Sportsman's Dinner Planning

Having just packed away from the fun run (I spent lunchtime today cleaning barbecue trays) tonight I’m back at the Cross Keys (hello Mary!) for a planning meeting for our Annual Sportsman’s Dinner. This will be in February next year, but we have to plan early. Ian’s already mythering that we may be too late to get the best speakers.

It’s a short meeting to get the initial actions sorted: we’ll have a short list of speakers over the next few days for members to make a selection. The date is set for Friday 5^th February, venue is provisionally booked and the catering sorted. Book now!

Sunday 28th June: Penkridge Fun Run & Fun Day

Despite it being a Sunday I’m at the Haling Dene Centre just after 7:30am to set-up for the Penkridge Fun Run and Fun Day. We know it’s going to be a busy day, before the day starts there are over 500 registered runners and we can only allow 550 to run. So there are only a few places left for on the day registrants.

First tasks are to get the grounds ready, the scaffolding suppliers arrive and build the start - finish gantry. The outside broadcast unit from TheWolf arrives and establishes connectivity back to the studios in Wolverhamption. The start-finish straight is marked out and taped off and the drinks station positioned, and the finishing medals unboxed. St John’s Ambulance arrive and take their position at the first aid point. Round the course direction signs are temporarily erected, and marshals from Penkridge ATC positioned ready to guide the runners.

Meanwhile the Fun Day team have delivered and distributed the tables for all the stalls. This year there are over 30 stalls, from a wide range of local groups. Each team’s volunteers arrives with various games, gadgetry, goods for sale and goodies to win. Round Table has it’s infamous mega-barbecue on the go, whilst tabler’s wives are already busy on the face painting stall.

Back inside the first runners are arriving for their race numbers. By ten-to-eleven the grounds are heaving with people. The pre-race warm up is in full flow with music via the TheWolf unit, and 550 runners are almost ready. The final two runners emerge from the building: Father Christmas on holiday (in his shorts and sun glasses), and Pitman Pete (the Hednesford Town mascot). After a few photo’s of the runners with local MP David Kidney (the Official Race Starter), it’s 11am. There’s no time to wait for the horn, the runners are ready the countdown starts and they’re off!

This year we’ve changed the route to accommodate more runners, by easing the areas of congestion. The distance is unchanged, but the route must be a little harder, and its 14 minutes 22 before we see the first runner, Ian Milner, cross the finish line. Then there is a constant stream of runners, joggers, and amblers – some in fancy dress, some with pushchairs crossing the line. Santa and Pitman Pete, cross the line around an hour after the (silent) starter horn was blown, followed by the final pair – in a three-legged combination, collapsing in a heap at the finish line.

The race may be over but the results team hide away inside the Haling Dene Centre, cross checking the two sets of computer records of finishers and times, the manual record of sequence, and validating any differences against the video recording. Outside the Fun Day continues in full swing. The course tape is all down and the grounds are a mass of runners and spectators enjoying the sunshine and stalls; a refreshing beer and a fresh-cooked burger in hand. Just after 2pm race coordinator Malcolm mounts TheWolf FM podium, takes over the microphone from Dicky Dodd to announce the results and hand-out the prizes.

It’s late afternoon before the last of the crowds disperse, but its still warm and sunny; quite fortunate since I have the final stint in the stocks: pelted with wet sponges. All the stalls pack up, and then we ensure the building and grounds are clear, the tables chairs packed away, the cooled barbecue removed. Then it’s time for a couple of pints at the Cross Keys to end a very enjoyable, and very successful (fun) day.

Friday 26th June

Friday evening and I head to Stafford, to catch up with the celebration of Ian’s 40^th birthday. I find a good showing of Tablers and a leisurely pub tour around Stafford, ending in the small hours with some chips and curry sauce and a taxi back to Penkridge.

