I am just a bit late in writing up my report about this fantastic run I did with my running buddies. It was last Wednesday evening, 5th December, with a great guide from this.....eh....running tour guides, called, believe it or not Secret London Runs! I guess if I have put it out here they won't be so secret! Still, what a great evening it was!
Our social SecretaryJoanne booked these guys months ago. Joanne and some others from our club had such a great time last year they decided to let the rest of the club know about it! So much for the secrecy from them too! Once heard about it I just had to put my name down and so did my best buddies. There were about 80 PWR's led by four fabulous guides. Our guide was named Vikki.
We started to make our plans on getting up to London just a few days ago, some of them were travelling from Orpington, a few of us were travelling from Petts Wood. Some were travelling from other train stations and yet more, (which really amused me when I thought about them) were travelling from work. And why would that amuse me? Well usually when PWR's do something interesting and fun like this, we like to dress up a bit. Just a bit, just to stand out in a crowd! The air waves and internet over Petts Wood were kept busy for a few weeks as Christmas run leggings were on order, fancy dress costumes and tutu's! Not to mention a huge Santas sack with untold sweeties in there! Oh and Elves, there were elves!
I had to walk from the place where I work in my tutu, well actually I had two tutut's on, just to be different, well actually, it was a petticoat and a tutu, here take a look.
Don't I just look as cute as a princess! I should have worn a Tiara! A Santas hat had to do though. And just as well I had it on though as it started raining, it had been raining for most of the day! But I got a new nickname, 'Donna TwoTuTu's'.
I was alone as I walked/ran to the station and when I arrived there, earlier than I anticipated, due to the run/walk because of the rain! So there I was looking like this, very colourful, Santa hat wearing princess! Alone! By myself! Even "Gorgeous!" I got from one lady as I walked past her on the road didn't help me from feeling very self conscious. But I had to sit and share the waiting room at the station, me, in my two tutu's and wait!
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| In the waiting room |
I was so pleased when the first of my friends found me as I moved on tothe platform to see if anyone was getting off the train that had just pulled in, instead it was Naggyneighbour , she had just parked her car and had joined me on the platform! She had her lovely christmassy leggings on and yet she refused one of my tutu's! Then Wendimoo arrived, and Karen, then everyone else. TracyGetYourLegsUp, CarolWithAnE, SnapperHannah, Auriol and loads of others! So many of us! Everyone had on something very christmassy, well apart from Auriol and Nigel, they only managed to get places at the 11th hour! So no time to things organised!
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| On the Yule Train |
We met up with all the other PWR's at London Bridge, J.J. also met us there. It was her that had to come from her place of work dressed in her lovely new leggings! I think she was very pleased to see us all so she didn't quite look out of place, this is a picture of most of quite a few of us!
Once we had met up with everybody we walked the short way to the Needle, just on the corner of Tooley Street. We were all given Santa hats, so we all looked the same, sort of, and we also had bells! It was a jingle bell, Christmas lights run! Fan-blimmin-tastic! A couple of pictures here and then we were off for our run.
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| This is most of Group 2 |
It's been a good few days now since this run, I am not going to be able to recount all the wonderful stories and information that the wonderful Vikki was telling us, but I will try and remember some of them! Anyway, if you really want to know more you can always go and book these guys for a secret run for yourselves! I do remember talking about St Nicholas and how he help some poor chap to get rid of his daughters.....when I say get rid of, I mean in the nicest possible way, St Nick threw some money down the chimney of this poor chap with three daughters he wanted to get married off! The poor man couldn't afford it, so this lovely bloke called Nick wanted to help, anonymously!
When we got to one of the theatres that we passed we learned of some chap that gave gin and cake to the actors, plus a few more interesting facts about a London Christmas! All of that while running through the streets of London! We ran through Southwark, across Southwark bridge, St Pauls Cathedral and down Fleet Street! That brought back memories for me! The first time I was in Fleet Street I was signed up to an agency, it was called The Three Tees Agency. They helped me get my first job as a Telex Operator! Kids now days wouldn't even know what a telex machine is! OOO, I sound so old!
Down the Strand we ran, J.J. reminded us of the 10k we all did together back in 2016, I think it was. That was the last time I did that run anyway. The others had done it a couple of times after that. Covent Garden was next, we had seen some great lights already, but these were really good, there was also a huge Christmas Tree. Did you know that the tree in Covent Garden was the biggest potted tree in Europe! I think I have remembered that particular fact right!
People in London were amused to see us lot. Oh, I forgot to mention, although there were about 80 of us, we didn't all run together! There were about 4 groups, of course I was in the slower group. We still kept bumping into the other groups though! So as I was saying, the tourists and maybe even the locals were amused to see us and some even want their pictures done with us! Fame! We had run to Summerset House, as well! I had forgotten that bit! The ice skaters looked lovely! Some of our PWR's were very creative in getting their pictures taken! You should take a look at these. The lights of London as just so beautiful too. Link to more photos.
Carnaby street was brilliant too, they had a theme with their lights, Bohemian Rhapsody! They have some of the lyrics up in lights! Of course when we saw them we burst into song! Mind you, we were singing all the way round! Vikkie had brought along a little speaker and had her Christmas play list coming through it!
Oxford Street was our final destination, with the lights of Bond street and Regents Street to bring a tear to our eyes! Or it could quite easily have been the gentle rain that had started by then. The Regents Street lights were inspired the very first set of Christmas lights to go up back in.....well, the very first time lights were used. And they are called 'The Spirit Of Christmas'. Oh my goodness, they really are very beautiful! What is it about Christmas lights that just brings a smile to your face and just takes you right back to when you were a child!?
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| Spirit Of Christmas |
We said goodbye to Vikki here, and us in group 2, there was about 13 of us in our group! We had plans to meet every one else in a pub near Victoria Station. Yes, of course it ended in a pub, where else would we end up! But all of us, all the other running groups would end up in the pub! Oh here's some of the elves that came along too!
Wow, what a brilliant run it was! In spite of the rain and the weird looks we all got on the way to meet the rest of the elves on the Yule Jog, we had a brilliant time!
Here's my geeky stats, you can check out if I have my geography in the right order! I just like to write things down as I remember them, with maybe a quick glance at the map! I tell you what, as my memory is blimmin useless, why not sign up to a run with SLR, they don't just run through Christmas apparently there is a Gin run and other types of runs! I may just have to look into doing another with them. They really are a fab organisation!
photos are from quite a few of running buddies, they not all mine
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