When Geth and I were in Shetland the other week, we made sure to get ourselves across from the mainland to the island of Bressay for the UK’s most northerly parkrun. I’d been wanting to do Bressay since it was first announced that they were starting one in Shetland over a year ago – between my family connections and the special geographical status, it was an absolute must.
Coming up to the finish line! Picture from the Bressay parkrun Facebook page.
There aren’t actually any parks on Bressay – like most of Shetland, it’s just fields intercrossed by country roads – so the parkrun route takes place along the roads, and you just dodge the cars if any show up. The course is well marshalled and signposted, and while there are a lot of farm animals looking at you curiously, I was thankful that none of them strayed onto the road as typically happens on the Town Moor during Newcastle parkrun!
It’s not a flat course, but it’s out-and-back and most of the ‘uphill’ happens on the ‘out’, which is definitely the best way round.
I’m not sure when I’ll be back in Shetland, but I’d definitely do this one again!
I’ve had a slightly quieter Thursday today for the first time in a while. No boardgaming guests tonight and Geth is out at a Keyforge tournament, so I’ve just been getting on with a couple of editing jobs and trying to get some rest before my longest GNR training run tomorrow.
Very nearly the weekend now!
OOTD: the cooler weather means that the cosy hoodies are coming back out. Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), hoodie Uneek Classic for Mesh (2016).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Timecop1983 and The Bad Dreamers – Back To You Duran Duran – Planet Earth Billy Ocean – Love Really Hurts Without You The Midnight – Days Of Thunder
I used to marvel at the amount of red phone boxes on the Embankment when watching the London Marathon on TV and seeing the elite athletes bomb past them at a rate of one every ten seconds. I did not pass one every ten seconds at my pace, but there were still quite a lot!
I went for a short run this morning (absolutely loving my new running watch, which buzzes to let me know every time I’ve run another kilometre!). I’m getting a little faster on the short runs, but I think I’m going to have to slow down for the next couple of weeks until the Great North Run is over. After that, I can really concentrate on getting my speed up over the autumn.
I then spent the rest of the day editing for a client. Just a couple more documents to do tomorrow, and then – unless anything last-minute comes in – I should be able to get an early start to the bank holiday weekend! I have lots of plans. It’s the first time since 2013 that Geth and I haven’t spent the August bank holiday weekend in Bradford for Infest, but it’s still going to be a great weekend – I’ve got a couple of music events to go to and a lot of running to do. Looking forward to it!
OOTD: just ’cause I’m not going to Infest doesn’t mean I can’t pull out a goth-ish outfit every now and again! T-shirt Duran Duran (2019), skirt Electric Cabaret (2005), shoes Vivienne Westwood Anglomania for Melissa (2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
The Midnight – Sunset The Midnight – America 2 Duran Duran – Liberty Duran Duran – My Antarctica FM-84 – Bend And Break
I have been really late with catching up with all my blogging since I got back from holiday. I’m very busy with the day job at the moment and haven’t had much time. However, I finally have a chance now to post all about my travels – better late than never!
Geth and I drove up to Mum and Dad’s in Edinburgh on the Sunday to meet up with the family – my brother and sister-in-law Malcolm and Steff had arrived from Canada on the Saturday – before we all travelled north. On the Monday, it was another long drive up to Aberdeen, with a brief lunch stop in Arbroath for some chippy goodness – separate post to follow at some point!
It was a bit of a wait to get onto the ferry but I was pleased to find that the small cars were loaded first – this meant that once my wee Skoda was in place on the car deck, Geth and I were able to grab a good space for the family in the lounge bar for the evening.
It was a fairly pleasant ferry journey north to Shetland, although first-time sailor Steff found it a bit nausea-inducing. In the morning, as soon as I’d driven to the B&B, I found a space to get on with some work – August has been busy from the off this year!
That afternoon, Geth and I found a nice café called the Dowry for lunch – it was so good that we ended up eating there five days in a row! – and then went for a walk around Lerwick to plot out where we were going to do our long runs the next day. I hadn’t slept well on the ferry so I got a fairly early night before the run.
It was nice running around Lerwick – a good way to see the town again after twelve years, especially as we had to do three laps to make the scheduled 14k we were both running that week! It was back to the Dowry for breakfast, as I’d been eyeing up the waffles the day before, and decided I’d earned them after my run.
Probably completely undid any calorie deficit I’d accomplished with the run. Delicious though!
I had a fairly quiet Wednesday afternoon – I had a bit of work to do again – before meeting up with the family for a meal at an Indian restaurant where we’d eaten when we were last in Shetland twelve years ago.
On the Thursday, Geth and I drove down to Sumburgh so that we could visit the excavation at Old Scatness. It wasn’t really open when we were last in Shetland as it had only recently been excavated, but they’ve got a nice wee visitor centre nowadays. Geth loved the site and could probably have stayed there for another hour!
A bit windswept at the Old Scatness site!
