1st of oct 22
I had done the ROOT baton relay section at auchinleck at 02:00 alone then had to get to Glasgow main bus station for the bus to London, the trains were on strike and I had to get to London I had a protest march to take part in and Claire to support in the London marathon. I had been helping her train for this, it was a massive achievement for her as it was her very first ever marathon, she had hoped to have done this while her mum was still alive, unfortunately that didn’t happen. if I wasn’t there she would be there at the end on her own, the bus journey from Glasgow to London is a long one. I had a long wait at the bus station in Glasgow to begin with, witnessing the opening of the station and the subsequent massive que at Greggs the bakers once open, the irony struck me of the likes of Liz truss saying she had the interest of ordinary people as her main agenda! this makes me laugh, apparently climate activists are no longer ordinary people according to her! I was pondering if she has ever sat in a city`s bus station alone? Or witnessed Gregg’s at opening time there’s some interesting ordinary people there!
The bus journey was long, it took all day with various stops throughout England when I eventually arrived in London, I discovered half (not all) the underground stations were shut due to the strike action - which made me even later getting to the hotel, only leaving enough time to catch a closing pasta bistro bar as the kitchen was closing, I was also lucky to just catch a Marks and spencer’s shop, where I stocked up on snacks
On the day of the London Marathon, the protest group just stop oil was also holding a demonstration March, this was to be their first march - of a whole month of marches and demonstration around parliament every single day in the month of march, I had arranged to meet a friend who is an award winning documentary maker, he was filming the marchers that day, we met at a park corner, which was half a mile from the nearest train station this was where the protesters had gathered before they started their March, I chatted to him for around 30 minutes, before telling him I had to go - as I was supporting my friend Claire, she was running the London Marathon, I was fully kitted out to go for a run also as I intended to run alongside the runners the last few miles of the marathon, I walked fast from where I left my friend at the park, where he was watching the demonstrators mill around still not organised to move, the walk from the park to the train station and underground station was half a mile, I was not 100% sure which station I should go to, in order to be near the end of the marathon? I spoke with train staff before going through the turnstile, once through, I felt I had made a mistake? with which platform I should take the elevator down to, so; I returned to speak to the friendly staff for clarification, then I travelled down the correct escalator a pleasant thing for me, I was full of the joys of life free and having fun, a fellow escalator rider behind me past a complimentary comment upon my beard, I said cheers man- then I made my usual joke about it – that; I used to hate it but it has now grown on me! we had a laugh and the conversation was jovial, when I went to go to the train platform (right not left), a police officer stopped me to say he had to question me!! I was shocked; he said - he had seen me speak to just stop oil protestors and had followed me, also that he now knew I was going to the London marathon and suspected I had sabotage equipment in my running sack! I told him I was a keen runner and strong supporter of people getting out running, I was also a member of the green runner’s community, who have no intention of causing any disturbance, he told me that himself and his colleague (a big policeman) would have to search me, it was up to me if this was done right here or they could take me to the station and do it, I was shocked again is this truly legal here in England? I said jovially as I thought this was nonsensical (Not sure if it is in Scotland) I asked can you stop quiz and search absolutely anyone you want at any time? Basically, it is legal in England anyway, I told them I was in a rush and didn’t have time for this, I didn’t want arrested or having to go to the station, briefly thinking should I run for it? Definitely Not was the answer to myself, after what happened to that Brazilian bloke they shot dead for having a backpack with nothing dangerous in it, I decided not to run in this shoot to kill city, I gave them my bag to search and my name, as I handed my bag over I took out my carton to have a big drink of my oat milk, thinking it’s best to prove it wasn’t an incendiary device! this upset me a bit what is happening in this country, finding out later I wasn’t alone in actions like this. What upset me was they knew I wasn’t with the demonstrator’s, I hadn’t YET taken part (at that time) ask yourself who is peaceful and who is the aggressors? they had followed me discreetly for half a mile listened in on my conversations, not only with the train station staff, but also people I spoke in a pleasant happy manner with, they then treated me like a criminal, this country is going to end up as bad as China, which; I have visited and enjoyed when it was a more free place than it is now around 2001 (are we next?)
I got out the station around canary Warf which was absolutely buzzing with the marathon atmosphere, I had timed Claire’s approach at around the 18/19mile mark, the route loops around that area, while watching and waiting for her I spoke to other spectators, there was an app! I could use apparently I downloaded it immediately and could follow her number, it was just in time she came round the bend just as her dot said she would, I shouted encouragement and took a photo, this was to be the only photo I managed to get before the end, I ran around seven or eight mile alongside the marathon runners weaving through the spectators at the side which was tricky the streets were mobbed, on a couple of occasions I actually joined the runners on the road(feeling bad about the cheers I was getting ) I would stop every mile marker and check the app she seemed to be in front all the time, I must have done a route mistake at canary Warf while weaving through the spectators, eventually I did catch her up and overtake her somehow without seeing her, I then waited for her to pass at the 24 mile marker, some ladies that were doing some charity work moved their table aside so as I could put a foot out on the road to get a photo as Claire came along, I had told them what I was doing and it was all good fun they asked her name and said they would shout cheer and ring their bell for her, Then I was shocked to have my second run in with the police that day! a policeman came along and said get behind the table Sir, I said that my friend was coming along any second - I was just stretching out to take a picture, I’m not blocking any runners he gave me the classic jobs worth of a reply- if I let you stand on the road everyone will want to do it, this irked me I can’t deny, (I once liked the police) I said OH the philosophy of Kant (can`t) I do enjoy a philosophical debate on his philosophy (always wanted to say that) but; please may I just stay here briefly, I’m not causing any harm (said nicely now) I am a good law abiding citizen and obstructing no one, he said no with his firm hand up and a stern look on his big bobbies face, I had to go back behind the table! I looked at my phone the battery was dead, I searched for my charger and during that time she had sadly passed by, with my phone now on charge and Claire way ahead I had no choice but to run to the Finnish area to meet her,
Damien halls book we can’t run away from this describes the consumer fest that is the London Marathon in better detail than me, it’s truly an amazing spectacle but; also a massive carbon footprint of waste - most of which is avoidable and unnecessary, tens of thousands of goody bags, countless single use water bottles, medals, T-shirts, silver blankets draped on every runner, plastic kit storage bags, discarded gel pouches, these are just the beginning of the carbon footprint – there is overseas runners having holidays, people driving to London, all the sponsors encouraging more consumption, its unsustainable, BUT: I have to take my hat off it’s a fantastic spectacle, which me and Claire thoroughly enjoyed she was the happiest girl in the UK that day and we went out to celebrate,
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