Marathon Day, Part II. (Grandmas in Zara and shouting at Ed Balls)

What an incredible day. Last Sunday saw thousands of people take to the streets of London and slog round (some much quicker than others) the 26.2 mile course. The weather was maybe a little too hot for the runners but for the spectators like me the sunshine was very welcome after the longest Winter in 60 years!

The day began at Grandma's house, the centre of every family occasion. In our family's true style we made sure that the whole street new that something was going on by hanging a banner out of one of the windows.

Next it was up to the start where we dropped Susan off and went to get our position near the blue start. I was on celeb watch and, yet again, failed to get a hug off Sue Barker who I think should be our next Prime Minister. 

After waiting for what seemed like hours, and being interviewed by BBC London as my Mother and I were shouting the loudest and waving the world's biggest (and heaviest) banner, Susan ran past. Mum got a high-5, the whole of the start could hear us screaming at her. Amazing.

I want to add at this point that we have a knack of befriending people when we are out, probably because we just like talking so much. The marathon was no different and this time it was a lovely woman called Cindy. She ran the marathon last year and was also a Gamesmaker. She was a really lovely woman but is it time to hang up the Gamesmaker uniform, I think she probably wears it every day? Anyway, she had this massive horn that she honked at anyone who ran past. So naturally, we got on famously.

After we'd seen Susan run past us at the start we took on our own little marathon, running (and pausing for breath) down the hill to Greenwich town centre. That quarter of a mile certainly took it out of me. 

Greenwich is always one of the best places to watch the marathon, everyone gets involved. This block of flats, just along from the naval college certainly got involved. At this point it was about 10.45 in the morning and the first runners were at mile 6. That didn't stop everyone on that balcony holding glasses of wine though, in fact, I think if they had offered me a glass I wouldn't have turned it down. Again, that quarter of a mile downhill run really took it out of me. 

At this point we joined the rest of our family who were stood on the opposite side of the road. Sara had made about 7 different banners and this was the first, getting everyone rather emotional, until a really old man ran past in a mankini and put everyone off their sandwiches. Susan ran past us again, waving frantically, and looking like she hadn't just run 6 miles. Ed Balls also ran past us at this point to shouts of 'BALLLLLSYYYYY' from me and 'WHERE'S MY MONEY' from my Aunt, Sara. Britain, we did it for you. Consequently Susan asked when she finished why she could sometimes hear booing just up ahead of her. We informed her that she had run the entire marathon just behind Ed Balls. 

 Next stop was Canary Wharf, this is where the real party was. Another Sara banner was unfurled, the sound of drums ricocheted off everything in sight and Grandma set up her picnic chair in the middle of the Canary Wharf shopping centre, wandered in to Zara and nearly fell off a step. Despite all this we managed to see Susan again and she looked even better than she had at mile 6. At this point there were questions as to whether she had got the DLR there. 

Our final stop was opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, fitting as this is where my Grandad and Susan's Dad worked. Again we were probably the loudest supporters there, arriving just in time to see Susan run past. This time we certainly didn't think she had got the Tube or a cab. Her head was down and we could see that she was just focusing on getting to the end. 

At this point a man asked Sara why she had a number on her banner. He was promptly told that all our family members have a number and not names and that he should 'see 14171, she's a right go-er'. Silly man. 

After meeting Susan at the finish and making her put on her red foil to 'look like she had actually run the thing', thousands of photos were taken but I think this is my favourite. Grandma looks like she is about to punch this man for getting in the way of the photograph. 

So there we have it, a brilliant day for the whole family, a very proud marathon running Aunt and another impersonating the Queen Mother. The O'Leary-Clifford-Biancofiore family everyone! 

Marathon Day.

If I had to choose one day a year that was my favourite in London it would have to be Marathon Day. If you've ever been in London on that day or if you were in town for the Olympics you will know why I would choose that one. Every year tens of thousands of participants run (some more elegantly than others) the nearly 26 miles, 365 yards long (I can imagine that after 26 miles those few yards feel like a lot more) course which takes in some of London's greatest landmarks.

There is an air of solidarity that engulfs London on Marathon Day. The thousands of runners are united in one goal: making it to the end and the spectators are also united in a massive game of 'shout a random name and see who turns round'. (Or maybe that's just me a my little brother.) London changes on that day. It's the world's longest street party. For almost 27 miles the route is lined with bands, cheering fans, families and charities all out to make their voices shout the loudest, to get their banner on TV and aim towards the ultimate goal of being interviewed by Sue Barker. (She still eludes me). It provides some iconic images of London. The runners rounding the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, waiting to start along the avenue in Greenwich park, running past Big Ben and finishing against the Backdrop of Buckingham Palace on the Mall.
The marathon has always been close to our family's heart. The family home is in Lewisham, not far from Blackheath where the Marathon starts so nearly every year we would go up to see the thousands of runners start their trek round the city.
This year it will be even more special. On Saturday the 21st of April my Auntie Susan will

be running this very marathon, after saying she wanted to when she was taken my my Grandparents to watch the start of the very first one. Some say she is crazy but we as a family are all immensely proud of her. We will all be out to support her and join in the party with Macmillan Cancer Care, who she is running it for. I'd love it if you could sponsor her, even just a few pound. Surely running 27 miles around London is worth a bit of change? It's also for such a brilliant cause. We all know someone affected by cancer, and Macmillan work tirelessly to make the experience bearable. Even if you can't sponsor her I urge you, if you are in London, to go and watch the marathon, it passes a lot of places in London so there really isn't any excuse. It's a brilliant day and I guarantee you will come away feeling inspired.

