Monday, 12 September 2011

2126 The day before the 10th anniversary of 9/11

Saturday September 10th has been the kind of day I thrive on, full of emotions, where even the disappointments quickly dissipated, having to make choices, most of them well made and full of experience which I want to remember, at least sufficiently to record in such a way as to enable me to recreate when necessary the full flavour of the day. My writing is the chronicle of a day and not a statement of priorities or events listed in importance.

I stayed up longer that I should the previous night to be awakened by the alarm but managed to arrive within seconds of the opening of the hotel leisure club at six am. The dawn had barely commenced when I set off with some orange red splashes in the black sky out to sea, below which I assumed with a local fishing fleeing of which we have two. Small fishing boats who bring their catches to the fish dock at Sunderland and those capable of going to the permitted reaches of the North Sea from North Tyneside.

This morning I shared the latter part of the swim with one the longer term regulars and one newcomer and then enjoyed a fifteen minute sauna but after cooling off did not linger and well wrapped up sped back along the coastline noting the progress made during past 24 hours in the creating of the tented village for the Great North Run.

After thirty years The Great North is now part of the nation’s fabric, together with the London Marathon. It grew out of the region being birth place of world class runner Brendan Foster and his home town who built a world class Athletics stadium for him and made him head of the local authority Culture and Leisure services. I do not know who had the imaginative idea of taking the run to South Shields rather than Sunderland, perhaps a question of distance to make the half marathon but I would prefer that someone thought the end of the race along the South Shields coast with facilities on the vast open cliff top land of the Leas would appeal to a TV company and it did with the BBC and also a sponsor, BUPA the longest sponsorship association in sport.

The runners reach the coast road at a roundabout just before the famous Marsden Rock and restaurant Bar built unto the base of the cliff. It is then about a mile to finishing line. On the day there will be barriers on both sides of the road from here with breaks to allow spectators to cross over before the first competitors in the disability pedestrian powered vehicles arrives. A short distance along the coast road what looks like a small energy centre with a tall mast on top of watch is a large light has returned although I have never worked out its purpose although it appears every year at the same location and the good part of a mile from the finishing area.

The finishing area is already taking shape with the Television and news journalist stand and boxes created but not those for the VIPs. There is also a large area of the Leas already covered with security fencing behind which large framed tented areas have been put up with others in the process and these are used for the provision of medical and first aid and for all those who finish to recover and receive medals T shirts, for the media and the VIPs providing refreshments. I am assume that there is some means of recording when the runners cross the start line in Newcastle and then the Finishing line so that their times and positions in the race can be recorded

There is also an area for the parking of vehicles. Because large trucks are required to come on site a temporary roadway was created from the middle of finishing line area to the existing roadway about a quarter of a mile further which enables motorist to reach car parks at the southern end of the beaches at South Shields before the cliffs and the rocky bays which continue all the way to the beaches of Seaburn and Roker at Sunderland.
However this is not then end of the tented area which is in the process of completion behind more securing fencing covering the whole of roadside Leas area all the way to the roundabout which takes visitors passed the new “village” created on the land of the former colliery where 1000 miners worked in coal seams miles out under the North Sea. Between the former colliery and the beach are the parklands, the open land for a dozen football pitches, the fixed mobile home campaign and caravan park, the entertainment park where 20000 people attend the annual free concerts in July, the recreated Victorian Park which cost over £3 million to refurbish with its boating Lake, and over 50 swans, the model steam railway, the two large play areas for children and the picnic field and its areas of trees and shrubs and terraces as the park rising over 100 feet towards the West, and then over the road main road towards the beach and harbour there is the final area of parkland rising up to the Lawe Top where I reside overlooking the mouth of the River Tyne and the communities of North Tyneside and Tynemouth on the northern banks of the rivers with the ruing of Castle and Monastery on yet another hill.

Just before reaching the roundabout a second temporary road has been created which will also be in use on the day of the race bringing the personal belongings of the competitors which is brought in convoy along the North bank of the Tyne through the Tyne Tunnel to Jarrow and the along the road to South Shields passing the junction to St Paul’s and the road which follows the riverside along to beaches and to the roundabout. In the past of there was also a third tented mini village in the Gypsy Green stadium on the sea front and which was open to the public as well as participants and their friends and families. However I think this year the stadium is being turned into the coach park as the village is being created on the Leas just above the stadium.

