I really remember this feeling - less about parkrun but more about the relentless noise of other people in London. I remember getting absolutely apoplectic trying to chill out at Kew to the sound of someone’s tinny phone music. I lived in devon many years ago and it is a wonderful place. For many reasons - family mainly - we ended up moving to birmingham. Here we have space and a proper garden and now I’m a gardener for work! But I do miss London sometimes. Mainly the food and, ironically, all the gardens. Make the most of it while you’re still there. Love your writing by the way. To the extent that I’m a bit irritated by my own jealousy. I feel I have to own up to such things in order not to become bitter and twisted.
You’re SO right to say I should make the most of it, Alex. Thank you - that’s an important reminder. And thank you VERY much, what an extraordinary compliment ❤️❤️❤️
I’m so with you on the park run. A surgeon this week told me that running is the very worst thing for hips, knees and lower backs - music to my ears. He also told me never to lift deadweights which was also brilliant as I never have done and never intended to do so.
That is sweet, sweet music to my ears, too, Jo. Almost everyone I know who had to have surgery before the age of 30 was because of exercise/sport injuries. In contrast to all the runners etc I know I’ve never had to see a physio. I’m pretty sure all the studies are on our side, too. A lot of walking and a bit of elasticity strengthening (Pilates etc), a good diet, low stress, and strong social connections - that’s a healthy life. Not the gym bunnies with their dickie knees and dodgy tendons.
❤️ Thank you so much, Rukmini. And thank you SO much for sharing! So far no push back from ParkRun enthusiasts which means they're not on Substack which proves the point that they are all terrible.
You probably don't want to know that there are 7 Parkruns in Devon...I too have wondered about the extent of "community" in a Parkrun, because having done one, and based solely on that representative sample, the community seemed to consist of people chatting to people they already knew and ignoring all the hesitant new people. Ditto for the post-Parkrun coffee in the nearby very small cafe. And this was in a small market town in North East Scotland. You may want to consider moving to France, where Parkrun has ceased because of the need for all participants in a sporting competition (and because Parkrun is timed it can be considered as falling into that category) to present a medical certificate of fitness to the race organisers.
Or come to Scotland, where admittedly we do have Parkrun, but a whole lot of empty green space and rental tenancies are open-ended ie a landlord can't ask a tenant to leave simply because the fixed term has ended.
"You probably don't want to know that there are 7 Parkruns in Devon". This made me howl with laughter. Also I am not at all surprised by your frosty experience at ParkRun based on watching them here. Perhaps France is my best bet...
Loved this post! My heart goes out to you. It has made me feel ever more grateful for my splendid rural isolation in Cornwall (moved here from London a couple of decades ago) where I have all the things you seek - I wish you well in your hunt for a rental - 12 months will whizz by & I suspect will not seem enough. Good luck.
The very best thing I can do is lead you to the Goddess of Substack India Knight, she did a brilliant post on moving to the country back in August last year. I know you’re a fan & she led me to you, so a nice bit of symmetry here!
Such lovely symmetry! And funny enough, it was my friend Lizzie sharing that very post of India's with me that brought me to Substack for the first time!
The part of that post that stayed with me the most was about mice. It is true that I had not, until reading it, remembered that rural life brings with it not only closeness to nature in a nice sense, but in.... every sense. It reminded me of my father wearing a cricket helmet, cricket pads, and wielding two tennis rackets, trying to persuade a bat to exit my attic bedroom in a cottage in Scotland when I was a child. Perhaps having dogs (well, Bella) will dissuade creatures and critters from wanting to live with us...
This is too funny! But poor Londoners don't have any better, park run is as close as they can get to a community 😆 (it's OK for me to say that because I used to be a Londoner before I escaped. Not far enough unfortunately though as I've still got to go to work there occasionally). Devon (and Dorset) are dreamy, every time I visit I contemplate moving there myself.
The parkrun stampede sounds awful! My hometown (Reading) has one, but it's thankfully the other side of town. The more I think about it, the more it seems that running has its culty aspects (I've never been a fan).
It for SURE has a culty aspect. And also, honestly, a cu*ty aspect. Everyone's so pleased with themselves. Best to stay out of that part of Reading, I think.
I’m on one side of the ocean and you and your dogs are on the other, and I am a born and raised New Yorker who was once actually knocked over in Central Park by a small team of runners in Lycra hosiery. This feels very familiar. We don’t have taxidermy but we do have angry, glowingly white older neighbors who have nailed a hand made wooden Trump sign to the oak tree in their front yard.
"Glowing white"! Hahahaaa. Gosh I really do feel for you. I would NOT cope well with Trumpy neighbours. Albeit probably - like the ParkRunners - one on one they're fine...
I can and I have and I do! And yes, I probably should widen my search. There are more sheep than there are properties on Dartmoor, I'm pretty sure. So not a very fast moving market.
I’m no expert but it seems to me that the musketeer has his gun placed in an extremely risky position. I couldn’t live surrounded by any taxidermy; I just don’t get it really. I’m with you on the parkruns; round here it’s the MAMILs when I’m trying to enjoy my Sunday AM cafe treat.
I really remember this feeling - less about parkrun but more about the relentless noise of other people in London. I remember getting absolutely apoplectic trying to chill out at Kew to the sound of someone’s tinny phone music. I lived in devon many years ago and it is a wonderful place. For many reasons - family mainly - we ended up moving to birmingham. Here we have space and a proper garden and now I’m a gardener for work! But I do miss London sometimes. Mainly the food and, ironically, all the gardens. Make the most of it while you’re still there. Love your writing by the way. To the extent that I’m a bit irritated by my own jealousy. I feel I have to own up to such things in order not to become bitter and twisted.
