Sunday 1 December . . Looking for Mr Malreward . .

For the first time in many weeks, the Larkers had no race to chase and so we chose to recce leg 2 of the Green Man Challenge relay around Bristol, Vanessa and Paul having already run leg 1 a few days earlier. I say "we" but in fact I chose to rest my naughty knee and opted out. However with the run being from one place to another I was able to help by ferrying Vanessa, Paul and Debbie to the start, whilst Alan, Sheila and Steph followed.

Have you noticed how many Somerset villages sound like retired ac-tors? Nempnett Thrubwell and Farleigh Hungerford are two that spring to mind (probably not Flax Bourton mind you), and this morning we were looking for Norton Malreward. Thanks to Paul's navigation skills we found the village and the start of the leg. The Larkers got ready, a "before" photo was taken, and off they went, heading for Keynsham, mostly along the Chew valley.

 I jumped back in my car and set off to Woollard, where I was going to wait for my friends with water and encouragement. But I hadn't got very far when I caught a glimpse of that wonderful old railway viaduct just outside Pensford, way over across the valley. I screeched to a halt and found somewhere to park. A quick glance at the map showed that I was on the run route and almost immediately the 6 Larkers came running down towards the road. There was no time to stop of course, and I took a quick snap of them going through the kissing gate, and several more of them far away in the distance, following the valley towards Pensford, with the viaduct in the background.

Next stop for me was Woollard, where I found a narrow footbridge across a stream that flows into the Chew, and waited for the Larkers to cross the water meadow towards me. And waited, and waited, and waited . . I knew I was in the right place, but where had the runners got to? I'd just begun to doubt my navigational skills when at last, I glimpsed a flash of yellow, and another of pink, and there they were, running towards my little bridge. Turned out that the directions they were following weren't always clear and they'd done a bit of unnecessary hill-climbing in Pensford, which had delayed them somewhat.

Everyone had a cup of water, and Paul shared the Kitkats he'd been carrying, and after another photo they set off up the hill out of the village, towards Compton Dando (there's another of those ac-tors) and Keynsham. I stopped off just outside the latter at a spot overlooking the River Chew, and spent way too long sat on a stone wall (I've got a cold now) waiting. The Larkers came, they saw, they waved, and they pressed on to the end of the leg at the Lock Keeper on the River Avon, where, as you might expect, I took another photo.

And then we retired to the Brassmill where we were joined by Martin and all enjoyed a lovely lunch and and a lot of laughs. So, although I wasn't running, I still had a great day out with good friends in beautiful countryside. They covered a little over 9 miles, superbly navigated by Vanessa, and mention must be made of the fact that this was Steph's first run over 10k, and first run off road. Well done to her, and well done too to everyone else too, you all ran well. And finally if I may say so, well done to me . . when I took Alan, Sheila and Steph back to their car, I found Norton Malreward, in the dark!