Parkrun; Hebden Bridge; Wolfgang Flür

People have all sorts of reasons for taking up running, but Charlie is the first person I've met driven by FOMO*. When I did the Christmas run with Hannah, Izzy, and Milly, last year, Charlie was determined she wouldn't be missing out next time around. 

Having taken on couch to five k, she ran her first Parkrun on her birthday this year, albeit with a bit of walking, but she was determined to run the whole thing, next time. 

Thus she joined The Mile Shy Club, training with them every Thursday, and today was their 'graduation'; Parkrun at Wythenshawe Park. There were lots of them there - you can see them warming up in my first Extra - all wearing their Mile Shy t-shirts with the hashtag @noonegetsleftbehind, which brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. (Nothing makes me as sentimental as running.)

Hannah and I ran the course with Charlie and her friend, also called Charlie, and I'm pleased to say she made it all the way 'round no problem. Fantastic effort!

And once we'd all repaired to our various homes to shower and freshen up, we congregated back at our place, where the Minx had prepared a celebratory brunch (see second Extra). It was so lovely to see how happy Charlie was.

In the afternoon, the Minx and I went across to Hebden Bridge, where we'd booked a place for the night in order to facilitate seeing Wolfgang Flür at the Trades, this evening. 

It was such a beautiful day and the town was heaving although we started off at The Fox And Goose, a community owned pub just out of town where I could have seen us staying all day in their sun-dappled beer garden. Fortunately, a pair of DJs turned up as we were finishing our drinks providing the necessary incentive to head into Hebden Proper. 

Miraculously, we found a pub with a spare table out front, so we sat reading our books and people watching while we enjoyed our drinks until it became a little chilly out of the sun and we moved on to another bar where we were again lucky enough to get a table in the sun.

We had passed a little Italian place on our way into town, so after our drinks we went back there for a pizza, which was excellent, and then proceeded to the Trades for the gig. 

Wolfgang Flür joined Kraftwerk in 1973, in time to play on their seminal 'Autobahn' album, and was with them throughout their Imperial Phase*, although he didn't play on 'Computerwelt' (but was on the subsequent tour).

He has released a body of solo and collaborative work, although none of it has really impressed me that much, and these days he tours as a DJ. My erstwhile bandmates Ash and John have seen him and were unimpressed, although the Minx saw him at a festival and enjoyed herself. 

To be honest, though, I only came along this evening, to see the ex 'Musik Arbeiter' in the flesh. 

The music wasn't that great - and that was fine, I wasn't expecting it to be - but the unanticipated treat of the evening was all of the video footage he showed alongside his first three songs. It was all film of Kraftwerk, around three-quarters of which I'd never seen before: I was delighted, moved, and mesmerised!

So, a great day and an evening well spent!

*Fear of missing out. Come on, guys: keep up!

** 'Autobahn', 'Radio-Aktivität', 'Trans Europa Express', 'Die Mensch Maschine', 'Computerwelt'.