(TLDR. On Tuesday, we kick start of a new year of running with interval sessions on Slingsby Walk at both 6pm and 7pm, and on Thursday we have a club run round the Duchy and Harlow Moor. On Saturday, there are the Yorkshire XC Championships at Lightwater Valley. Read on for further information regarding up and coming races, the awards night, the AGM, and some liberating words of wisdom).
Welcome back, my lovelies.
Well, as far as Christmas is concerned, the festivities here at Nidd Valley House have been a roaring success. The committee Christmas drinks were tremendous fun and the sherry supplies for the cellar have taken one hell of a beating. Worryingly, we haven’t seen Captains Sarah and Dazzler since they staggered off to the club at 3am so, if you see them, can you give them twenty quid and pop them in a taxi to Nidd Valley House? Everyone got lots of lovely presents, we’re nothing if not relieved that Fingers has enough batteries for all of his new toys, and of course we had some great running results too (and yes, you can read all about them just below!). Then of course, the new year fireworks celebrations were as spectacular as ever, and we hope that you all enjoyed the incredible music performance in the grounds with the firework grand finale as we ushered in another year. It’s going to be an incredible year here at Nidd Valley, and it starts with an equally as incredible week ahead.
The Week Ahead
On Tuesday, we are back at it with the second set of intervals. These ones are designed to build that all important stamina for the race season, and you wouldn’t want to miss it. If you too would like to burn off the Christmas turkey and other such festivals excesses, then get yourself to the Hockey Club for 6pm or 7pm, and we will jog down to the junction between Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road where the warm up and main event will kick off at quarter past the hour.
On Thursday, we have a ‘normal’ club run (and yes, I fully appreciate that ‘normal’ isn’t a word often associated with Nidd Valley but we are where we are). This week, we’ll be having a run up the Duchy and these are your instructions: report to the Hockey Club for 7pm and we’ll head out along Claro Road and turn right up Skipton Road. Turn left onto Kings Road, right down Coppice Drive and over Ripon Road and onto Duchy Road. Turn left at the top and along Harlow Moor Road. From there, turn left again and head back to the club along York Place or, alternatively, you can extend with a trip down Beckwith Road, Green Lane, Leadhall Lane, and then make your way back to the club from Leeds Road M&S. Unless Dave emails to the contrary, we’ll regroup upstairs in the Hockey Club bar for a drink and a chat, and it would be great if you could join us. Oh, but if you do, please remember to laugh at Nigel’s jokes. He thinks he’s hilarious, bless him, and no one has the heart to tell the poor love anything different.
As ever, when it comes to club runs, please feel free to go as far or as fast as you feel but don’t leave anyone behind. We’re not that kind of club. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that we now rendezvous upstairs in the Hockey Club now before a run rather than in the carpark. I mean, just because we go running in the rain it doesn’t mean that we have to stand around in it for ten minutes before we do.
This weekend, we have the Yorkshire XC Championships at Lightwater Valley on Saturday. Entries closed in December so, if you haven’t got in yet, then I’m afraid you’ve missed the boat. Good luck to all competing. Otherwise, there’ll be plenty of people at the parkruns on Saturday morning, and feel free to advertise any runs you might be doing via the group email or the Facebook group. You’ll be sure to find someone up for a run and a chat.
Results
Given yours truly has been on his Christmas break, we’ve got a couple of weeks to get through results-wise, so we’ll waste no time and start with the results from the Chevin Chase. First greyhound out of the Boxing Day traps was none other than Andy Todd (50.43), working hard to keep Steve Newbould (50.52) and Martin Lofthouse (51.58) behind him. As ever, it’s never anything but a pleasure to see Kev Nicholas (54.03) out racing, hunted down at every turn by the equally impressive Kev Dalton (54.16) and Nigel Scaife (56.11). Laura Francis (1:02.06) got the first notch in the bedpost for the ladies, and was soon joined by Rachel Mills (1:11.12), Roger Duckworth (1:12.32) and the ever-lovely Dave Prince (1:13.31). We’ll have three festive cheers for Karen Mills (1:15.06), Rachael Prince (1:17.47) and Nicola Smith (1:20.28), and three cheers more for Sarah Chalmers (1:25.02) who rounded off proceedings for us.
Only a day later, Nidders were back out in force, and this time raced at the Jolly Holly Jog in Ripon. Oh good grief, I’ve just pulled up the results list and it’s a long one. I hope you’re sitting comfortably. Ready? Then I shall begin. Andy Todd (43.29) couldn’t quite pull of a double win as he came second Nidd to Adam Kirk (39.42), whereas Kevin Clark (43.30) pulled out all of the stops to secure an advantage over Martin Lofthouse (43.42), Captain Dazzler (45.21) and Kev Nicholas (45.46). Phil Ventress (49.14) snuck in ahead of Simon Cocker (49.53), Fiona Deacon (50.08) held her own over Richard Evans (50.44), and Damien Handslip (50.58) just pipped Nick Crebbin (51.55) to the line. As an aside, Nick Crebbin told me a month or so ago that he distilled his own brandy at Christmas. It’s a wonder he could see the finishing line at all.
