Tuesday 9 October 2012

Park Life


football pitches get everywhere
With all the news surrounding the opening of the fabulous Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, tickets selling out in minutes and the teasing list of riders turning up for the Thunderdrome on the 27th October, the news regarding the refurbished 400m (402m to be exact) velodrome in Caird Park, Dundee could easily be overlooked. Credit is due to all who had the persistence, passion and commitment to see this through.

http://www.braveheartfund.co.uk/ArticleView.asp?id=15106

It also happens to be the place where Sir Chris Hoy won his first Scottish Scratch Race Championship title.

I have many fond memories of frenetic schoolboy and junior races being held there. The events also commanded good crowds and a lost dog making it's presence felt was usually the order of the day. The training was always fun, but started with being handed a stiff brush to remove the detritus from the excesses of the teenage drinking sessions from the night before. The track also had a reputation of removing skin; a tumble learning to ride fixed on a tarmac surface (or was it concrete) resulted in bruised pride and a few plasters. Thankfully, this didn't happen too often, once was enough.

I've not visited the track for many years, but the next time I'm back, I'll stop by and hopefully have a ride. In the meantime, tonight's malt and memory trigger is a Glen Elgin. The nose is initially smokey, followed by toffee. Taste has a hint of liquorice with peppery spice that lingers on the lips. It's from 1986, fitting as I was thirteen years old back then and quite possibly on my way home from a late season trip to the track before the weekly club meeting.

The sublime Glen Elgin malt was a kind gift from Routemaster General and was handed over after we completed the first round of the 2012 Scottish Cyclocross Series - a wee report is on it's way.

Stay upright


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