Famous Men and Women of Suffolk No 9 in a Series

John Lydgate Born 1370 died 1451

Born at Lidgate, Suffolk He entered the Benedictine abbey at Bury St Edmunds when fifteen years old.Lydgate was a prolific poet, his verses seem to have been much in request by noble lords and having been court poet he wrote a ballad for the coronation of Henry VI. Some of his poems include Falls of Princes,Troy Book, Story of Thebes,The Life of Our Lady and The Dance of Death.

However my reason for mentioning him is that John Lydgate was apparently the first poet to refer to one's chosen love as one's ‘Valentyne. King Henry V hired John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

“Awake, ye lovers, out of your slombringe,
This glade morowe, in al the haste ye may;
Some observaunce dothe unto this day,
Your choyse ayen of herte to renewe,
In confyrmyng for ever to be trewe

From the Flower of Courtesy

Obviously the history of St Valentines day dates back far further than this and is argued as to how far back in history it goes. However it seems Lydgate is claimed to be the first to mention Valentyne in print.

One of his poems Falls of Princes is apparently nine times longer than Hamlet while his book of Troy is a mere 30,000 lines.

Lydgate was a big follower of Chaucer to whom he sent his manuscripts for review



However when all said and done this is the kind of Suffolk poetry I am more familiar with ....

Mary Anne she's arter me!
Full o'luv she seems to be
My mither says it's plain tew see
She wants yer for her young man
Feather says 'If that be trew
John, my boy be thankful dew
There's one bigger fool in the world than yew
That's Ma-a-a-rey Anne !

OR Wellbanks

Rushbrooke Suffolk

9am 10 miles in 1 hour 20 minutes

Week to date mileage 36

Month to date mileage 146

Average weekly rate 35.2

Average Monthly rate 153

Weather: Cold hard frost clear skies and sunny

Course:- Set out from Bury along Cullum Road and through the water meadows. Past the Haberden where many people were gathering for
a rugby match and out on to Rushbrooke Lane. This was rather slippery this morning and the road was white with frost.

Along this road near Southgate Farm I expect to normally disturb the animal kennels and set the dogs barking but of course it being the winter presumably no boarding animals and all was quite.

The road starts to rise as you reach North Hill Cottage and today I decided to follow the pathway over North Hill Covert. I don't think I have been over this path since I used to
regularly visit as a boy to earn some money fruit picking. I believe we used to generally pick raspberries on this farm and although it was quite hard work and you would get spiked a lot on the thorns you could also eat as much as you liked. I think we filled plastic buckets which were then emptied at a farmers trailer to be weighed and if you had too much stalk or leaf you were sent back till it was filled properly. When the farmer was satisfied I seem to recall we were given some metal tokens. At the end of the day you queued to exchange these for real money. Looking back these were great times! However now
all this has seemingly been replaced with pigs and what a paradise they live in. Plenty of mud to wallow in lots of straw and the very fashionable outdoor metal hut. These are springing up all over Suffolk and must be a good earner for the farmer.

Home Farm at Rushbrooke is known as a model farm village. The thatched houses are in a beautiful quiet setting.

Returning home over the North Covert height being all of 65 meters above sea level there is now a terrific view of St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Something that obviously wasn't there when I was a boy fruit picking. I was tired running today but I have had a really good month of training so far and I have beaten my highest total mileage in a month already. My best being 145 last year. In February I expect my mileage to slip a bit as I prepare for 2 and may be 3 races if I run the Lakenheath 5 next week.

Lark Valley River Path Suffolk

10am 7.5 miles in 1 hour

Week to date mileage 26

Month to date mileage 136

Average weekly rate 33.9

Average Monthly rate 147

Weather: Cold hard frost clear skies and sunny

Course - I set out from County Upper School in Bury St Edmunds and took the Thetford Road near the Tollgate Pub through Fornham St Martin.

