Hail the Grizzly mad-caps!

WHEN  I first came back from London to edit Pulman’s Weekly News, I thought that anyone who took part in the Grizzly had to be mad. 

Nothing much has changed my mind since having seen the look of sheer agony on the faces of many of the runners as they cross the finishing line on Seaton seafront.

Those who finish the gruelling multi-terrain course, one of the toughest in Europe, certainly deserve that coveted T-shirt they get for completing the race.

But the Grizzy is much more than just a race for mad-cap athletes - it’s grown and developed into one of Seaton’s most significant and successful crowd-pullers.

The organisers, the Axe Valley Runners, do a superb job in organising the race and in recent years the town has made a real effort to turn the Grizzly Weekend into a real tourist attraction.

This past weekend was no exception. The race was as successful as ever, attracting runners from all over Europe, and the Saturday events programme added greatly to the overall atmosphere, enhancing Seaton’s increasing reputation as a town which is definitely on the up.

Unfortunately, I was unable to see the race this year but my intrepid reporters, Anders Larsson and Jack Dixon, reported back that the weekend was an unqualified success.

And next year they have promised me they will be running the Grizzly after I promised to give them Christmas Day off!

STRANGE how sometimes life takes a dramatic turn. There was I contemplating retirement and what I would do when I relinquish the editor’s chair when suddenly I find myself launching four new newspapers for our parent company in London.

It was Samuel Johnson who said “if you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life”.  I certainly concur with that. Having worked in the capital for several years, I have always found the media scene in London exhilarating. Nothing’s changed. Last week I returned home after a day in Ladbroke Grove to hear on the news that is where “Jihadi John” was brought up.

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