One day one photo - 30: Getting out my flute for folk band practice

Rehearsal with South East London Folk band

After an absence of a few months I finally resumed rehearsals with the local folk band, South East London Folk group. 

I go there and play my flute. It's quite a nice change from clarinet playing, and the style of music is also very different. I am relatively new to the flute, as I major in clarinet and learned that a few decades ago. I am only on about grade 3 or 4 at the flute, and I still mess up my embouchure - but going to this group is a great way to improve my flute-playing.

There's a much more laid back atmosphere compared to being in a concert band or orchestra. For a start we don't have a conductor. It's just the band leader, Richard, who himself plays the accordion or guitar and is able to keep track of how we're playing at the same time.

We don't have first flute, second flute etc. I just sit among the "whistles" which is basically anyone playing a wind instrument - so flutes but also tin whistles, other variations on flutes such as the piccolo. The music is not adapted for any particular instrument. The manuscript has not orchestral articulations. It's all just plain concert pitch - which is handy for a flute. However, there are a couple of tunes with notes below middle C, so the flautists adapt by going up an octave, or improvising in other ways. In fact when we learn a new song, Richard, along with Belinda, who also leads the group encourage people to come up with variations and improvisations. 

Richard is a fully trained musician, who knows all the theory, though a number of people in the group can't read music (or dots, as some people call them) and play by ear, which I find quite impressive.

There are others, notably those who play the fiddle (aka the violin) who are classically trained and used to play in orchestras, but have moved across to folk music because it seemed less stuffy and more laid back. We just turn up at the rehearsal room on a Saturday morning, put £7 in the collection box and play - we're just a merry mix of fiddles, cellos, accordions, guitars, bodhrans, and whistles. There's a certain pureness and simplicity about the whole activity. 

The folk tunes originate from different parts of the world, and I must say I do enjoy seeing a different side of music-making from the traditional classical or jazz stuff. I haven't done any concerts with the group yet, but they tend to be at Ceilidhs, garden parties or harvest festivals. The gigs generally involve folks doing some country dancing while we play. We also get the chance to do some of the dances too. Wow, I don't think I've done that since I was about 12 years old! I look forward to getting involved in a concert; I just need to brush up on my Durham Reels.

One day one photo - 29: Brompton Bicycle photoshoot

It was a different kind of working day today, as I spent it outdoors away from my desk, being photographed around London.

Along with a couple of other cyclist models - Monet and Theo - we posed for a photoshoot with Brompton Bicycle. This was a shoot done for the marketing department to increase their library of media assets (still photos and video footage). So the team had us riding different bikes from the Brompton range in different parts of London. 

I had done a shoot with Brompton Bicycle on a previous occasion a couple of years ago, though that was a short shoot. We spent the morning being photographed near Liverpool Street station, and then near Blackfriars.

Today's shoot was an all-day thing in which we started first thing in the morning and continued through to the end of the working day.

We met at the National Theatre, on London's South Bank, and spent the morning being photographed around a variety of nooks and crannies in this famous example of Brutalist architecture. Prince Charles (now King Charles) described it as a "nuclear power station". He might be right; the location lent itself to shooting glowing examples of pedal power, as we three models were photographed riding in formation over around different alleyways and concrete structures.

Christine, the art director had different combinations of outfits ready for us to wear, and gave us different colours of bike to ride on as well as riding an Brompton e-bike.

With the team, which included the photographer, film-maker, video director, plus Rupert the producer, and Ross the brand manager, we cycled to our next venue, Southwark Park. After lunch we did various shots within this green space in South-East London (which has hints of Victoria Park across the river). Finally, we crossed back over the River via Tower Bridge to do a final shoot in a specially reserved cafe close to 30 St Mary Axe (aka The Gherkin).

I enjoyed the day out, especially as it was a lovely sunny day in London. Being photographed while riding or posing with a bicycle is something that I have done quite a lot of in my time, especially as I did so regularly in the days when I wrote for Cycling Active magazine and would be photographed for the cycling routes that I rode about.

However, the thing I found hardest was being photographed folding and unfolding the bike while being photographed. When you do this in a run of the mill way over the course of the day I can do it quite easily. But then when being filmed/watched, suddenly my actions aren't that smooth, and there is always something that gets stuck or stilted!

Hopefully the team will be able to pick some decent shots and footage, and I look forward to seeing the results.  

One day one photo - 28: Excuse my French - Why I enjoy foreign language conversation exchanges

My day started with an on-line conversation exchange in Italian with Alessandro from Rome, then in Spanish with David from Burgos, and finally in Italian again with Ilaria from Milan. I also belong to a French conversation group that meets up regularly, nearby in West Norwood.

I must say I enjoy speaking in foreign languages. There is something really refreshing about opening up that part of the brain. 

I know that folks in the UK don't tend to be so hot on speaking other languages, and at school the teachers don't have that much enthusiasm for teaching it either. But for me, it is something that I have always enjoyed.

