Words About Things

Finally the question on everybody’s lips has been answered. In order to put an end to the endless debates and arguments Farmer’s Weekly magazine has taken on the noble task of working out who is Britain’s sexiest farmer. After weeks of closely examining photos from around the country the winners have been announced.

I live in Devon and you can’t throw a stick around here without hitting a farmer. Most aren’t what you might consider ‘good looking’ unless you like your men/women ruddy, overfed and slightly disheveled (each to their own). Apparently though there are good looking farmers including the winner Anna Simpson of Hutton Rudby in Yorkshire.

Miss Simpson was awarding the title along with £250 and a pair of welly boots. She said she had entered the competition in order to prove that not all farmers are 60 year old men with their trousers held up by a bit of old rope (I’m paraphrasing).

‘When they told me I’d won I thought it was a wind-up. I saw the competition and I thought I’d give it a go and I was short-listed which was brilliant. I was quite surprised I got through as there were so many good entries so I’m really happy. I won £250 but I think the title alone is a great thing to have.”

The male winner was Pete Mortimore of Widdecombe-on-the-Moor, Devon. Mr Mortimore and Miss Simpson fought off some surprisingly fierce competition although some entrants looked suspiciously like farm animals.

I have been running for about two years, I started off doing a few miles once a week and have gradually increased over time. I have now managed a fairly a respectable half marathon time and whilst I’m not going to break any records I have increased my fitness level.  Throughout all the  changes in training schedules and distances one thing has remained constant: I always take my mp3 player with me. Whist it is interesting to be running outdoors and there is always something new to see I couldn’t do it without music – it helps to distract me from the boredom and the pain.

I don’t spend ages compiling complex play lists which are tailored to my exact run but I do make sure whatever I listen to has a quick tempo. For me this tends to mean Metal or Punk and in particular Hardcore Punk like Minor Threat or Youth of Today. Rage Against The Machine are also a favorite of mine. For me it is important to use music which will maintain my interest over time without becoming background noise.

I am hoping to run the London Marathon next year (it is a bit late for this year) because I have reach a plateau in my training and need something to work towards. Most people who run a Marathon get sponsorship and many charities are reliant on receiving this sponsorship money each year so I am hoping to be able to raise quite a bit.  I am trying to increase the distance of my weekly runs, this means I have an excuse to buy a load more music in order to soundtrack my training!

I have recently added CommentLuv to this site so feel free to comment and let me know what you listen to whilst you run.

The first image that comes to mind when someone mentions Bilbo is the notorious Guggenheim Museum which is perhaps one of the most famous buildings in the world. Designed by Frank Gehry the museum, which opened in 1997, put Bilbao on the map as a cultural capital. It contains artworks by some of the biggest names in the contemporary art world including Richard Serra, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.  Located on the banks of the river Nervión the Guggenheim has become symbolic of Bilbao although the city has plenty of other areas of interest.

Bilbo is the largest city in the Basque Country on Spain’s northern coast with 353,168 inhabitants. The first settlement in the area occurred in 1300 on the opposite side of the river to most of the modern city.  At the beginning of the 20th century Bilbao was the richest city in Spain thanks to its industrial development. It’s mining and shipbuilding industries supported much of the population although more recently the city has suffered from the decline in industry.

Bilbo has undergone significant regeneration over the last decade in order to target the tourism industry. The areas alongside the river have been improved and new real estate was freed up by moving the port outside of the centre of the city. The transport infrastructure in Bilbao includes 7 rail lines suitable for commuters and tourists alike. There is also an underground system called the Metro Bilbao which covers most of the inner city. There is also a good road system including 13 bridges over the river so car hire is another option for tourists. Plenty of companies offer car hire in Spain with most having a location in Bilbao.

“As well as the famous Guggenheim Museum, the city acts as home for the Fine Arts Museum recognized as one of Spain’s finest art museums and recently refurbished and the Maritime Museum on the Nervión’s banks, which recently hosted the RMS Titanic exhibition which has been touring Europe. Museums are only a part of the city’s attractions.”