I turned left at the first roundabout and went through Fornham St Genevieve before joining the Lark Valley Path. This pathway takes you along the side of the River Lark out to Mildenhall for about 15 miles. I only went as far as Hengrave. I saw a Heron busy hunting fish in the river and noticed that the Ducksluice Farm
looks like it is on the verge of falling down.

There were plenty of people out fishing near Kingsburyhill Woods. I think they looked at me and thought daft beggar what's he want to go running for in this cold weather and I kind of thought the same as to why you would want to sit in the cold and try to catch fish. I actually like coarse fishing but not in this weather.

Cullum Road/Ramada Hotel and Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds Suffolk

5.30pm 5.4 miles in 41 minutes 56 seconds

Week to Date mileage 18

Month to date mileage 128

Average weekly rate 33.2

Average Monthly rate 144

Weather: Cold some sleet

Hat and gloves and two sweat shirts weather but a lovely evening. I had a good run around a regular circuit I am continuing to use whilst I do most of my week day runs in the dark.
Looking back my times over this course include

13 Jan 41.30
2 Jan 42.42
23 Dec 43.34
9 Dec 42.0
6 Dec 42.04
29 Nov 42.17

So tonights time was my second best.

Bury Pacers Interval Session

6.30pm 6.6 miles in 52 minutes 33 seconds

Week to Date mileage 12.6

Month to date mileage 122

Average weekly rate 34.4

Average Monthly rate 149

Weather: Cold and dry

The club had planned to run some time trials tonight but the track was icy and as the temperature dropped conditions were only likely to deteriorate. So we ran on the inside of the track on the grass and to be honest there were patches of grass which became hard and icy as the night wore on.

I must admit I still warmed up on the track and ran 5 laps. The interval session tonight consisted of 3 x 4 minutes at race speed with a minute recovery in between followed by 4 x 3 minutes and finally 4 x 2 minutes all with a minute recovery.

I found I could run just on 3 laps in 4 minutes on the inside of the track. It was hard to judge if you were keeping a consistent pace throughout the intervals as invariably you might start from a different side of the track. It was a good session though the icy conditions meant always having to be a little guarded with each step.

I warmed down with four laps on the track.

I have posted a couple more pictures of Adkins Woods at Ickworth Park.


As you can see it was beautiful and muddy.

Vinefields Bury St Edmunds

6.45pm 6 miles in 49 minutes

Week to Date mileage 6

Month to date mileage 116

Average weekly rate 35.4

Average Monthly rate 154

Weather: Cold and dry

I parked at Hardwick and ran through Town and the old graveyard to the Vinefields. This brought back some memories. For many years I visited my Grandmother who lived at the Vinefields. They are of course named after the vinefields owned by the monastery. I am not sure how they got on with their wine production but they were very successful with their beer. Every Monk was entitled to a daily ration of 8 pints of beer a day. Of course drinking beer was safer than drinking water.

I didn't think too much of this when I was doing my hill session. Running a hill session was one of the targets I set my self at the start of the year and this in truth was rather an easy one.

The hill was no more than about 35 seconds of climb followed by a circular run around the Vinefield houses on the flat and down hill which takes about 2.30 minutes all told.

I did 10 intervals and timed them after a few when I remembered to do so as follows

Lap 4 2.28, lap 5 2.33, lap 6 2.30, lap 7 2.30, lap 8 2.29, lap 9 2.31 and lap 10 2.30.

This amounts to only 6 minutes of hill climbing but it is a start. I did have a drink when I got home but not as many as the monks of St Edmundsbury were used to.

Adkin's Wood Ickworth Park Suffolk

9am 12.2 miles in 1 hour 38 minutes 18 seconds

Week to Date mileage 35

Month to date mileage 110

Average weekly rate 35.1

Average Monthly rate 152

Weather: Cool slight frost

On today's long run I decided to take a new path in Ickworth Park oe which I haven't tried before. As you enter Ickworth Park there is a stile on the immediate left into some woods which has some red and blue markers. The ground wasn't too bad but was sufficiently muddy
and boggy to dissuade and walkers from venturing here. There are one or two stone markers from which I learnt this is known as Adkin's Wood and was planted in 1800 - 1812.