I have seen it as a gateway to many things, and makes quite a difference to the trips and holidays that I go on. With my language skills it makes me able to go to places frequented by the locals, and off the beaten track. When I go on holiday I don't bother with packages or holiday reps to show me the way, but plan my own itinerary based on research. Knowing that I can speak the language means that if I have an issue to deal with I feel confident about sorting it out. I remember a couple of years ago having to call the local breakdown service when I got a burst tyre at the side of the road between Bellagio and Lecco in Italy. A similar thing happened to me in Jaca, in Northern Spain. In both cases I had to make phone calls to people who didn't speak English. So knowing Italian and Spanish, and feeling confident to speak made the difference in this inconvenient situation.

So yes, knowing a foreign language has its practical uses. More significantly for me, it also has a positive effect on my mind because I feel like my brain has moved onto a different channel and I am in a different world! That change definitely has a positive effect on my mental health. In fact, if I go for a few weeks without engaging in some way in a foreign language (be it speaking, listening to the radio, watching TV or reading a book or newspaper) I feel my mind going a bit stale and musty. It's a similar sensation to when I don't do sport for a while and my body feels lardy ahd stodgy.

I wouldn't say that I am the most natural linguist in the world, but I do feel comfortable in languages nowadays. It took a fair bit of hard work and application - doing exercises from grammar books, going to evening classes, studying for exams by correspondence. When I went to live in France more than 30 years ago I had a working knowledge of French but I didn't know the colloquial expressions and knew nothing about Parisian slang. There were quite a few hours spent at dinner parties not knowing what was being discussed or what folks were joking about! There were quite a few moments when I made blunders when expressing myself, and also quite a few misunderstandings! It's a good job I don't get embarrassed easily.

But after a few months of persevering the penny dropped and everything seemed to flow. I have used that same model with Italian and Spanish, though I haven't spent as much as I did in France living in countries where those languages are spoken. Hence these conversation exchanges on-line have come very much in handy.

I must say that in this day and age, learning a foreign language couldn't be easier. As well as books and audio tapes there are lots of people with whom you can have video chats, as well as newspapers on-line, plus foreign films and TV series with subtitles on streaming channels.

So I feel fortunate to have the faculty to communicate in another language, as well as having the means to continue to improve on my skills. 

One day one photo - 27: Particularly shocking knife crime incident in Central Croydon

Investigation scene after the stabbing in Central Croydon

My rehearsal with Croydon Symphonic Band had a delayed start due to many of the musicians being caught up in traffic. The roads were chock-a-block due to the main road through Central Croydon, Wellesley Road, being closed as forensic scientists carried out investigations.

Sadly, earlier today a teenager was stabbed at the bus stop outside the Whitgift Shopping Centre while on her way to school. It's a real shock to hear such news. Unfortunately, there have been many stabbings in London over the years. This year seems to have been particularly bad as there have already been 15 - more than the total for last year. In most cases the victim was young male.

This incident was even more shocking because the circumstances - a 15-year old girl in her uniform, travelling to her nearby private school. This is the first time a young girl has been the victim of a fatal stabbing. Police are still trying to establish the circumstances of the attack, but it is said that an argument took place on the bus in which a young girl rejected the advances from a 17-year old boy - the perpetrator, who was found in New Addington 45 minutes later. The group of children got off the bus outside the shopping centre, and the perpetrator produce a knife with a very long blade and stabbed the victim in the neck. The ambulance service arrived at the scene within a few minutes, but despite their efforts they were unable to save the youngster.

This is such a shock to the community. We have gotten used to hearing about stabbings in London, and that is already a massive cause for concern. But when knife crime occurs in the heart of Croydon, so close to an area you frequent, and given the circumstances of the incident - involving a young girl just on her way to school - it makes you wonder what sort of society we live in.

I am very sorry to hear this news about the girl, and I send my condolences to her family and friends.

One day one photo - 26: Deep sports massage at Revive Bodywork

   Feeling relaxed after a massage from Sam at Revive Bodywork 

Now that I am back home after my Paris-Versailles running challenge I can give my legs a bit of TLC. What better way than to get a deep massage. 

So I paid a visit to Sam, who runs Revive Bodywork not far from me, in Bromley. I've been getting treatment from her for a few years, so she knows my legs well. She can tell when they're on form and if, if they are recovering after an injury or a heavy bout of exercise. Today they weren't too bad, considering my weekend efforts.  

Getting  a massage was exactly what I needed to put my legs in a decent condition. My illiotibial band, calf muscles and Achilles tendons felt fine, but my quads were aching when I sat on the massage table. Thankfully Sam was able to sort it out, not without her having to dig her elbow into my glutes.

By the time I left her treatment room my legs felt so much looser. I hope to maintain this wellness with yoga, pilates and swimming. 

I am hoping to do a half-marathon before the end of the year, so Sam may have her work cut out for her!

One day one photo - 25: A massage ball does wonders for tight muscles

Massage ball - a key tool in injury prevention 

This is what has helped stop my legs from getting too shot after yesterday's Paris-Versailles running race. I actually bought it the day before the event from Decathlon at Place de la Madeleine, when I was making a few other last-minute purchases for the race.

