Today was a break from ward duties, but not a day off. Had been booked to give a lecture to the team at the Newcastle Diabetes Centre, which just happens to include some of the most pre-eminent diabetes specialists in the country. Of course the talk was going to be about the insulin pump service at Bishop Auckland. Again decided not to give a formal presentation, but let the questions determine the course.

It still left time for a morning run. Choices, choices! It would be pushing it to run 10 miles, not least because I was supposed to be supervising our youngest son’s packing to go to university this weekend but it was still important to have a good workout. The obvious choice was running through Shildon via the biggest and steepest hill around, Bust Bank. My imagination always has the name coming from busted cars, horses or whatever stalling halfway up. The advantage of running is you can go at your own pace.

Today my mind was particularly active and half of the hill had passed without realising it. Like all painful processes, it feels good when you stop, or in this case start to go downhill again. The whole course is around 7 miles with only the last a flat run. That last bit is now also quite interesting. It did pass by a cement plant, which still exists, but it is also the site of the Tindale Towers, a new and quite amazing house built by a local furniture maker. It has been featured on national TV. The latest addition has been a vertical wind turbine. Today was too calm for it to be turning.

Probably took it faster than was wise, the legs felt quite stiff by the end.