Such a large areas of tents and facilities, the dozens upon dozens of portable toilets are yet to arrive, as well as spectators barriers is not surprising as close to 40000 participants are expected to finish, so with family and friends and general visitors the population of the town is doubled from its normal 100000 for the day. Understandable one of the first temporary buildings on the site was the security cabins with the security guards providing a 24 hour watch. It is not surprising that participants are required to pay a substantial entrance fee for the privilege of running in the events and raising money for charities of their choosing. In addition to closing the only direct main road from Newcastle to South Shields for the greater part of a day with spectator barriers, crossover points, first aid stations, entertain stations, the provision of cool sponges and drinking water there is the policing and stewarding and the placing of the various road sign and directions.

There are bus services from South Shield to Jarrow and Hebburn and via the pedestrian tunnel at Hewarth to buses to Gateshead and Newcastle across other Bridges than that used. From the Tyne Tunnel at Jarrow it is also possible to get to Sunderland and Durham and the A19 and AIM as the dual carriage goes over the main road just as there is also under road crossing from Jarrow to the Bolden’s. However the main way visitors come and leave South Shields together with participants is via the end of the line Metro Station at South Shields where on the day the queues stretch the length of the town centre rather like the situation at Wembley, despite the increased number of trains. You can also use the service to get to Sunderland although this involves travelling most of the way into Newcastle and before taking the separate line south.

As there is work on two properties in the back lane I left the car parked in the roadway remembering to bring me the swimming trunks to dry. I decided to leaving the overnight washing up until after lunch and with a breakfast of a cereal bowl I played a few games of Hearts and couple of games of level one chess and then transferred the relevant records to the memory stick before departing tot he top floor sand the task of reorganising the contents of he box room as well as noting what was to be the recorded location of completed work sets. I had changed by mind the previous day and this meant a lot of moving things out from where they had been placed and charging the information already recorded.

First however I went up into the roof space for the first time in several months, nothing the gush of hot air. The space covers the area of two rooms with two sets of lights, although the second I cannot see because they are hidden by empty stacked boxes since moving here and unpacking over the first three year period. There are still some 200 boxes to check and sort, using material where possible to create sets and to record contents and locations of those where the contents will remain as they are. I took up some boxes of purchases over the past five years which had been held in the first floor work and storage rooms.

The wife of the previous owner had an extraordinary collection of clothing and possessions and had converted two of the three rooms and part of the landing area into storage space with fitted wardrobes and cabinets. The box room has built in wardrobe along the outside facing wall which has made an ideal space to store completed sets in stacked boxes and more recently about.

I had also filled the double door five shelf unit on the other side of the room against an interior wall but decided I would be able to use the space more effectively with two of the cardboard boxes on each shelf and then filling the rest of the available sets, as well as removing the other content, mainly boxes in relations to my birth and care mothers and couple of the bound volumes of the New Society magazine together with some loose copies which I had religiously read and collated over the first years of its publication. I will add these to the rest of the volumes which are on the bottom shelf of the book case, the other side of this desk. This will mean relocating the copies of the Open University material which presently fills the rest of the lower shelving.

The plan worked well and has significantly increased the number of work volumes which can be stored. This takes time because I go through each volume noting down the number of each set within the volume together with the subject matter. I hope to complete the greater part of the task tomorrow morning. I broke into a good sweat with all the exercise which hopefully is something I will achieve more regularly during every week in the battle to lose weight.

I kept one ear on the cricket via the Internet commentaries and the scores in all matches via ESPN cricket live. For once my interest was in the outcome of the penultimate matches in both divisions of the championship. One of the great benefits of being a member of a county cricket club is being able to visits the Members’ facilities at Lords, including the Long Room and Long Room bar. With Middlesex at the top of the table and Surrey third there is a good prospect of both club returning to division so it could a great sporting year next year with visits Olympic Games visits to Lords and the Oval and the Australians at Chester Le Street on a one day game as we well as world cup football at St James Park.

By the end of the day. Surrey had an important win against Essex by 109 runs. Surrey after being asked to bat made a creditable first innings total of 315 especially after the ever green brilliant Ramprakash was out for1. Napier, the man who has six sixes in one 20 20 over was the best of the Essex bowlers with 6 for 53. Essex could only make 253 in reply with Meaker 5 for 66 and Linley 4 for 48 doing the damage but with the difference on first innings of 60 runs the outcome of the match remained in balance. It was former Somerset man De Bryn with 100 who made the difference resulting in Surrey finishing with 286 after Ramprakash only made 11. Linley 4 for 61 with Jordan 4 for 57 saw Surrey home dismissing Essex for 239. The rain affected game between Middlesex at Glamorgan ended in a draw meant any one of the top three teams could be disappointed after the last series of game which commence on Monday

Durham having lost three of their four last games in the Championship could only sit out the penultimate week while the other sides all with an additional game to play met to settle championship and possibly the relegation places without them.