Anyway, FRP (55.25) was as happy in all that mud as a pig is in all that proverbial, and ahead of an equally as happy Michael Shimwell (55.56), Christine Holleran (56.26), Jeremy Scott (56.54) and Roger Duckworth (57.29). Dave Seaman (58.24), Sue Ball (58.23), Martin Luxton (58.43) and Rebecca Ventress (59.10) continued to flood the finishing funnel with the mighty Black and Gold, soon to be joined by Angela Pattinson (1:03.21) and Philippa Thompson (1:05.25). Lee Welsby (1:06.51) and Nidd Valley newbie Gwyneth Brewster (1:06.51) were the next to appear, and it’s always good to have new blood in the squad so a particular well done to Gwyneth. Our finishers were none other than our very own Famous Five: Yvonne Skelton (1:09.30), Graham Hyde (1:14.25), Sylvia Morten (1:16.20), Fiona Robinson (1:24.21) and Carolyn Jones (1:28.56). A very well done to you all.
Sue Ball has written in to let us know that she took part in the Ely New Year’s Eve 10k. Now get this: not only did Sue finish the race in a wonderful 54.24 (claiming first Nidd in the process, too), but she bagged her fastest 10k time in ten years. What an achievement! Sue puts it down to having joined our club and what she calls the “Nidd Valley influence” – and who are we to argue? Well done, Sue!
Now, I’m not terribly sure how to even report on this, but Fingers Harris, Martin Loftrhouse and Kev Nicholas decided to dress up as the Bronte Sisters to take part in the Auld Lang Syne Fell Race in the hills above Haworth. I can think of other ways to spend New Year’s Eve, but there we go.
Martin Lofthouse (57.29) was the first Nidd to finish the 6.7m race, with Kevin Nicholas (1:05.55) never too far behind, and FRP (1:17.55) and Roger Duckworth (1:26.57) soon joining in the fun. Unfortunately, FRP and our Wodger weren’t wearing dresses, so I’ll have to leave you to resort to your own sordid imagination to remedy that oversight. Sarah Chalmers (1:38.02) got her last fix of the fells for the year and a brilliant time to boot. Unfortunately, Fingers pulled up with an injury, so we hope he recovers quickly so we can see him back out on the fells.
Finally, a quick well done to those Nidds who took part in the Harrogate Ringway today. Craig Mills and Steve Newbould ran the muddy miles as a pair on 3:03.40, ably joined by Captain Dazzler for a couple of legs. For our team of four, Yvonne Skelton, Dave Seaman, Rob Northfield and Richard Evans made easy work of the course in 3:46.04. Dave does point out that they would have been faster if Rob hadn’t run a mile in the wrong direction but, when it comes to directions and navigation, this could be the biggest example of a pot calling a kettle black in the history of black pots and black kettles. For some, the memory of Spofforth is still too raw.
I think that they are all the results for the Christas break, but if I have missed you out or if you do something equally as exciting in the next week, then you only need to let me know. I don’t bite: samfugill@gmail.com.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
On 22 Jan 2023, we’ve got the third in the PECO XC series, and this one will be held at Beckett’s Park in Leeds. Many of you will remember the year we ran it in the middle of a storm. Character building doesn’t even begin to cut it. As ever, you can expect lots of mud and splashing around but a lot of fun thrown into the mix. Further details are here: https://tinyurl.com/538wpj2v.
I’m not sure what someone thought they were doing by putting two races on 29 Jan 2023, the day after the Awards Night. Get me Chairman Mike on the phone immediately. Anyway, for the XC championships, we’ve got the St Aidan’s Beast near Selby. With a suitably sinister distance of 6.66m, this race will test your stamina and determination and is guaranteed to clear your hangover. Entry varies between £12 and £17, and further details can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/34d3kj5f.
Also on 29 Jan 2023….. fanfare please….. we kcik start the 2023 fell championships with the Runners and Riders fell race at Appletreewick. As the name suggests, this is a race where the runners take on the cyclists on a five mile tour of Wharfedale. It’s normally wet, often boggy, and always muddy and there is a high chance that someone will drop a mountain bike on your head. All good stuff, I promise. Entry is £10 but you get as much cake as you can eat and as much tea as you can drink in the barn afterwards, and we always have a good laugh. Come and give it a go: https://tinyurl.com/59yxna4c.
Awards Night: 28 Jan 2023
I think that ticket sales for Awards Night close on Friday, so you don’t want to hang around if you want in on the fun. We’re down at the George Hotel in Harrogate, and it’s a chance to get dressed up, have a few drinks and a meal with friends from the club and celebrate what has been a great year. The trophies are with the engravers and, you never know, it could be you. Come join us, why don’t you: https://forms.gle/KaebNUcZhoLymBya8.
Annual General Meeting: 23 Feb 2023
We have provisionally booked in our AGM for 23 Feb 2023. Secretary Philippa will be sending out the formal notification nearer the time, with instructions on how to raise a motion you might like considered, and instructions for how to stand for a position on the committee should you want to do so. Philippa will also send out details of which committee members wish to restand those who are standing down, although someone restanding does not mean you cannot stand against them. For now, though, just please put this date in your diary as we need a certain number in order to carry relevant business and make things street legal, that kind of thing.
Word to the Wise
The first wisdom of the New Year comes from none other than our esteemed ex-Men’s Captain, Martin Lofthouse, sharing his reflections on cross dressing for a fell race.
“It was good wearing a dress in a race, very freeing. I should do it more often…”
And on that liberated note, we best wrap things up. If you’re back to work tomorrow after the Christmas break, I hope that it goes okay. It won’t be as bad as you think it will be, I promise.
See you soon.
Sam x