J&M Ditchling Beacon 4th January

JUST BEFORE the Hangover 5 at Worthing I was invited to join J&M Runners on their annual New Years run on the South Downs.   They have run routes all over Mid Sussex taking people out regularly and this is their big once a year run, on a spectacular landscape.

The plan was to meet at the Jack and Jill windmill on Clayton Hill.   From there it is a straight run up hill to Ditchling Car Park.    This was the turning point, and the start of the return journey back to the windmills.   The second option was to run for 30 minutes, this could put you beyond the car park, but you turned at that point.    All runners should then be back at the windmill at about the same time.

I got up in the morning and it was cold as I got ready for the run, by the time I got to the South Downs, up high and in the open it was colder.   Knowing it was going to be cold I dressed for the weather, knowing that although cold, once we started moving I was going to warm up.

 There is something good for the soul in being up high and looking out over a large part of Sussex.   Running up hill, soon warmed you up and the cows had moved close to the path as the farmers were working with them.   Their hot breath forming a veil of steam as we ran past, going on to the frozen pond a bit further up the track.   I was glad when we got to a point where their was sunshine as I had lost feeling in my fingers!

This time of year is strange, the sun comes out, but it doesn't really warm you up, it's low in the sky pushing shadows across the landscape and blinding you in others.

This was a great run out, meeting some familiar people and new ones.   We went back via the Garden Centre just before Stone Pound Cross Roads for a deserved coffee and breakfast.

A lot of running is about the community, the people you meet along the way, you have that common ground that you start taking about and using.   I will look out for this run next year. 

Green Space Action Team - Return to Blunts Wood

THIS WAS MY fourth outing with the Green Space Team returning to Blunts Wood to continue the work from my first visit.   The posts around the pond had been removed and thrown in allowing the local dog population the chance for a swim!   The aim was build a dead hedge and protect the great crested newts.   The hedge is made of cut back branches, placed between two posts, the branches are no longer living, hence "dead hedge".

The newts are not local to this area, a housing estate was being built just outside of Haywards Heath and the newts were discovered stopping the building in it's tracts.   The decision was made to move the newts for their protection and allowing the building work to continue and this is where they were relocated to.   Which is good for the newts and also the local environment being enriched with pond life, just need to keep the dogs out!

The plan was exactly the same as the first project, to start cutting back the blackthorne freeing the path that was becoming overgrown and use the branches to build the dead hedge on the opposite side of the pond to the side we did on the first visit.

 

 

Green Space Action Team - Victoria Park

THIRD OUTING with the Green Space Action Team, this time the destination was Victoria Park.   Situated just off the High Street and opposite St. Wilfreds Church.   The park has a children's and keep fit area and hosts local events as well as children's parkrun every Sunday.   Victoria Park is beautiful and the perfect place to drink coffee at Troys cafe in the park or on the go.

Haywards Heath used to have the largest population of hebes in the Nation and recognised for that, but their beds have been taken over by saplings and brambles impacting on their numbers and needed to be cleared.   Time for operation free the Hebes.

For the gardners: Hebe shrubs are a popular evergreen plant known for colourful foliage and flowers, thriving 

in sunny spots with well-drained soil, and offering great value for gardens.   They are low maintenance, pollinator-friendly, and provide year-round interest in borders and rockeries or containers.   You will find them at local garden centers or online.

The site had already been working on by a previous group, which meant picking up where they left off, clearing the brambles which were prolific and the saplings, was well as fallen branches from the trees and a large amount of rubbish casually thrown into the bushes.

This is a great team of volunteers to work with, it's always the team ethos that brings it all together and achieves so much.   I think we may be in the running for some awards, which would be amazing.   By the end of the day we share coffee, biscuits and a chat.   You walk away knowing that you have achieved something that others will enjoy, which makes it all so worthwhile.   It's a great start to the day and knowing that you are coming to the end of the week.

 If you are interested in volunteering to help the Green Space Team, it's once a week on a Thursday between 10:00 and 12:00 (two hours).   You can email them direct for more information and they will send out dates, times, and locations.   You only need to attend the ones you can, there is no pressure.

Email:  rangers.midsussex@glendale-services.co.uk

Trails - Hirwaun to Penderyn

MY LAST BLOG for Hirwaun, South Wales was "The Dark Run", during the run I spotted a gate before the ascent up Dark Lane that appeared to be a trails run to Penderyn.   I wanted to check this out and have now completed the run.

Normally when I run to Penderyn I run up the main road, which is pretty boring, so finding a trails run was pretty exciting.   Running the first part of The Dark Run I crossed the disused rail track and turned left heading for the gates that opened up the trails.

I was expecting a poor path up to the village and was surprised by how beautiful the path was, nice and wide which opened into the countryside at the foot of the Brecon Beacons.   I couldn't have hoped for a better path than this and the landscape was beautiful.

It was one of the Autumn mornings where it's cold, but perfect for running, trees bare arms reach across the trails, and brown and gold leaves line the paths.   This is one of the most beautiful parts of trails running, getting out into nature and just letting go.   This is not just about physical running, it's about your physical and mental health, breathing in that fresh air and being in the moment.   Anybody who does this knows exactly what I'm talking about.

There were a few people I passed on the trails, walking into Hirwaun or just out walking their dog, acknowledgement nods and exchanging, "Hello" or "beautiful morning", just makes the day as you continue towards Penderyn.

I took a very small detour as I got to the ford, it had been raining quite a bit and the ford was pretty high, I could have taken a small bridge to get across it, but I was enjoying the run and didn't want to exit too quickly.   Once you are in the moment, you don't want to just end it.