I have had a quick look but have yet to find out anything about Adkins and who he might be.

There was a lovely view of Ickworth House and this ties in fairly well date wise with the wood as the house was started in 1795 but not completed until the 1830's by the eccentric Hervey Family.Have a look at the link it includes a virtual reality image of the house. The gardens were apparently designed by Capability Brown though this would mean the gardens came before this house was built as he died in 1783. This is possible though as it is thought there were at least two previous houses to the current rotunda house. Who was Adkins though? Anyone know of him?

The church is the wonderful St Leonards named after a French saint, Leonard of Limoges (the patron saint of prisoners). It dates from the 14th century and must have some Norman connection . However the Norman period of history in England dates from 1066 through to the 13th century and by the time of the building of this church England in the late medieval period was in the grip of black death. It was estimated that between one third and one tenth of the population died between 1348 and 1350. So why was the church named after a French patron saint of prisoners ? After all England was at war with France in a battle known as the Hundred Years War. This war was very costly and resulted in Richard II introducing a poll tax .

Eventually the peasants revolted against their landlords in 1381 and though this anarchy was put down it was remembered for many years . The local Abbot in Bury Richard de Cambridge was murdered. It is interesting to note that the when the peasants Revolt of 1381 was finally put down a national amnesty was declared but Bury St Edmunds was the only town to be excluded because of the scale of trouble and violence. According to a BBC Website it was during this period that English rather than French became the language of daily use. Some how I just cannot see how folks in this country ever spoke French on mass! Just try and compare it to today most people in this country cannot speak another language - I could try and try to speak French but basically I am too lazy and I would never use it. These were certainly changing times when the average person if he wasn't killed by the black death was starved to death through high taxes. The Church remained extremely powerful in putting down and controlling the peasants. Does the Church of St Leonards have anything to do with the Peasants Revolt? Probably not but running raises lots of questions!

Hyde Wood Circular Run Bury St Edmunds Suffolk

10am 7 miles in 54.51

Week to Date mileage 23

Month to date mileage 98

Average weekly rate 32.7

Average Monthly rate 142

Weather: Sunny & cool

A lovely sunny day but still cold enough to require gloves and a hat along with tracksters and a sweatshirt. The route takes me from
County Upper School over to Howard Middle School and I then pick up a footpath which takes me over fields until I reach the Westley Road. This part of the run isn't great as I run along side the busy B1106 until I turn sharp right on the road to Risby. As soon as you turn though the road is nice and quiet passing the Crematorium on the right and what can only be described as Pig World on the left. Hundreds of pigs were sunbathing and rolling around around in glorious mud. The next landmark is the lovely Hyde Cottage and it is just past here that you turn right again.

You soon reach Hyde Wood which is a
very square shaped wood. Before I reached it I could a lot of shooting going on. This wood is often used for pheasant shooting and today they were out in full force. I saw several pheasants make their escape as the guns blazed and I wondered if I should carry on thinking that it would only take one stray shot and I could say bye bye.However I spotted the shooters and they were some distance into the centre of Hyde Wood.

Eventually you leave the road beside the wood and emerge into a fairly lofty position looking down over miles
of landscape on the Hyde Road. The Sugar Beet factory could be seen in full production steamy smoke rising from its tower.

The Hyde Road leads into Fornham All Saints and from here I run back into town and the County Upper School.

Previous times on this course

19 Nov 54.09
22 Oct 52.44
17 Sep 52.20
16 Jul 53.43
11 Jun 53.25
21 May 54.26
9 Apr 55.31
22 Jan 55.15

So today's run was rather slow but it was very enjoyable and that what matters.

Colchester Castle Park

12pm 5 miles in 38.26

Week to Date mileage 16

Month to date mileage 91

Average weekly rate 33.4

Average Monthly rate 145

Weather: mild and windy

A lunch time run around Castle Park Colchester. 2 laps of the outside of the park is approximately 5 miles. I saw two kestrals both at work hovering in the air looking for prey to pounce on. This seemed to upset the seagulls who proceeded to swoop on the kestral. The kestral is the most common bird of prey in the UK.