Thank you.

SPONSOR SUSAN HERE


Addition 17/04/13

Since I first published this post the events at the Boston Marathon have unfolded and developed. The London Marathon this weekend will go ahead but in the memory of the 3 who died and with the hundreds injured in the hearts and minds of the runners and spectators. It is testament to the unifying bond that sport has across the world that runners are organising to wear black ribbons, hold their hands to their hearts as they cross the finishing line and there will be a silence at the start line. It is small but significant gestures like these that restore your faith in humanity.

Myspace in, HMV out.

It's been an odd week for music, first of all we heard of the demise of HMV, yet another institution to leave our high street. To see it leave will be a great shame. Ironically in the same week that HMV, blaming digital music, has gone in to administration Myspace has relaunched. As someone who missed out on Myspace the first time round, (let's face it who would have wanted to see me listening to B*Witched online?) I was keen to give it a go and my verdict is that it is what my life has been lacking. These days the majority of my Facebook posts and comments end up being about music. I share videos I like, sum up my day with links to YouTube music videos and debate with friends over whether the new Destiny's Child song is actually any good. Now I can do this in a place where people aren't likely to get annoyed by my constant music posts and for that I am eternally grateful. Anyway onwards to the music of 2013. This is by no means the be all and end all for 2013. It is purely what I think I will be listening to in 2013 and what I think you should listen to too. 

∆ (ALT-J)

Yes, they were around last year but 2013 is going to be the year for them. Coming off the back of winning the Mercury Music Prize last year. Apparently their official title of  "∆"  has something to do with a shortcut on an Apple Mac, neither owning a Mac or really caring about their name when it's pronounced Alt-J anyway that doesn't really matter, I just know that I really, really, really like their music. 

LILY ALLEN

Is 2013 going to be the year that Lily Allen returns to music? We've had all those teasers on Twitter 'in the studio' so we know something is brewing but is it just a single track for a film or are the rumours about a full album to be believed? I certainly hope she'll be back. I want more music to run around East London to on a sunny Sunday.

HAIM

Finally a girl band that will hopefully fulfill the promises of the Veronicas from a few years ago (remember them?!) Haim are 3 sisters from California but don't expect daisy dukes bikinis on top a la K Perry. These girls mean business. They play guitars, kick ass and ride motorbikes. Shove that in your pipe and smoke it Katy, these are real California Girls. 

LANA DEL REY

If you have read this blog before then you will know I love Lana Del Rey, and that love hasn't waned in 2013. There seems to be a new Del Rey song appearing on YouTube virtually every week and for that I love her. In this age of instagramming I think Lana is a musicgrammer. It is like she makes a song and then has an app on her phone (which is probably made to look like it's from the 70's) which applies a filter to her recording like 'Nashville' or just plain old 'Sutro'. If anyone has captured the whole vintage craze it's Lana. Still my favourite song of hers is National Anthem. I want more in 2013. 

ST VINCENT

I first saw St Vincent on Later With Jools Holland and she was insanely good. This video wins the award for weirdest. It's amazing though, don't get me wrong. St Vincent comes from America, you know the one. Stars And Stripes, cool president, land of the free and not so free healthcare. The video is apparently about sex objectification, I just like the music and her hair.  

That's the end of part 1. More about 2013's music soon. 

      

Back to London, back to reality.

So I have now been back in London over a week and it is fair to say rather a lot has happened. Last week seemed to be a week in which we celebrated being back in London by not actually doing much about London and instead mostly bopped around a club to probably the least cool music East London has ever seen (forgetting Chas and Dave), naturally, therefore I loved it. Whilst waiting for the Tube on our way to said club we started talking to a man who said that he had got out of Belmarsh Prison that same day for a multi- million pound fraud and that he was now a billionaire. I found it hard to believe as he was holding a blue plastic bag and rather crumpled looking. He seemed nice though and he offered me a cigar. I politely refused and said that I would let him celebrate his release with the one he wanted to give to me.

This week I have discovered that I am good at writing on mirrors in toothpaste, that Brazil is a beautiful country and that cheese and wine nights aren't as innocent as they seem. Especially when I get a half price magnum of sparkling wine from Gateway 'supermarket' across the road. All in all I feel like this past  week has been the best week since moving to London. It was like another freshers week but with the knowledge that you can grind on down to ridiculously urban music you have never heard before in an East London club, in front of your friends and that instead of never wanting to see you again they will probably join you. For that I salute my new-found urban family. Tomorrow it is meant to snow (the Met Office have advised against anything but essential travel so the 1 minute walk to my lecture may not happen) and as I maintain that there is no more beautiful sight that a London boozer, fire blazing and punters laughing I will probably spend most of my evening in the Royal Albert, said 'Royal' provided by yours truly, obviously.

On the subject of royalty, one that I rarely ever mention, I would like to celebrate the
pure boldness of the Royal Family's press office. Today Princess Beatrice and Eugenie drove a Union Jack mini right through the centre of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Press office I applaud you for providing me with a laugh at your unbridled patriotism and disregard for political relations.
Anyway bed awaits and a pile of books as high as a premium race horse. Better get started  now. As they say, "Every Little Helps".