorbet .
That's supper sorted; superfluous the next day, though after a
simple, filling lunch at another Nice surprise: The April knitting café (needles
optional.)
Women, mainly, meet here, away from the bustle of the city's big
squares and their
everlasting lunches, to chat, eat, and create something. Travelling alone, I find the female clientele comforting, especially when Lisa serves me her incredible cauliflower soup
with bread and salad, then lemon cake and coffee. On the Ruelle de la
Boucherie, this is a real sanctuary; a gem of a find.
I discover other Old Town
Show over, I scuttle back through the dark side streets to pack;
woken for my morning flight by unsynchronised bells sounding seven, from two churches;
overlapping noisily, boastfully, like squabbling children.
Later, airborne, I look back at the bay, and my break. One of
sated senses and uncovered secrets; but with tankini untouched, none of them,
mercifully, mine.
One of my favourite solo trips, and blogs from the last few years. Please dip in for more...or cross to thetimeofourlives.net to find out about our pretty big adventure #writearoundtheworld . ...and some pretty fab medium sized travel adventures, too....Thanks for reading !
COMMENTS:
@janemcintyre12 http://www.lovemymondays.blogspot.co.uk @GirlsThatTravel #travel #france #Nice > another rewarding read Ms M :)
@janemcintyre12 "unsynchronised bells...overlapping noisily...like squabbling children." An amazing felicity of expression.
Jennifer M: Loved it, Jane. I was transported there instantly. You’re a natural and a loss to the BBC.Keep travelling and (not) taking your clothes off….Regards Jennifer
Jennifer M: Loved it, Jane. I was transported there instantly. You’re a natural and a loss to the BBC.Keep travelling and (not) taking your clothes off….Regards Jennifer
@janemcintyre12 thank you for the journey to Nice this morning, loved it :-)
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
The customer is always.....invisible..?
That means buying clothes that suit all weathers, can be washed and dried fast, and can move seamlessly from a mountain hike to dinner..... some time later.... in a swanky restaurant (now and again). Sheesh. Anyway, I knew that finding something that wouldn't let in the wind or rain but could do me a turn in sunny San Francisco would be tough. And pricey. And when you're spending a fair bit of dosh, and need advice, you really hope you're going to find someone helpful.
Take my Lowa walking boots. I bought them a few months back at Cotswold Outdoor in Tunbridge Wells. Strolled in. Told them exactly where I was going, how much walking I'd be doing, on what kind of terrain, and how much I had in my back pocket. Sorted. The guys there knew what they were talking about, walked a lot themselves, were happy to help, and within about half an hour, they had a sale. Look. Me and my boots at Loch Lomond. Happy as anything.
Today: Hereford. Mission: to buy a light, but very waterproof jacket, that was also breathable. Possibly a couple of pairs of those glamorous trousers that morph into shorts. And, if things went well, a fleecy top.
Three different outdoor type shops. Here's how I got on:
Shop 1: Two assistants. One admittedly busy on the till. Some good sale items on display. Tried to make eye contact and smile at Assistant Two. He looked away, said "Excuse me..." and squeezed past. To nowhere in particular. I meandered around for seven minutes or so....felt the merchandise, looked his way. Nothing. Left the shop.
Shop 2: Three assistants. All chatting. About childbirth and whether freckles were genetic, mainly. Some potential jackets in the sale. Tried one on. Looked their way. They chatted on. Put jacket back. Pulled out another one. Looked their way. Looked for Mary Portas. But the band played on. Nothing. Left the shop.
Shop 3: Four assistants. First caught my eye within moments. Came over, and asked if she could help. She was brilliant. Left me trying on jackets. Narrowed it down to a couple of options but couldn't find quite what I wanted. A second assistant took over, and confirmed that the one that might work for me was available online, at the same price, and could be delivered to my door. They (hello, Mountain Warehouse, Hereford...!) could not have been more helpful, informed, or charming. I knew there were a couple more shops to try and said I'd be back if I didn't have any luck. But I did. In one of those huge, apparently assistant-less, discount clothing stores. The service wasn't there, but the Regatta jacket was similar, and cheaper, so I bought it. A bit guiltily, to be honest, because the ladies in Shop 3 had been so good.
As for the rest of the gear I needed? I couldn't face going through all that again...so that's still on the list.
As for the rest of the gear I needed? I couldn't face going through all that again...so that's still on the list.
So. To shops that ignore their customers, please sharpen up your act. You're in a big battle with online sales and out of town outlets as it is. I have a budget, but it's limited, and while I don't want to be pounced on, I do want you to register that you've seen me.
Is that too much to ask? Is it just me? Or do you sometimes feel invisible, too?