It wasn't too long before I hit the gates that marked the end of this run and I turned onto the main road, just above the Penderyn whiskey distillery.

The day before the run I was in Tesco and picked up their free magazine.   In there was an advert for Penderyn whiskey/Madeira mix.   A whiskey that is blended for seven years and then transferred to a Madeira barrel for the last seven months.   This sounded interesting.

As I was outside I took a look inside and asked about the brand, where were very eager to allow me some free samples to see what I thought.   I am not the type of person to turn down a free sample and I wasn't driving!

A couple whiskies later I decided to take the main road back to Hirwaun, this is the first run I have completed with a whiskey break in the middle.   I suppose I had better not make a habit of it!

Since writing this blog I have managed to run it once again, this time I didn't stop for a free whiskey! 

 

 

Haywards Heath Handbook

WE RECEIVED A request from the Haywards Heath Handbook to write an article on Haywards Heath Harriers, which was an opportunity to promote the club and also network with the publication for future articles.   I have written a few stories in the local newspaper, the Mid Sussex Times, so took this request on. 

After a discussion with the publishers it turned out they were after an article on running in Mid Sussex, which seemed a lot wider than the original brief and gave a lot more to talk about.

I discussed with them working from grass roots up, with all of the different aspects linked through Haywards Heath Harriers.   Writing from Clair and Walkhurst parkrun, through J&M Running, and ending with Haywards Heath Harriers.

As a special request they asked if I could do a second article on Wakehurst parkrun for their East Grinstead Handbook.   We agreed a word count on the articles and a deadline for the story to be submitted on.

On the last parts of the article I added points around volunteering to help with parkrun, if readers didn't want to run it and the England Athletics "lift the curfew" campaign aimed at women being able to get out running in the darker months feeling and keeping safe.

I hit the deadline for the article perfectly and received a very complimentary call from the publishers about the article and when it came out they printed both in the Haywards Heath edition.   I have not seen the East Grinstead one, so not sure if both articles was printed in there as well.

I will keep their details as I have two ideas for the future that I will need help publicising, but that will have to be saved for another article! 

 

Dulwich park run - 22nd November 2025

THE THING WITH running communities is you get dragged into things you don't see coming, but that's one of the pleasures of being involved with a creative community that want to get involved in all sorts of shenanigans!   And if you are a bit like me, enthusiastic, you get dragged along in their wake.   The first time I got involved I ended up in Jersey on a parkrun!

The idea came from J&M Runners, we were to meet up as a group and run one of the London parkruns, in this case Dulwich.   Please don't think this is a one off J&M have a history of parkrun tourism and travel miles just to get another one under their belt.   This can be for a variety of reasons, the run begins with a letter in the alphabet they need, or is part of the Fibonacci sequence.   Whatever, they are an amazing, motivating run group.   I have never done a London parkrun and was very keen to get involved and looking forward to it.

The evening before I got the message, "You need to wear a toutou".   Like I own one of those, and even more importantly why?    There was no time for questions and I sent a message round to people I knew asking if they have one?   Jo, three doors up from me came back with a positive response and she brought in around.   I was now armed with a toutou and ready for another J&M experience.

Early the next morning we met on the railway station at Haywards Heath with our toutou's.   It turned out that the run was on Saturday 22nd, or to put it another way two-two (or totou).    This is the type of crazy community engagement that I was referring to at the begging of the article.   But it was too late, I was at the railway station with my toutou and it was too late to pull out!

Dulwich is a beautiful park in London and was a three lap course.   It was friendly and I was asked several times running the course, "Do you normally run in a toutou".   One person I tried to explain that I was a sound engineer and it's how we test the microphones, "One, one, toutou".    I think they believed I was serious!

I have to say I love those J&M Runners, they are always enthusiastic and welcoming which makes the whole thing contagious, how could you say no, when you know it's going to be a great day with them. 

 

WSFRL: New Years Day Hangover 5

HAYWARDS HEATH HARRIERS have had amazing success with the West Sussex Fun Run League over the last two years.    Starting with a club initiate in payment and supporting the event to new leadership that has resulted in Haywards Heath Harriers winning the League twice over the last two years.

The WSFRL is made up of 16 athletics clubs, who all host one run over the season.   That's 16 runs to gain points over the year.   They are all very different runs and amazing events to take part in.   The first is the Hangover 5 (miles or 8km) in Worthing hosted by Worthing Gazelles and the last is always Gun Powder Treason and Trot hosted by Horsham Joggers in Horsham.   Both events always have mud in common, rather a lot of it!

There was a good turn out from Haywards Heath Harriers with 28 athletes on the starting line, aiming to get as many points as possible to ensure a good chance of victory by the end of the season.

It's a tough course starting off with a run round a large field, before exiting through the car park onto a tarmac lane.   One through that there is a left turn onto the start of the trails run heading up on to the South Downs for a good two miles.   Then it drops down hill, with a few more hills for good measure circling back towards the finish line.

There was a good amount of mud and places where the mud mixed with the chalk creating, I do not know what, other than very slippery and sticky mess!   This is one of the runs that I look forward to each year and it never fails to deliver.

The race concluded with Horsham Joggers in first position just four points ahead of joint second place Haywards Heath Harriers and Worthing Harriers.   This is a great start to the season with three clubs already head to head for points over the coming 11 months heading for the Gunpowder Treason and Trot in Horsham.

The article for the race, or pretty much this blog, was printed in the local newspaper, the Mid Sussex Times.