Over the last few months, I have been trying to get lighter and fitter. The weight reduction is driven mainly by a diet of fish and vegetables: mackerel, fresh sardines, herring etc., often from the Monday stall outside the student union. The exercise for fitness has mainly been by running. I would commend to you the Saturday morning 5km Parkrun on Southampton common; hundreds of us gather north of the Hawthorns by 09:00 and are finished before 10:00. It’s all free, and led by a cheerful band of volunteers including retired mathematicians Gareth and David. Quite a few runners are recovering from injuries or sickness; it does not matter how slow you are, you will be encouraged and supported. All very much in the positive spirit of trade unionism.

Yesterday, however was a bigger run, the Eastleigh 10k. From the Union, we had Moray, our regional official; Amanda, our branch administrator; David, our retired treasurer, and at least one more member from our lab. We were running alongside, amongst a couple of thousand others, Adam Wheeler, our former Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Of the group, I was both slowest and second-oldest.

Denis Nicole
Branch President