Adam Bird - My Personal Blog

On the 1st April 2023 I ran the Whinlatter Forest parkrun which was the 188th event held at the venue, my 124th parkrun and 53rd different course I'd attended. Over the course of writing this series of parkrun related blog posts there have been many explanations about how plans have evolved and changed, but this one may just be the most random. Originally I had planned to attend Chalkwell Beach, event number 89 to tick off another Prime Number. But Shaun Williams scored a 94th minute winner against Carlisle for Gillingham last week and on an air of confidence, boosted by the late drama my friend Reaso and talked about how we should attend the next game on the calendar, Barrow away.  But first I needed to talk to my Dad. My Dad and I had a been talking about Barrow away for a number of weeks as it was one of the games that Dad was desperate to go to. He may well have retired as a fully fledged football fan, but the little part of him who remembers those days recalled Barrow as a le...

Back in the December of 2011, my eldest son Oliver was a mascot for Gillingham FC as a treat for his fifth birthday. Last weekend, history repeated itself as my youngest son Hayden experienced the same thing as a celebration of his eighth trip around the sun. Reading back through the blog I wrote after Oliver walked out on the hallowed turf of the Priestfield Stadium I was struck by the contrast between the circumstances of both boys mascot appearances. Oliver was very much living my dream for me and he was a vehicle for living out the things I wanted to do as a child but never did myself.  Oliver enjoys playing football and has had an incredible football experience growing up playing at academy level when he was younger and could have achieved huge things if his heart was in it. But he hasn't quite been bitten by the same football bug that Hayden and I have. Hayden has developed a passion for the Gills since we've been season ticket holders, culminating this season in our Le...