West Suffolk Athletics Track Bury St Edmunds

6.30pm 5.6 miles in 45.0 minutes

Week to Date mileage 11

Month to date mileage 86

Average weekly rate 33.4

Average Monthly rate 145

Weather: mild and patchy drizzle

Tonights track session was 2 sets of 3 x 5 minute runs with a minute recovery in between and 5 minutes between each set.

The target was to run just below race pace and to do all of the intervals at a consistent speed so as to finish at the same spot on the track. I more or less achieved this with my early intervals being just over 1100 metres and the final ones being just about on 1100 metres.

I reckon this to be about 7.20 speed which is faster than my race pace rather than under it so I didn't follow this instruction too well but I was pleased with the consistency.

I did a couple of laps warm up and a further 4 laps warm down. All told a total of 9km or 5.6 miles .

Bury Town FC

I used to have a very large collection of Bury Town football programmes but in moving house several times I have lost them. So many memories lost but not all forgotten.

Bury are the fourth oldest non league club in England dating back to 1872.

My earliest memory would have been in the mid 1960's when I regularly attended the football ground at Kings Road. The main entrance was here though there was many a time we would climb over the fence in to the ground from Chalk Road. The car park at the back of Cine world is pretty much where the ground would have been.

For many a year I also sold programmes for Bury Town and this got you free entrance plus a small amount of what you sold.

I remember I didn't always watch the games. Often we used to play our own mini football matches. there was plenty of space behind the goal or near the club house. Many people never seemed to emerge from the club house and watch the football.

At half time you could nip out of the ground to the nearby fish and chip shop in Risbygate Street closed now of course. Some times we attended training with the players. My main memory here was practicing throw ins. They used a large medicine ball which seemed to weigh a ton. After you had thrown that a few times throwing a normal ball was easy.

The above programme was typical of the format of Bury programmes for years and years. This is from 1975 but my best memories were from games in the old Metropolitan League. Bury would play all of the London league club A sides from West Ham , Arsenal , Spurs etc

5.45pm 5.4 miles in 42.50

Week to Date mileage 5.4

Month to date mileage 80

Average weekly rate 33.1

Average Monthly rate 144

Weather: Dry cool

Tonights run was an easy circular route around Horringer School,Hospital Road, Cullum Road, Newmarket Road and Home . I was still a little tired from my long run on Sunday and ran a fairly slow time.

My number arrived for the Bungay 20k. I am number 66.

The Cock Inn at Clare Suffolk

It was only the other week I was discussing with Ruby at livinginburystedmunds her visit to Clare in Suffolk and she made mention of the Cock Inn. By a very strange coincidence I picked up a load of second hand football programmes at Ipswich on Saturday and inside was a lovely black and white picture.

I was trying to work out where it was when it twigged that of course it is the Cock Inn at Clare. I can only guess the date but assume it must be from perhaps the 1950's by the fashion. Look at the girl about 15 people in from the left wearing what appears to be a bowling or teddy boy kind of drape coat.

Not sure what the occasion would be perhaps a wedding as some of the men have flowers in their jackets but then again no bride and groom. It looks more like an outing to the seaside and the group is just about to get on board the buses.

I have copied this picture to the webmaster at clare-uk.com hopefully some relatives may recognise themselves in the picture.

West Stow Suffolk

9.45am 13 miles in 1 hour 46 minutes

Week to Date mileage 31

Month to date mileage 75

Average Monthly rate 152

Weather: Dry cool

I found my camera batteries were flat so that was a big disappointment before I set of for my run. I decided to change my route and just run an out and back route along the Icklingham Belt which soon merges with the Icknield Way.

Before doing so I had a run around the West Stow Country Park and a lap around the Ramparts Field. This is a great picnic spot a good place for a game of rounders. The site was once a gravel pit site and is now full of bright yellow gorse which I can still feel the scratches on my ankles.