Back in Lerwick, we had an afternoon snack at the Dowry, and a chippy with the family again for tea. (On reflection I’m amazed that I only put on half a pound during the holiday! I did do a fair bit of running though…)
Geth and I met up with Malcolm and Steff for breakfast (at the Dowry again, you’ll be amazed to learn) on the Friday morning, and then went to the Shetland Museum. The museum hasn’t really changed since we visited in 2007, but it’s always worth a poke around.
This is the deck plan that hung on the wall of the passenger deck of the St Clair IV, the P&O ferry on which we always travelled to Shetland in the ’80s and ’90s when I was a kid. I must have looked at that deck plan on the actual ship a hundred times back in the day, and the fact that it’s now in a museum makes me feel a bit old.
In the evening, we met up with relatives Joyce and Douglas at the Waterfront restaurant. There was a lot of fish eaten by everyone else, but I was pleased to find that the veggie option was my old favourite, pasta and pesto. Cheesecake too, which is always welcome (see forthcoming cheesecake roundup post).
On the Saturday morning, Geth and I packed all of our remaining stuff into the car and then went on foot on the Bressay ferry to get to the start line of Bressay parkrun. After parkrun, we visited Joyce and Douglas for lunch and a brief tour of Bressay in the mist, before heading back to Lerwick so that I could get some work admin sorted out courtesy of the Dowry’s wifi.
Later that afternoon, we all drove back to the ferry terminal, and Geth and I and the Skoda got onboard nice and promptly again! It was a slightly bumpier ride than going up, and again I found it difficult to sleep on the boat, but we arrived nice and early in Aberdeen and the Sunday morning traffic was so quiet that we were back in Edinburgh by ten o’clock.
We had a couple more days in Edinburgh – I had to spend all of Sunday and Monday working, but Geth and I were able to meet up with our friend Kieran on the Monday night, and then we went to the City Cafe with Malcolm and Steff to have breakfast with my cousin Freya and her boyfriend Ryan on the Tuesday morning, before Geth and I headed back to Newcastle in the afternoon.
Hopefully it won’t be another twelve years before I make it back to Shetland again!
I was working most of today, but I’ve also set up my new running watch, which arrived yesterday. It’s a lot more advanced than my old one and does things like judging my sleep quality and pinging me when somebody’s retweeted me or emailed me or something. It also shouts at me to move if I’ve been sitting on the sofa for long enough, which could get annoying after a while.
Looking forward to taking it out for a spin when I go for my run tomorrow morning!
OOTD: new aquamarine watch doesn’t exactly go with everything but I’ll be wearing it 24/7 for a while to test it out! T-shirt Punk Masters (2018), jeans H&M (thrifted from Steff 2016), trainers Reebok (2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Trevor Something – Your Sex Is A Dream Scandroid – Aphelion Trevor Something – All Night Calvin Harris – Acceptable In The ’80s Ollie Wride – Back To Life Duran Duran – Save A Prayer Ollie Wride – Miracle Mile The Midnight – Days Of Thunder Prince – Little Red Corvette Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies The Midnight and Timecop1983 – River Of Darkness
Super busy with admin today so no Music Video Monday post again I’m afraid. Next week…I hope!
OOTD: monochrome ’80s style. T-shirt Katharine Hamnett for Help Refugees (2017), skirt unknown brand (vintage 1980s, bought at vintage fair 2017).
Today’s earworm playlist:
The Midnight and Nikki Flores – Jason Duran Duran – Watching The Detectives Lewis Capaldi – Hold Me While You Wait Trevor Something – Your Sex Is A Dream
I went for my long run this morning. My running watch died halfway through. This has happened a lot recently (including in two important races), so a new one will be arriving for me in the post later this week (a very early birthday present from Geth). The run itself felt quite good, though – I just wish I had my data for it!
I’ve spent the rest of the day reading. Back to work tomorrow.
OOTD: chilling with Rio (although the Duran Duran song in my headphones was actually Skin Trade [Stretch Mix]). Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), vest top Redbubble (2019).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Trevor Something – Summer Love Ollie Wride – Back To Life Trevor Something – All Night Gunship – Art3mis And Parzival
A fairly productive Saturday – after managing my fastest parkrun in 2019 this morning, I spent the afternoon getting on with some writing. This evening, Geth put The Karate Kid on as part of the ongoing ’80s-films-I-haven’t-seen marathon!
Unusually for a Sunday, I’ll be out running again tomorrow morning, as I won’t have time during the week for my long run.
Katy Perry – Never Really Over Ronan Keating – When You Say Nothing At All Trevor Something – All Night Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello – Señorita Sebastian Gampl and Tommy Reeve – Under Control
I have had a really good day of not doing much at all – just reading and listening to music. It’s been a rainy day, so I’ve had zero inclination to leave the house. Will venture out briefly tomorrow morning for parkrun!
OOTD: not going out in that rain! Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), t-shirt eBay/Fruit of the Loom (2018), jeans Zara (2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Timecop1983 and The Bad Dreamers – Back To You The Carpenters – Yesterday Once More Duran Duran – White Lines Nik Kershaw – I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me Japan – I Second That Emotion Kygo and Whitney Houston – Higher Love
