It is becoming more regular these days that I am looking to the auld’uns for excitement, but that could just be that as I “mature”, appreciate the classics, more than the modern stuff of running fast round the track, or throwing a long way. The owld mans league at Monkton is becoming a regular haunt for me.

As ever Birtley appear to be under represented here, but we have received sick notes from the Ridley house hold (surely Pauline is too young to be called a veteran) but there have been ever presents in the form of Maggie, Christine and Janet. I would never believe one of them was over 35 would you??? Which one were you thinking of??

It has to be said though that I didn’t realise that the vets league was an actual league that the club had joined. I thought they were just a series of open meetings where people in their twilight years of athleticism met for a run. (This is tongue in cheek, and I mean no offence to the athletes who take part). As a result of this I have no points tally or times for events, but have to point out that those 3 or 4 Valliant ladies have retained the title, having won it last year. Well done ladies. (Don’t know what the title is, either a certain age group, or overall for the club)

Last night there were only two of the ladies present, we will be asking Christine this week for her reasons, as she left Maggie and Janet to carry the flag for the ladies. Apparently we need to return the trophy soon so we can have our names …well their names…put on it again.

The male contingent, always a more exciting match (except when the young lads let the lasses relay team beat them) had three star athletes competing extremely well against greatly adverse odds (that is racing younger faster people than themselves). Vince and Rob Anderson as ever multi eventing, even at one point racing each other in the 100metres. I made the mistake of trying two events this time, don’t think I will do that again. I ran the 800metres and then lined up straight away for the 400metres. I am eternally grateful to the starter for letting us have 15 minutes before the start which gave the medics a chance to get my breathing better and my heart rate below 240!

It was a great night, very social yet competitive, and I don’t know how the lads team finished.

I did actually deny my sons. When someone said I heard your bairns shouting for you, I did say they aren’t mine I am not old enough to have kids that age, sorry lads, he didn’t believe me anyway!

Tracy Laws had her birthday on Monday, moving a bit closer to joining us in the vets league…hiya Trace!