(Oh...and the round the world bit. We leave on September 12th. Drop in on thetimeofourlives.net . We'll smile, say hello, and everything.....!)
(Oh...and the round the world bit. We leave on September 12th. Drop in on thetimeofourlives.net . We'll smile, say hello, and everything.....!)
Thursday, 19 May 2016
You'll never walk alone? Women and safety.
I'm just back from a fabulous couple of miles to kickstart my day. It's gloriously sunny, and my route took me across a little common, through a quiet, wooded area, along a tranquil path by a river, and back up through another hilly woodland track.
There were plenty of other twists and turns I could have taken. Higher up into the woods, alive with morning birdsong. Through `verdant pastures`with not a soul in sight.
But I was too scared.
I'd chosen to go out slightly later in the morning, when I knew there would be runners, dog walkers, local people enjoying the morning sun. Even then, I checked back over my shoulder three times because there was a bloke I'd noticed out alone, on the same path as me, not too far behind. Why? He was enjoying the countryside, too.
I've always loved walking or running, and my favourite time of day has always been early in the morning, when there's still dew on the grass and the birds still aren't quite sure what day it is. I love being alone with my own thoughts, or quite often, my earphones and some classic Aretha Franklin. But I'm always looking over my shoulder. And I feel resentful about that.
I have plenty of friends who clock up mile after mile on their own, especially before a big race.Trainers laced, music on; no looking back. Maybe they're fit enough to run themselves out of a
I can hear my own voice, reminding me I've travelled happily alone in European cities. I've even had stuff published about being a lone female traveller . I've strolled around New York side streets, dined in Rome with a bunch of total strangers, negotiated narrow Parisian walkways after dark....marched through London late at night as a young reporter, slightly squiffy after a hard day's writing....and a couple of hours in the pub. All of which were probably far riskier.
And now I'm away from the city, in glorious Shropshire, I can hear my sensible side reminding me that the countryside's for everyone, male or female. Run or walk through it and you feel great and lose weight. You just need to know where you are. Use a tracker on your phone. Take your earphones out in lonely areas to heighten your awareness. Pretend you're on the phone if someone's worrying you. And study the stats, for goodness' sake... it's pretty safe out there.
Trouble is.....I'm not listening to my own advice. I play it safe, and go where I know, where I'll see other people .Am I stupid? Do you feel the same, because you're female--or are you happy to roam pretty much anywhere? Maybe you could help talk some sense into me; share your tips. I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks for your comments today... most of them below. But there have been views of the blog so far from (in order...) USA, UK, Germany, Japan, Ireland, Bulgaria and Poland...that's great....but if you have a moment....say hello? :)
Important blog by @janemcintyre12 Being active often means being alone (through choice or necessity).
@janemcintyre12 @Shaz_and_Kaz btw thanks for intro to these ladies. I've followed ... they had me on 'cake'!
@janemcintyre12 I was scared walking for so long. Somehow I don't get that fear running. Yes once or twice I've thought what would I do?
@janemcintyre12 but usually I just go out and enjoy it for the pure love of it the freedom, the escapism, my time etc...
@janemcintyre12 @thisgirlcan @JulietMcGrattan Use a tracking app. My daughter used one called ecrumb-but I think there are better(newer)
@JulietMcGrattan @peterctid1965 @janemcintyre12 @thisgirlcan wouldn't sthg like Find My IPhone work? And I think Garmin has live tracking?
@Dogearedtatty @JulietMcGrattan @janemcintyre12 @thisgirlcan I'm not an expert, but some phone your contact if you are stationary-much safer
@peterctid1965 @JulietMcGrattan @janemcintyre12 @thisgirlcan ah fair dos. Could backfire if you get a cramp/stop to stretch I guess!
@peterctid1965 @JulietMcGrattan @janemcintyre12 @thisgirlcan I vaguely recall this, but not what the app was. @WomensRunning might know?
@janemcintyre12 very sad reflection on Society that you feel that way, Especially so in rural county like Shropshire
@sussexmouette I know. I'm cross with myself! But I've always felt that way, even years ago, walking with our dog.
@janemcintyre12 better to be safe than sorry. Just sad.
Tea
@janemcintyre12 it dictates my route if it's dark but otherwise no.
@janemcintyre12 Terrific blog about 'safe'. Shared with FB friends.
@janemcintyre12 I feel sad that this is the case. It's past time that men take responsibility for their behaviour and start changing. It's extremely simple. Women are people with the same rights as men. Stop treating women like property and start treating them with the same respect we treat other men.
@JulietMcGrattan @peterctid1965 @janemcintyre12 @thisgirlcan on an iPhone you can simply use "find friends"
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