Countdown to Sunday's Fun Run and Fun Day

Just back from a week's holiday and catching up with emails and activity whilst I've been away.
Last week's meeting was a golf evening at the Three Hammers short-course at Coven. This was a joint event with Penkridge 41 club, so had a good showing, with a total of 24 teeing off during the long June evening. This was followed up by a meal at the Gold Club Bistro.
Last Saturday was the Penkridge Church Fete, and Penkridge Round Table hosted their (now legendary) luck-dip stall. As always this was a popular fete attraction, and we raised £104.20 for St Michaels Church.
This week is final preparation for Sunday's Fun Run. We currently have almost 350 runners registered, so there is a fair chance we will reach our capacity of 500 runners. If you haven't yet registered then don't delay. There is a fair chance that we won't be able to accept registrations on the day.
Stafford MP David Kidney has confirmed he'll be our race starter: and hopes to feature in one of our stalls in the Fun Day. Come along on Sunday and see for yourself!
Plans for the Fun Day are well advanced, with many local groups and organisations finalising their stalls and attractions for Sunday. All we need now is for the good weather to continue!

Friday 6th June: PADS

I speak to one of the members of the Penkridge Amateur Dramatic Society, to let them know that we’ll be giving them a donation. It’s their 50th anniversary this year, and this weekend they’ll be holding an outdoor performance of the Railway Children at the Haling Dene centre, in Penkridge. I’m hoping to get along to the Sunday performance. They'd been looking for sponsors for the production, and we're very keen to support them. Since I've lived in Penkridge I've been to quite a number of PADS productions, which have always been enjoyable. To me PADS are a key part of the community of Penkridge and I'm keen that we help them.

Business Meeting: Thursday 4th June

Another rush day! Early morning finished off the DIY cards (just as many as I need for tonight), and printed the AGM's.
This evening we had a business meeting. I’ve brought this forward in the programme as there are a number of events coming up, a few potential charity donations, and plenty of other topics and issues that we need to discuss, so there is plenty to cover. We’re at the Hatherton Country House hotel. I arrive, fresh from voting, just as the church is chiming 8:30, so grab a pint and sit down to dinner. I kick things off by getting some additional ideas of what we might do this year: what new activities people want to do, and what they’d like to see change. This is done via post-its splattered across two walls of the Penkridge Suite, a fair amount of running (and jumping) around, and a good amount of hilarity. We have 14 at dinner, and Paul joins later just for the business part.
In Penkridge I believe we have a reasonable balance between formal and informal events. Most meetings are informal activity type events (like the tobogganing). However for business meetings we generally have a meal, have an agenda, and ask that members wear suits. The agenda gives things structure, and the meal means that we’re all seated, so it’s easier to get things discussed in an orderly manner. Many issues are discussed then voted on, so we have a secretary to keep notes of the key issues and to keep a record of voting and outcomes, that get distributed as minutes after the meeting. I’ve always enjoyed business meetings, partly because this is the focussed part of table that ensures things get done, and decisions made, but also because they’re also good fun – just getting 15 guys together over a meal and a few beers is always entertaining. The challenge I have this year as chairman is keeping some order to these proceedings.
We manage to get through virtually everything I wanted to cover, and get a decisions made on everything, and end the meeting at 12:04 – with the traditional end-toast: RTBI!
[Round Table Britain & Ireland]

Broadband issues: Google Street in Penkridge

Delay to these postings due to broadband issues at home; perhaps the exchange is overloaded by people trying to look at Penkridge on Google Streetview?
http://penkridgecrier.blogspot.com/2009/05/google-car-in-penkridge-before.html

Area Meeting: Wednesday 3rd June

This evening to Cannock, and The Barns, for an Area Meeting. This is an informal meeting for table chairman and vice-chairman of individual Tables in Area 5 (there are 16 in total). I'd been asked to host this evening's meeting, and chose The Barns as we've had a fair few meetings there in the past. Tonight, as always the food was very good. Because it was an informal meeting, we had tables of 4, and I sat with Walsall and Lichfield. I think all Round Tables have similar things to focus on: how to attract new members, how to keep the programme interesting and varied so members stay invovled, how to raise funds for charities etc. The 'business' part of this evening was informal, with a short intro from the area chairman (Chris James - from Stourbridge & Brierley Hill), followed by a few words from the president (Dave Townsend) about his table experiences over the years, followed by an open forum for tables to give an update of what they are up to. This gives lots of insight into what other tables are doing, events that we can tag along to and some ideas of what Penkridge could do. I came away with several pages of ideas.