Parkrun Tourist Part 3

Friday 18 April heading to Barnsley

Judith wanted to return to Barnsley where she first worked for the YMCA and to meet up with friends who she originally knew as youth club members.

So we took an afternoon train to Barnsley with plans she would do the Locke Park Parkrun.

So Friday evening we met up with Simon, Judith’s son, and after dinner we were joined by Pat McCool, Alex, Paula McCool-Taylor and Janice Graham. For me it was lovely to hear the stories for the first time as they all reminisced about life in Barnsley, a former pit village.

Saturday 19th April Barnsley Parkrun

We got up early and Paula picked us up at the Premier Inn to take us on a bit of a tour of familiar spots for Judith & Simon on the way to Locke Park.

While waiting for the run to start we met a man who is also a Parkrun Tourist living in Southampton but visiting family in Barnsley, and Alex came with her partner Adam who was running and their beagle Terry.

Paula, Alex and I got to hang out in the park while J, S and Adam ran the 5k.

After the run we headed back to the Premiere Inn for showers and breakfast.

At 1:00 Paula came to pick us up to go to Worsbrough Park and Mill. When Judith was working at the YMCA Paula was training for the Great North Run and they ran around the reservoir together. Revisiting the reservoir Judith did say it seemed a longer distance than she remembered.

And then we followed a very short section of the Trans Pennine Trail around to The Mill. It is a restored working flour and grain mill. But on the way we came upon a sculpture of A Wishing Tree.

And then over a stream to the Mill.

It was a lovely visit.

After Paula dropped us back at the hotel and we wandered off to the centre of the town to see how much it has changed over the last thirty years.

Sunday 20th A Visit to Peniston

On Sunday we went to Peniston to visit Christine who lived across the street from Judith and Simon & Chris. The walk from the train took us on another short section of the Trans Pennine Trail.