21 March 2018

Sofa

Here in Yorkshire, the BBC sponsors a regional news programme called "Look North". Mrs P and I watch it regularly and we are very familiar with the main presenters. As is the wont of regional television news shows, "Look North" occasionally organises televisual charity-related projects.

This month "Look North" sought to mark its fiftieth anniversary by arranging a week long sofa push -taking a red sofa on a trolley to fifty different locations within Yorkshire. They are raising money for the Sports Relief charity. Yesterday they came to Sheffield.

Paul Hudson and Harry Gration


I drove up to the nearby reservoirs at Redmires and sat inside Clint reading a novel. The remains of recent snows were still  on the ground, settled in hollows and drifted up against the drystone walls. I bumped into an old friend who has finally retired. He has a rescue dog now. It was sitting in the back of his car smiling back at me. My friend said that his wife had named it Deefa which sounds like a Hindu goddess but he said it was simply a shortening of "D for dog".

Soon a colourful bunch of walkers appeared on the far side of the top reservoir. It was the "Look North" team with their support staff, cameraman and an array of local followers. As luck would have it, this little caravan stopped right in front of the spot where I was standing to take stock and prepare for the arduous climb up to Stanage Pole.

Amy Garcia
You will never have heard of these people but to us they are very familiar television celebrities. There was the cheeky weather presenter - Paul Hudson whose nightly quips are legendary. And there was the lovely Amy Garcia from Wakefield looking as fit as a fiddle but surprisingly not wearing gloves and there was the genial uncle and anchorman of thirty years - Harry Gration from York. 

A young physiotherapist began to pull up Harry's right trouser leg and he spoke directly to me, "You'd best look away now!" She was checking out his bad right knee, adjusting the knee support and blasting some magic spray at the joint. 

Soon the rest stop was over and the motley crew began their ascent up the old Roman track heading towards Stanage Edge and down to Hathersage. This would be a taxing walk at the best of times but pulling a trolley along with a red sofa aboard in wintry conditions made it much more challenging. 
Harry Gration
If any of my millionaire American, Russian, Australian, Italian and German visitors would like to donate spare money to the BBC Sofa Challenge, please go here.

25 comments:

  1. You're right -- I do not know those presenters! What a peculiar thing to stumble upon. I think I see weird things in London, but you definitely win the strange-sighting-of-the-day!

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    1. I do not know whether to take your comment as a compliment or an accusation.

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  2. So I am not the only one to celebrate 50 years this month! You are right, Amy Garcia looks lovely, but you are also right in remarking on the surprising absence of gloves.

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    1. Even I had my gloves on. It must be her hot Spanish blood!

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  3. I kept looking for a picture of the red sofa! Strange, I know :)

    What a fun thing to do in the name of doing good. Fun, but hard, too, especially with a bum knee at a later stage in life. My hat is off to all the people you described, but especially to Mr. Gration.

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    1. Sorry Jenny. I wanted to get the sofa in one of my snaps but failed miserably.

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  4. I like the red and blue colours in the pictures and, as usual, your photos are excellent. The happy and smiling, cold-burnt faces are lovely!
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. This is more proof that the English are crazy Maria. Not only do we vote to leave the EU, we also push red sofas over snowy hills.

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  5. Although I do not recognize the people you show I know it can be fun to run into local celebrities like that. Various local news celebrities will take part in charity events here and it is interesting to see and speak to them. While I am certainly no where close to being a millionaire (living off limited retirement funds) I do wish the Sports Relief Charity well with it's fundraiser! Climbing a steep hill in cold weather can not be fun for Mr.Gration with a bad knee!

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    1. And there was me thinking that all Americans are millionaires!

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  6. I was slightly disappointed you did not obliquly mention me, as in ‘millionaires in New Zealand’.
    Is it because I have asked to sleep on your sofa when I come and visit? Ha ha. Did this give me away? How do you think I have become a millionaire?

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    1. There's a lot of money to be made in Art Kate. I know that most of the great artists have found this to be very motivational.

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    2. That's very funny, and worth plagiarizing. Thank you!

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  7. The Yorkshire people know hot to have fun.

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    1. Yup! Living with The Micro Manager should have taught you that already Red.

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  8. Very strangely my memory played tricks. I though that Look North was a Manchester based programme in its very early days but it would appear that it's a North Yorkshire programme. I seem to recall that Stuart Hall was one of the presenters in the 60s and 70s. His daughter was a weather presenter. Odd what one remembers even if erroneously.

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    1. Dear Graham,
      I do not believe that your memory is playing tricks on you. There are at least three "Look Norths" and this was the case in the past. You were watching the Manchester-based version hosted by the odious Stuart Hall while over here in Yorkshire we were watching our own Leeds-based version.

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  9. I believe I will stick to donating to the local worthy causes I already donate to...even though, I know I'm not amongst millionaires' row.

    And my sofa is okay where it is....Shama is presently curled up asleep on it, and I wouldn't dare, nor do I want to disturb her.

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    1. They say that cats take after their owners. I bet that Sharma has a wicked temper and doesn't suffer fools gladly.

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    2. Never assume, Yorkie. Doing so can get you into trouble. I don't have a "wicked temper", neither does Shama, without an "r"!

      It is true, however, that I don't suffer fools...at all...and neither does Shama or Remy.

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    3. I seem to be in the habit of making mischievous remarks that end up causing offence instead of the chuckles intended.

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    4. Stop sulking! The chuckles are there...you just can't hear them!!! :)

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    5. And be honest...you'd be disappointed it you didn't get a bite! :)

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  10. With or without her gloves, what is the lovely Senorita Garcia doing way up there?

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    1. Pushing and pulling with all her might.

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