Two days left, no time for training

Squash matches over the weekend is the only training within the final week. An article in the local paper (Craven Herald, established 1853) has elicited a pleasant wave of sponsorship and pledges. With more than £500 donated online by lovely folk, things are going well. With two T-shirts delivered by Jules, I am well turned out and the weather forecast (so far) looks excellent. Keswick and the Lakes promise sun on Wednesday. Sunny intervals, maximum temperature 18 degrees and sunrise at 5.30 am.

My Walshes (fell running shoes) are re-laced and ready.

Pause here to reflect on the marvel that are Walshes:

Great Britain’s Walsh Sports began tinkering with trail running shoes more than 30 years ago.

In a small town in Northern England, many years ago, the Walsh running shoe was born and slowly evolved into one of the great legendary running shoes of the world! This unique shoe is synonymous with the local sport of fell running and fell racing. (The word ‘fell’ means hill).

Norman Walsh’s handiwork is known by competitive trail and mountain runners worldwide. After all, he’s probably the closest thing there is to being the father of specialized trail running shoes.

Norman was born in Bolton, Lancashire, in 1931. He started work for Foster Brothers Shoes in his hometown in 1945. While working as an apprentice shoemaker, he was asked to make sprinting shoes for the 1948 Olympic Games in London. During the late 1950’s, Norman worked closely with the Foster Brothers’ grandsons, Jeff and Joe. These two branched away from the family business and formed Reebok (but that’s another story!). Norman also went his own way.

In 1961, he formed his own company, Norman Walsh Footwear . He became known for excellent, hand sewn, quality rugby boots-Rugby high and Rugby low. He produced about 30 pair a week, which sold rapidly. “None were made for the shelf”, recalls Norman, “I was working 80 hours a week”. He continued in high quality leather manufacturing until the early 1970’s.

At that time, he teamed up with legendary Lake District fell runner Pete Bland. Over the next five years, they designed and developed their own version of a fell running shoe. One of their early designs had soft black leather uppers and a light chocolate brown wavy- patterned sole. It became the approach shoe for many British rock climbers. Its designed purpose was as an “all round training shoe”. In those days there were very few, if any, shoes bearing that label (description). “I remember doing a custom made size 14 UK trainer. Now that’s big. We simply used a wooden extension onto our largest shoe last” said Norman.