The pathway is Breckland sand but a light one and easy to run on. The pathway is fairly straight and runs through belts of old old pine and oak as well as lots of newly planted conifers

When the Icknield Way reaches the B1106 known as Shelterhouse Corner the pathway is marked to continue over to Barrow Clump Buildings but there is some dispute here as you cannot follow the ancient right of way which is sad. Instead you are directed along the road side and take the next right to pick up the pathway known as Old Barnham Slip. This was the point I turned and retraced my steps. Just as well really the pathway suddenly reaches an area which is fenced and the only way through was a roadway which is either flooded or is some kind of foot and mouth chemical cleaning area. I shall return but might have to go over the fence rather than wade up to the knee. I wonder what is going on here, this is the oldest road in Britain, a marked ancient right of way- perhaps it is just flooded.

Ipswich v Norwich of the North

Ipswich Town were very unlucky not to have won today against Sheffield Utd at Portman Road. A late equaliser robbed us of the 3pts. the referee wasn't bad but he didn't keep up with play and missed the clear foul on Lee which would have meant a free kick to us rather than Norwich of the North.

Oh well I feared the worse before the game and I had predicted a3-1 win to Sheffield. However they were rather disappointing . I have seen most clubs in the Championship now and clearly Reading are the best side. I am not sure about Sheffield they are well clear in 2nd place and should go up but they rely heavily on some experienced hard men . I hope someone else catches them - in fact anyone apart from Norwich of course! What is it with Warnock has he got a screw loose?

At the end of the game he stormed on to the pitch and headed toward the North Stand where he got plenty of abuse for his dirty tactics. In fact I think he may well end up in hot water with the FA for his strange behaviour. Richard Naylor had to be restrained for politely telling him where to go.

Anyway this was a good game capped by a great goal from Jimmy Juan from a free kick - an unstoppable shot went in of the cross bar and bounced up into the net. Look out for this goal it was a cracker. The Sheffield goal they scored was rather fortunate - poor defending and a soft goal to give away. Having said that Sheffield could have been 2-0 up at half time. However second half we finally went to a 4-4-2 formation bringing on Danny Haynes to partner Alan Lee on his debut and we looked on top.

What a pity not to get the three points we deserved.

Fornham Circular Run Suffolk

8.15am 7.5 miles in 1 hour 5 seconds

Week to Date mileage 18

Month to date mileage 62

Average Monthly rate 135

Weather: Dry cool.

The course - head out of Bury on the Beetons Way past Tollgate and through the village of Fornham St Martin. Return to Bury through Fornham All Saints along the A11101 Mildenhall Road , back to Tollgate and return up Beetons Way hill and home.

A bit slow this morning but I didn't set out to blow it hard and couldn't have any way.

The 2 pictures show a typical Suffolk Pink Thatched house and the River Lark. You can follow a path nearby that takes you on the Lark Valley Path also

known as St Edmunds Way. The pathway takes you 13 miles over to Mildenhall .

My times over the Fornham course over the last year have been as follows

17 Dec 59.29
29 Oct 59.52
3 Oct 60.19
11 Sep 60.14
28 Aug 57.42
19 Aug 59.36
22 Jul 58.24
10 Jul 59.48
1 Jul 59.42
23 Jun 64.0
18 Jun 62.18
23 May 59.38
5 Apr 62.41
1 Apr 60.26
19 Mar 59.0
12 Mar 60.43
5 Mar 62.16
26 Feb 62.16
6 Feb 61 .23
28 Jan 61.02
16 Jan 61.14

So a pretty average performance today some way of my best back in August when I did a 57.42. How did I do that ? Then again how did I run a 64.o back in June thats over a 6 minute difference between my best and worst getting on for nearly a minute a mile difference.

Cullum Road/Ramada Hotel and Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds

7pm 5.4 miles in 41 minutes 30 seconds

Week to Date mileage 11

Month to date mileage 55

Average Monthly rate 128

Weather: Dry cool.

