Just Call Me The Xmas Fairy

I’ve been involved with fundraising for Woodlawn School since before the millennium, shortly after Ferretfingers started there.

This is the first year I’ve known where the School and the North Shields PolytechnicAthletics Club have not organised the Woodlawn Boxing Day Xmas Pudding Fun Run.   It has been postponed once, and snowed off once, but this is the first time since 1985 that it's been cancelled completely.

 

The 5k/3.1 mile run normally takes place on the seafront and attracts well over a thousand runners.  Every finisher gets a certificate and an individual Xmas pudding.   

 

This is the first year for longer than either of us care to remember that I haven’t schmoozed our starter, The Rt Hon Alan Campbell MP and Privy Counsellor, on Boxing Day morning.   

 

It has been really strange looking at individual Xmas puddings in the shops, mentally noting the price, then remembering that we don’t have to persuade a store manager to sell (or even donate) us a thousand or so.

The certificates and posters publicising the Run are always kindly donated by Potts Printers, and StartFitness provide run numbers.   By now I’ve usually been around all the shops and businesses in West Monkseaton asking them to put up a bright orange Fun Run Poster .

From Facebook archives 

12 December 2017 at 15:09 ·

Just been to West Monkseaton to put up Woodlawn Xmas Pudding Fun Run posters.      

In the OneStop shop the manager asked if I worked at Woodlawn.   

Warily (hoping no pupils had done something) I explained I was part of the Parents & Friends Association.   

"It's just I've got two hampers to give away to local good causes and I wanted to give one to Woodlawn."           

So I phoned the school straight away and asked them to send someone down. 

Then Kirsty asked "Do you know of any old people's homes nearby?" 

So I told her about the two I know of in West Monkseaton but added 

"I'm also a volunteer with LD:NorthEast" 

and explained what we did and how some of our older clients have no family to give them gifts. 

I ended up having my photo taken with a hamper which I've just delivered to LD:NorthEast's offices in Wallsend.

Mrs Lasagne  Well done Ben !so is that Ist prize raffle xx

Ms PH Well done you! That's brilliant, what a nice shop too!

Bentonbag  We spend so much time and effort asking people for stuff it's wonderful when someone offers donations. It made my day.

16 December 2017 at 15:56 ·

The Xmas Pudding Fun Run postering of Monkseaton is done - although I had to miss out Scentiments and Dyval's jewellers because I ran out.

The kitchen design shop said "Oh I'll be running again."  

I told him how Sainsbury's had donated puddings and he said "Well I hope they're as nice as the Aldi ones last year."

Selby & Eke barbers greeted me with "Where have you been?  We've been expecting you for weeks.  You're our first sign of Christmas."