Marilyn Stowe Blog

A weekend to remember

This has been a weekend to remember! But what made it so special?

Firstly, it was seeing all those entries for the Summer Competition come in thick and fast! I would like thank you each and every one of you who entered the competition, which closed yesterday. When I set the question, I devised an entirely fictional family, scenario and set of finances. The “Chocolate Box Family” was very loosely based on many families that I have come across during my career… And you, my amazing readers, fleshed out their circumstances and brought this family to life. You turned them into real people, with thoughts and feelings. You suggested how to mend their relationships with each other and advised how they should go forward into the future. You gave them the most sincere and thoughtful counselling and legal advice.

When I have judged all the entries, I will award the prize of champagne and chocolates to the overall winner and explain what I think about the Chocolate Box Family’s situation. In the meantime, many thanks again to everyone who took part.

As you can see from the photo, my son Ben and I went to Wembley this weekend. We were there to cheer on our team, the Leeds Rhinos, in the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final. Unfortunately the Rhinos lost to their rivals, the Wigan Warriors, who are currently on top form. The odds were stacked heavily against them, but we still turned up to show our support. Why not?

Wembley was great and we had brilliant seats next to the Royal Box!  What a magnificent stadium it is. It is more impressive than the old Wembley Stadium. We went there in 1999, when Ben was 11, to see the Leeds Rhinos play. On that occasion, they won.

This year the two teams battled right to the end. At one point during the second half I even thought that we might win! Sadly it just wasn’t to be. The courage of all the Rhinos players was awe-inspiring. They never gave up, never stopped fighting on.

Perhaps that is why, inspired by the Rhinos and their true Yorkshire grit, I did something completely unexpected when I went for a sporty walk along the Embankment yesterday.

I was heading briskly for the Tower of London when I did something I haven’t done for more than two years. There was a light gentle breeze, the sun was shining in the sparkling blue sky and the river was reflecting the sunlight. The buildings along the Thames looked magnificent… and, caught up in the moment, I started to run! It’s more than two years since my knee operation ended my regular running, but yesterday, for that perfect hour, it felt like I’d never stopped.

I managed to run the five-mile round trip most of the way until, coming back over the Millennium Bridge towards St Paul’s Cathedral, I could feel my knee hurting. I thought to myself:  “you’ve done well, stop now and don’t overdo it”. The Rhinos had given me the confidence to have a go. And I had. I know I can’t keep it up and I accept that, but I was thankful for that fantastic run.

Don’t you think that sometimes, despite all the odds, if you just give it a go you can do things you’d have never have believed you could? Especially out of the blue, when you least expect it?

I’m not from Yorkshire for nothing!