I have a knobbly foam roller, but didn't bring it as I wanted to travel light. I had banked on getting in a few swimming sessions to loosen my legs, a post-race massage at the event, and maybe even a yoga class to do some deep stretching. I had managed to do all of those things apart from yoga, which was a bit tricky to fit in. 

When it comes to injury prevention I can never do too much. A significant chunk of the physical exercise I do involves keeping injuries at bay. I have had to deal with tendinitis between my legs and my ankles, over the years, including during the first part of this year when I was unable to do any sport because of a nagging problem. 

So I am very happy to have been able to run the 10 miles yesterday without any problems, and I am determined to do what I can to keep things that bay.

So when I saw this little ball, not only did I think it looked rather cute and a nice convenient size, I also saw how this could give me pleasure (well pain actually) when rubbing it up and down my illio-tibial band, my gluteus maximus, my soleus or even just under the ball of my foot.

The pleasure doesn't come from the act itself, but from the knowledge that this little ball is helping to keep me doing my favourite sporting activities like running, cycling, swimming, even the odd bit of rollerskating. 

Here's hoping I can carry on doing the sports I love.

One day One photo - 24: Paris-Versailles Grande Classique

Waiting to start the Paris-Versailles Grande Classique 

Well, that's a wrap!

I did the Paris-Versailles Grande Classique and got the medal (though no T-shirt as the organisers didn't do one this year). It was certainly not an easy run. I had already heard stories about this 2km infamous climb at kilometre 6, Côte des Gardes. Having climbed up it from the Versailles side when riding the route of the final stage of the Tour de France, I kind of knew what to expect. I distinctly recall the struggle among members of our group, and I remember the lithe local riders sailing up the hill away from me as the gradient suddenly increased. Nevertheless, a recon run would have been nice. A couple of sessions had been held by the organisers on the three Sundays before the day, though I hadn't been able to get there. So I just had to rely on mind over matter, mindfulness and visualisation!

Funnily enough this was probably the running race where I felt the most relaxed and the least nervous. I didn't have any pressure to run to a particular time, and I felt confident that I could manage the three-hour cut-off. Also, I was on my own and nobody knew me so running anonymously totally removes any expectation from others!

I took it quite slowly on the first five kilometres along the River Seine up to the first of three drink stations, enjoying the views, soaking in the vibe from the different bands along the route, and appreciating the cheers and applause from the locals, including lots of Boy and Girl Scouts. Then about a kilometre later the road ramped up and the hard work began. It was certainly a tough gradient. Already, many runners were reduced to walking. Some felt it was quicker to do a type of power walk. I preferred to run in small steps like when skipping with my rope. That seemed to work as it kept up the momentum. 

Just as I'd been warned, the road would level out and you'd think it was over - but it wasn't. There were two or three more 10% ramps to do. I ended up running practically side by side with an older man. Our paces just happened to be identical, though he was heaving an awful lot, and I worried he might explode before the top. He survived and we congratulated each other on reaching the summit. Then I sailed off into the distance as I guess he slowed down to recover from the ordeal.

It was a beautiful course that went through the forest at Meudon. I saw a few gravel bike riders along the way. It'd be worth returning there for a bit of that.

We then went through sumptuous neighbourhoods like Velizy and Villacoublay, where the road dropped down steeply to a pretty pond. However, I didn't get the memo about another steep ramp, known as the Côte de Meudon. This was steeper than the previous one, but was thankfully only 500m long. 

Another drop down through Viroflay where shortly afterwards was the ornate signboard that said Versailles, and as we rounded the corner a military band was right there to give us a royal fanfare - just like King Charles had had a couple of days earlier.

The run into the finish was not particularly easy. Avenue de Paris, the main road to the finish line is a lovely tree-lined road with 17th century architecture and it's easy to marvel at the sights as you behold this regal town. But as a runner, you are just thinking "when will this bloody road finish?" As it drags on in an interminable false flat right up to the finish gantry. 

Surprisingly as I lolopped along I heard a voice beside me say, "We meet again". I looked round to see the old guy from Côte des Gardes. He'd clearly gained a second wind. "Well done", I replied. We ran together, putting on our best false smiles for the photographers in the long home strait,  willing each other on. But he seemed to have emptied the tank slightly early and faded in the last 800m, as I put in a final spurt, thinking about people we have lost who wouldn't have had the chance to see Versailles on an occasion like this....

My timecof 1 hour 50 was nothing to write home about. I used to run 10 miles on 75-80 minutes. Granted, that was about 15 years ago, and this was a hilly 10 miles, but I think I could run this at least 10 minutes faster when knowing the course and with a little bit more training. In any case I was so pleased to receive my medal; a man from France Bleu local radio even interviewed on the finish line while I was still getting my breath back and probably looking a bit snotty!

Then I picked up my goodie bag from some excited young Scouts and headed straight into the massage tent. It was all very efficient. There were showers available in a nearby sports centre, though I was too tired to walk far and my stomach was rumbling, so I tended to that first. Note to oneself - the sport centre has a swimming pool - that would have provided more therapy for the legs.

Instead I then walked up to the Palace of Versailles, had a quick look around the Courtyard, which was heaving on this sunny Sunday, then caught the train back to Paris. It had been a good day.