Saturday 26 March 2022

Two one out of two's today

Confusing title today. I was thinking of writing.      '2 1 out of 2's 2day' in the modern style, but that is probably even more confusing.

Anyway, this morning we did the Woolacombe Dunes parkrun, and the Run Director told us that it is one of the two hardest parkruns in the country.

He wasn't wrong, although I would say that for me it is also one of the two most beautiful runs, along with Hove Promenade.


The start is up at the back of the dunes and there is a gradual slope downhill that gets steeper once it gets to the sand dunes, and then down on to the beach.


From there it was about a mile straight along the beach into the wind, and then up the Dune of Doom.


Darren is posing for the photo on the way back to the car, but we did really run, or rather speed walk over the top of the dune and then down the other side.

Then it was a run along the dunes and back up to the top.


Here I am thankfully nearly at the end. Darren did it in an incredible 26.50, and I managed 32.37.

Back to the hotel for a well earned rest and then off to see Westward Ho! This is one of only two towns in the world with an official exclamation mark in the name. The other is Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha! in Québec, which is totally ridiculous.

Westward Ho! was named after a best selling book of the same name written in 1855 by Charles Kingsley, that was set in nearby Bideford. A tourist opportunity was then spotted and a hotel was built on the coast of to the west of Bideford and called Westward Ho! Hotel. As more buildings were gradually added they were all called the same thing, and there you have it - Westward Ho!

Not having any expectations, it was actually a real pleasure with a lovely terrace on the way to the seafront.


Also a beautiful beach and tasty ice cream, which is all you ever need by the seaside.




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