Darragh

I guess now we’re in December I ought to get a bit Christmassy, starting on Monday with the annual dog club meal out. This year we are at the Lotus Kitchen on the Marina near Willington. It’s fairly decent, a bit different and has Camden Stout on keg. I bring some naan home for the Lad of course. 

Less Christmassy is the fact that this year’s Christmas Lights on Wollaton Park have been cancelled which means they’ll be no evening walks on the park for us this year. 

On Tuesday L is at PT and then in work but I have the day off to take my Dad to the Golden Rams Christmas Party at Derby County. They’ve doubled the price this year to £20 while removing the free Prosecco and the chance to meet the current players. On the upside the meal is loads better but the quizzes and stories from the stars of the 70s are the same as always. 

The attempt at Christmassy continues as I put our Christmas tree up and then the whole Christmas thing comes early for the Lad when someone at dog training gives him second tunnel for our garden. 

On Wednesday we do an early morning run and cover 6.66k. The number of the beast. L seems to be enjoyed our morning jaunts and says she hopes they continue even after the target of our training, Sunday’s Bolsover 10k, has passed. Maybe they will, the Lad now seems to be expecting them and I’m resigned to them. 

In the evening, my friend comes over to Nottingham for a night out. We meet in the Borlase but he’s 50 minutes late which is bad even for him. We also pop in the Hand & Heart for one before going to 4550 Miles From Delhi for an Indian. This is somewhere I’ve not been in years. It’s ok and relatively cheap compared with the other places on Maid Marian Way. 

Thursday sees L and me at Derby Quad for Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer filmed live at the National Theatre. It’s a one woman play about sexual assault and the legal system. It’s pretty good. What’s not so good is Quad’s Cafe which is still so slow we doubted they’d get our coffee to us before the show started. 

 

There are two significant events in Derby on Friday. First up is the demolition of L’s Mum’s shed for which L goes over early to spectate\supervise. She then comes all the way back home before returning for the second event, the care home’s Christmas pantomime and raffle. 

The Lad and I meet her off the bus and welcome her home with a de-stressing Friday night and an assortment of Belgium beers. 

Loads of Parkruns are off again on Saturday due to our latest storm, this one’s known as Darragh, including our local one on Wollaton Park but we do Forest Rec which goes ahead. Darragh then delivers us a parasol which lands in our garden. It’s probably\hopefully from next door. 

Derby lose at Leeds and then we’re in the Plough despite them advertising Pedigree as the ‘attraction’ this week. 

Darragh continues to wreak havoc and the Bolsover 10k, the thing we have been training like mad for, is cancelled when the council refuse to open the Castle where the race HQ is. We book a 10k at Sherwood Pines for next week as a replacement. 

In the afternoon I have the Dog Club’s AGM which has a good turnout of 24 people. Later we take our gymness on tour and go to the Derby JD Gym on Osmanton Road using our new JD Plus memberships. 

(Sunday 8^th December)