"Age Is Just A Number" *

My sister in France asked me to go and get pics of ninety-seven year-old athlete Charles Eugster performing at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in the British Masters. She teaches English and a fitness mad, ex-paratrooper, elderly student of hers idolises the retired dentist.

As I got out of the car a man said hello. He told me that he was competing later. I thought he looked too young, evidently thirty-five isn't. I told him of my mission and he escorted me into the centre and found an official who chose me a good spot. Once he had signed in, the guy I met in the car park came to join me on the floor and we had a lovely chat throughout.

When it was nearly time for Charles to run a woman came and set up a tripod next to me topped with an impressive video camera. It was the BBC filming a documentary about Charles. Then another woman asked if I could make room for her tripod and camera. I had to squash up close to my new friend. It was ITV, also there to film Charles.

After a great sprint over 60m I heard a woman invite the broadcasters into a side room with the athletes for a sort of press conference. I got bold and I asked if I could join them. It was very interesting watching them working and listening to what the masters had to say, they're an inspiration. I've added a couple of pics to extras. Not all were grandads. :)

Today's poem is another verse from Sonnets from the Portuguese, this time XXI, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning http://www.bartleby.com/360/2/267.html

She and Robert Browning fell in love before they met. They later agreed that, "You can't kiss mind." Slightly reminds me of this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBbKFXXQwOY

* The title of Charles Eugster's book.