Tag: The Cowherds

A fresh start

There’s something to be said for starting the day off with a nice walk. When that day also happens to be the first day of a new year, doubly so. It helped that the first day of 2022 dawned crisp and cold, a truly golden start to the year. After all the madness of the last two years, I hoped this was a good omen for the year ahead. I’m fairly sure I wasn’t alone in being tired of all the panic, rumour, conspiracy theories and restrictions at this stage. Commando and I strolled across the Common, admiring the layers of gold, grey and blue through the bare branches of the trees. The wonderful Gareth had already been round putting out his signs and the set up crew were on the flats putting out the poles and chains of the parkrun finish funnel. The sky was the real star of the show though. It looked like being a beautiful morning, which was just as well, because drizzle would have put a dampener on my plans.

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Where have all the pubs gone?

The Engineers Arms Northam

In the first half of the twentieth century, the pub had an important role in working class men’s lives. It was a place they could escape to at the end of a hard day’s work and somewhere they could gather with their friends. One of the things I noticed when I was researching Plagued and Land Fit For Heroes, was how many pubs there were in working class areas back then. Almost every street corner had one. Looking for a pub where my characters could go for a chat and a pint, I was spoilt for choice. In Plagued, I picked the Prince Consort in Netley and the Junction Inn in St Denys for Thomas, Joe and Bert to meet, The Cowherds, the Engineers Arms and the Park Inn were also mentioned. The Park Inn is now a lap dancing club and The Engineers Arms is derelict, but the other two pubs are still open. The same cannot be said for many of those street corner pubs. So where have they gone?

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Parkrun behind the scenes

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21 May 2016

Hundreds of people turn out for parkrun at Southampton Common every Saturday morning. They run their 5k and they go home feeling virtuous, quite rightly so. It takes a lot to get out of bed early at the weekend and run around an often cold, wet, muddy common after all. Most probably don’t realise all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make their run possible though. This week Commando was volunteering to help set up. For him this is a regular thing, he does it a few times a year. Some amazing people do it every week though. They are the real parkrun heroes! Continue reading Parkrun behind the scenes

Common photos, gallows, a well and some extraordinary people

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31 January 2016

When I said I’d go up to the Common with Commando on Sunday morning for a photo shoot I didn’t expect rain and cold. We were amomgst the first there and we stood around shivering and chatting as other people slowly began to arrive. The photo shoot was for the runners who’d volunteered as pacers for the Southampton Half Marathon. There’d be a practice run around part of the course at the end of it.  Continue reading Common photos, gallows, a well and some extraordinary people

Common conundrums, beating the bounds

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25 January 2016

On Monday I had boundary stones on my mind so, for once, there was a real plan for my morning walk. This was no half arsed wandering in the general direction of somewhere or other and seeing what I’d find. There was a proper purpose and some real pre walk research. On Sunday morning I’d thought about walking to the Common and having another poke around for the boundary stone that’s supposed to be there somewhere. When I got up though, it was pouring with rain and Commando had left early for his fourteen mile Sunday run despite it. Not being sure whether he’d taken his door key or not seemed like a good excuse to stay at home and clean the kitchen. It also meant I had time to find out more about this boundary stone. Continue reading Common conundrums, beating the bounds

the common and another lucky escape

Commando, getting ready for a run onTthe Common
Commando, getting ready for a run on The Common

27 January 2015

Commando took up running almost four years ago. He’s always been slim and fit. He used to teach martial arts but it’s a dangerous occupation even if you do have black belts in several disciplines. There were injuries, broken ribs, black eyes and any number of strains, sprains and assorted bruises. Throw working nights and lack of time into the mix and it became harder. Something had to give. Continue reading the common and another lucky escape