It has been a struggle this week to get any running in as I have been working long hours. So tonight I decided to push the run a bit harder, almost punishing myself for failing to get any running in - which of course is crazy. However if I miss a run it plays at the back of my mind until eventually I find time to get a run in and then feel like a runner again.

Even though I have been working hard as soon as I got going I felt quite good on my feet and decided to run a bit quicker than normal training run pace. I was generally ok with this for the first half an hour though the last ten minutes I must have sounded a bit like a steam train. Coming along Risbygate Street a lady turned full round nearly 50 yards away - I must have been puffing by this stage.

I could feel I was struggling a little for breath and I was glad to get to the finish in a new pb for this course of 41.30. This is half a minute faster than I have run this course before and a full two minutes quicker than just before Christmas so it was good.

I got my entry form this week for the Bury Nearly Ten Race in February . I am number 643. Now I have a race to focus on and hopefully I can get some proper training in.

Running and Vegetarianism

5.30pm 5.4 miles in 42 minutes 52 seconds

Week to Date mileage 5

Month to date mileage 49

Average Monthly rate 149

Weather: Drizzle mild

An easy run tonight in a slow time.

This is another picture of the church woods near Pakenham, Suffolk.


Here is a question for any runners out there and I am keen to hear your views. I am I suppose what is described as some form of semi vegetarian in that I don't eat meat but I do eat fish , milk and eggs. I never have liked the taste of red meat and gave up white meat such as chicken about 18 years ago after a memorable caravaning holiday in Wales led to several of us getting a bout of food poisoning. I gave up meat on taste grounds rather than any other particular reason or moral reasons.

I personally don't think being a vegetarian makes any difference to my running. I don't take any extra vitamin tablets as I think I have a good varied diet except for meat. But what do you think? Are any of you runners who are vegetarian? If so have you had any problems? Welcome your thoughts on this .

Anyone have any views

New Bras in Horringer!

9.30am 9.4 miles in 1 hour 18 minutes

Week to Date mileage 38

Month to date mileage 44

Average Monthly rate 166

Weather: Cold damp and grey



















I was feeling a little tired as I set out for this run up to Ickworth Park via Horringer. I have had a good week as far as the mileage goes and including today's run 38 miles represents my best total since September 2005.

I didn't really expect to see anymore bras in the trees at Horringer. My last run this way on the 26th December saw an additional few plus a chair in the trees. Today the folks of Horringer if it is them didn't disappoint (if it is them?) and there was a new white and red one plus half a pink one. There was also a grey sock just one no sign of the other.

It does remind me a bit of that Stephen King book I can't think of the title but the one where all the telegraph lines are draped in trainers. Anyway it is all good fun and I am not sure when it will end but I will continue to report it as I see it as vital bra news from Horringer.

My run actually went very well and I felt very comfortable. I ran past Ickworth House down to the lake and then continued on the path past what I think are the White Houses. It certainly is a lovely thatched house and I had to take a picture.

Nowton Park Bury St Edmunds

10am 8.5 miles in 1 hour 10 minutes

Week to Date mileage 29

Month to date mileage 34

Weather: Some sleet and drizzle , cold damp and grey.

Parked at Nowton and decided to do some laps of the park. Conditions were very slippery under foot and it wasn't long before I decided I would only do the one lap. I was having trouble keeping my footing and wishing I had a pair of spikes. I don't own any spikes which means I can't do cross country races at the moment. Well that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it .

Any way I was surprised when I completed the lap that I actually ran it far quicker than my previous run back on the 19th December when I did 2 laps in 19.50 and 19.30. Today I ran an 18.24 lap which is a full minute quicker despite fighting to stay on my feet . It almost tempted me to carry on and do some more laps but only for a split second. I quickly decided to head for the road. I ran up past Breckley Ley House and along to High Green and then Low Green. I then took the Hawstead road past Nowton Church before heading of to follow the footpath across the fields towards Sicklesmere before retracing my steps back to Nowton Park.