While Somerset had an outside chance of winning the championship Yorks knew that a win could see them put off relegation until the final week when they are not playing. After winning the toss and putting the visitors, playing without the injured Trescothick, into bat first it looked as poor decision as the innings closed at 265 with England’s young bright bating star Butler getting 52 and Yorkshire’s Sidebottom the best of the bowlers with 4 for 61. That the decision was a poor one appeared confirmed when York could only make 195, and therefore no batting bonus points, Only Lyth with 52 saved humiliation. The Sidebottom, many who believed his return was not a success, took 7 for 37 and 11 for 98 in the game to dismiss the visitors for 132 early on in the final morning thus leaving Yorks to get 203 runs for victory. This they managed to do losing only 4 wickets and with Bairstow 53 not out at the end. However this this meant that all Worcester had to do was to gain one bowling point at Durham to find themselves relegated. This was because although Sussex beat Worcester by 251 runs they had gained 3 bowling points and 1 batting.

They were still not safe from relegation depending first on the outcome of the game between Lancashire at Aigburgh and Hampshire. Given the reputation of the green tinged wicket at the Liverpool ground, as I witnessed with Durham earlier in the season, it appeared to be the right decision for Hampshire on winning the toss to ask Lancs to bat first. However the groundsman had prepared a different kind of wicket, one which played true on the opening days but then could be expected to take spin on the final day.

Lancs were put into bat and made 388, just short of maximum bonus points and Hampshire followed suit making 381 just seven runs ahead and the game looked destined for a draw. Lancashire then went hell for leather in their second innings making 353 to the concern on their supporters as this total meant Hants had little chance of winning and would therefore play for a draw and on the wicket as it had played there appeared little prospect of a win for the home side. I listened to game while working at the top 21. For 1- 52 for 2- 69 for 3, 77 -4 and then the great collapse 107-5 107-6 107 for 7, 114 8 119 9 and with 45 mins left and the ball turning with 9 players around the bat a win appeared certain. However by resolute batting the minutes ticked by until in the penultimate over of the day and with only 4 mins left and everyone in the ground including the two radio commentators gripped in tension, the final wicket was taken to so that Lancs are now only 3 points behind the new leaders. The Lancashire bowler Kerrigan had the best individual innings bowling statistics for the season with 9 wickets for 51 runs and 12 for 192 overall.

Unfortunately Warwickshire slaughters Notts by an Innings and 144 runs. The indomitable Chanderpaul was out for 8 for once with Troughton, the relative of one of the original Dr Who’s making 151, Westwood 171 and Clark 126. Lancs could only make 238 and 222. Wight 7 for 121 had the best bowling figures and only a 100 by Hales prevented greater humiliation. It will make for an interesting four days in the last week of the championship but Durham have to get maximum bonus points and a win if they are to have any hope because I cannot see either Warwickshire or Lancs losing their last game.

Talking of last days of championship Warrington were away to Hull on Friday and if they won they would head the championship season for the first time in 38 years and for the first time in the new Championship format. They commenced will with a converted try early on but then Hull equalised and everyone in the ground and watching on TV knew that Hull were going to put up a great fight but the Warrington Defence which has ensured that other sides did not score while their forwards added points at every opportunity stood firm. The final score of 24 -12 to the visitors reflected the overall superiority but the level of fight would against many teams have resulted in a much closer game or one going to the home side. The final result meant the four to five thousands travelling fans could celebrate. This is not the end of the season the top eight clubs now fight in a knock, out competition. Warrington play again at Home on Friday and should have no problem against Huddersfield. I may watch on my lap top although if not tired I may return to London to see one of two which I will be able to my Cineworld vouchers. England had a narrow win over Argentina in the Rugby World Cup. Any Murray had a good win in the quarterfinals of the USA open

There was some excellent talent in the factor on both nights of the weekend with an amazing 16 year old with a hard rock voice from Teeside wowing everyone in the stadium. As with the USA version there are some amazing 16 year old this season although unlike the USA series there are four categories of arties, the Boys, the Girls, the over 26 year olds and the groups. I also watched Dr Who at some point with passing interest.

There was also a moment of great sadness and inspiration associated with 9/11 which I shall leave or the next writing.

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