You’re SO right to say I should make the most of it, Alex. Thank you - that’s an important reminder. And thank you VERY much, what an extraordinary compliment ❤️❤️❤️
I’m so with you on the park run. A surgeon this week told me that running is the very worst thing for hips, knees and lower backs - music to my ears. He also told me never to lift deadweights which was also brilliant as I never have done and never intended to do so.
That is sweet, sweet music to my ears, too, Jo. Almost everyone I know who had to have surgery before the age of 30 was because of exercise/sport injuries. In contrast to all the runners etc I know I’ve never had to see a physio. I’m pretty sure all the studies are on our side, too. A lot of walking and a bit of elasticity strengthening (Pilates etc), a good diet, low stress, and strong social connections - that’s a healthy life. Not the gym bunnies with their dickie knees and dodgy tendons.
I think we were designed to run quickly only if absolutely necessary, eg when being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger.
I loved this - it made me snort with laughter. Spot on with the park runners!
❤️ Thank you so much, Rukmini. And thank you SO much for sharing! So far no push back from ParkRun enthusiasts which means they're not on Substack which proves the point that they are all terrible.
I so love your writing.
Thank you SO much, Anne. That means the world to me.
You probably don't want to know that there are 7 Parkruns in Devon...I too have wondered about the extent of "community" in a Parkrun, because having done one, and based solely on that representative sample, the community seemed to consist of people chatting to people they already knew and ignoring all the hesitant new people. Ditto for the post-Parkrun coffee in the nearby very small cafe. And this was in a small market town in North East Scotland. You may want to consider moving to France, where Parkrun has ceased because of the need for all participants in a sporting competition (and because Parkrun is timed it can be considered as falling into that category) to present a medical certificate of fitness to the race organisers.
Or come to Scotland, where admittedly we do have Parkrun, but a whole lot of empty green space and rental tenancies are open-ended ie a landlord can't ask a tenant to leave simply because the fixed term has ended.
"You probably don't want to know that there are 7 Parkruns in Devon". This made me howl with laughter. Also I am not at all surprised by your frosty experience at ParkRun based on watching them here. Perhaps France is my best bet...
Loved this post! My heart goes out to you. It has made me feel ever more grateful for my splendid rural isolation in Cornwall (moved here from London a couple of decades ago) where I have all the things you seek - I wish you well in your hunt for a rental - 12 months will whizz by & I suspect will not seem enough. Good luck.
The very best thing I can do is lead you to the Goddess of Substack India Knight, she did a brilliant post on moving to the country back in August last year. I know you’re a fan & she led me to you, so a nice bit of symmetry here!
Such lovely symmetry! And funny enough, it was my friend Lizzie sharing that very post of India's with me that brought me to Substack for the first time!
Ha! Yet more symmetry I wrote about a bat in my bedroom in my first Substack post!
Whaaaaaat.... weird...
Even better! Love a bit of synchronicity 😊
The part of that post that stayed with me the most was about mice. It is true that I had not, until reading it, remembered that rural life brings with it not only closeness to nature in a nice sense, but in.... every sense. It reminded me of my father wearing a cricket helmet, cricket pads, and wielding two tennis rackets, trying to persuade a bat to exit my attic bedroom in a cottage in Scotland when I was a child. Perhaps having dogs (well, Bella) will dissuade creatures and critters from wanting to live with us...
Thank you so much, Tessa! I'm so heartened to hear this! As a London leaver do you have any advice?
What a delight! I understand your need, but also sense a change of your view due to age. It happens. Move to Devon.
Thank you so much, Meredith. You're totally right, I change as I age. And I will! As soon as I can!!
This is too funny! But poor Londoners don't have any better, park run is as close as they can get to a community 😆 (it's OK for me to say that because I used to be a Londoner before I escaped. Not far enough unfortunately though as I've still got to go to work there occasionally). Devon (and Dorset) are dreamy, every time I visit I contemplate moving there myself.
Hahaha, so TRUE. Measly, watered-down, run club community is all there is!
Born and bred in Devon (Exeter) but residing in Bristol. Love Devon, great accent/cream tea. Do it.
Thank you so much, Shani! I will as soon as I get the chance!
The parkrun stampede sounds awful! My hometown (Reading) has one, but it's thankfully the other side of town. The more I think about it, the more it seems that running has its culty aspects (I've never been a fan).
It for SURE has a culty aspect. And also, honestly, a cu*ty aspect. Everyone's so pleased with themselves. Best to stay out of that part of Reading, I think.
I’m on one side of the ocean and you and your dogs are on the other, and I am a born and raised New Yorker who was once actually knocked over in Central Park by a small team of runners in Lycra hosiery. This feels very familiar. We don’t have taxidermy but we do have angry, glowingly white older neighbors who have nailed a hand made wooden Trump sign to the oak tree in their front yard.
"Glowing white"! Hahahaaa. Gosh I really do feel for you. I would NOT cope well with Trumpy neighbours. Albeit probably - like the ParkRunners - one on one they're fine...
There are other possibilities - we left London (without renting, took the risk!) and found a - well, you can read about it on here!
I can and I have and I do! And yes, I probably should widen my search. There are more sheep than there are properties on Dartmoor, I'm pretty sure. So not a very fast moving market.
I’m no expert but it seems to me that the musketeer has his gun placed in an extremely risky position. I couldn’t live surrounded by any taxidermy; I just don’t get it really. I’m with you on the parkruns; round here it’s the MAMILs when I’m trying to enjoy my Sunday AM cafe treat.
"MAMILs"!!!! HAHAHAHAAAA. Entirely agree re taxidermy. Baffling.