Pakenham Suffolk

9.45am 8.5 miles in 1 hour 10 minutes

Month to date mileage 26

Weather: cold damp and grey.

Course- I set of from the Upper School in Thurston and soon took a pathway along Meadow Lane. This took me over ploughed fields and through the woods known as Skeleton Plantation.

The photo of the woods and muddy pathway is known as Sheep Lane. You can then run across a large enclosure which takes you past
Nether Hall.

From here you emerge in Pakenham. The church is known as St Mary's and dates back to 1100. Pakenham is known as the village with two water mills.

It takes its name from an Anglo Saxon settler named 'Pacca' of the 7th century. It was first called Pacca's Ham, or the home of Pacca.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to visit the water mills so I can look forward to that another day. I ran through the village past The Fox.
I then took a path along by the Church cottages out to Great Green before returning to Thurston.

West Suffolk Athletics Track Bury St Edmunds

6.25pm 6.5 miles in 50 minutes

Year to date mileage 17

Month to date 17 miles

Weather: dry clear sky frost

It was too frosty to run on the track as the surface was like a skating rink so we ran on the inside on the grass. I warmed up with 6 laps and warmed down with a further 5 laps.

The coach had promised that the winter track sessions after Christmas would include longer timed intervals. He was true to his word and we ran 5 minutes then 7.5 minutes followed by a 10 minute run with recoveries in between before a 5 minute recovery. Then a further 7.5 minute run and a final five minutes. A total of 35 minutes all at the same pace.

Running on the grass was a little less stressful on the legs though you miss not being so aware of your times and the distance markers that running on the track provides.

Good session

Bury 10

I believe this photo was taken of the Bury 10 race which was held on the 16th of June 1985. Thats me finishing in I hour 8 minutes 25 seconds. Thats a time I can only dream of now!

At the time I was working in London and for this race I ran for my work at the time who were MAFF - Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food.

Cullum Road/Ramada Hotel and Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds

12.45pm 5.4 miles in 42 minutes 42 seconds.

Year to date mileage 10.8

Month to date 10.8 miles

Weather: dry mild and sunny.

An easy but slow run around the centre of Bury. I haven't dared due anything longer or harder as I still have a rotten cold.

Forthcoming races I am considering entering include the following:

5th February Lakenheath 5 - Anyone have any details on this race ? I can't find anything on it but presume it starts from the cricket ground.

19th February St Peters Brewery Great East Run 20k at Bungay . This year they have dropped the 10k race which is a pity as 20k seems an odd distance. However this is a great race and must be recommended to anyone who has never entered before. An added attraction is at the finish you are well looked after with hot soup and a free bottle of the distinctive beer from
St Peters Brewery. Even if you don't immediately recognise the name you will know if you have had one of these real ale beers from a supermarket because they come in an unusual oval shape bottle. Some of their best beers include Suffolk Gold and Golden Ale. That's three great breweries in Suffolk along with Adnams and Greene King.

26th February Muscular Dystrophy Bury 20 & Nearly Ten from Nowton Park Bury. As I am planning to do the Bungay race and I don't think I am ready to run 20 miles just yet I am going to enter the nearly ten. Yes I am whimping out but its more realistic.

Horringer School /West Suffolk Hospital /Cullum Rd & Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds

12.45pm 5.4 miles in 41 minutes 45 seconds.

Weather: wet and drizzly

Ran with a bad cold, a bit of a kill or cure. Sometimes a bit of fresh air can help a cold, at least that is what I told myself.

Anyway I ran this loop in a good time. The run takes in Cadogan Road, Abbot Road up past Horringer School and along Hospital Road. I then turn up Vinery Road along Hardwick Road and past the Hospital. Back into town along Cullum Road up to Kings Road down Chalk lane and along Risbygate Street before returning to Cadogan Road.

My first run of the year and the weather has once again turned mild.

Cullum Road runs through some of Bury's water meadows and is named after the Cullum family . Sir Thomas Cullum was a wealthy London draper who in the 17th century owned large parts of Hardwick and Hawstead.