Former Mayor looks forward to return of parkrun at new look Victoria Park

FORMER Mayor and Chair of Warrington Athletic Club Geoff Settle was delighted to discover ongoing improvements at Victoria Park, Warrington during a recent visit.

Geoff has been campaigning for improvements on behalf of the local runners, walkers and buggy pushers who have been taking part in the Victoria 5km Parkrun as well as other park users.
“I used to stand alongside about 25 volunteers every Saturday morning whatever the weather to hear the marshal briefing.”
He just looked around from his Marshaling point, affectionally known as “Mayor’s Corner”.
Geoff said: “I just drank in the changes that have taken place since the late 1980’s when I was chair and ran with a fantastic group of runners with arguably the best coach of that era Bert Quennell. I used to chat to him after every training session talking about how to improve but also about the moon like car park, organising the Chris Vose 10 that I took on and much more.”
Thirty-three years later there have been so many changes that have taken place driven by the late by Terry O’Neil and asked for by the people of Warrington.
These include a new arena, new stadium, 3G sports pitches, resurfaced car park, Simon Moran’s Summer Neighborhood Concert, the fantastic playground, skatepark etc
Geoff was recently a recipient of a new NHS-sponsored hip at the Spire 6 weeks ago. They have taken up the challenge to help the NHS reduce the backlog.
“The skill of my surgeon and nursing team has been amazing.
“My physio Sue was taken aback when I walked into the reception at the General Hospital without using my crutches.
“The doctors and nurses told me how hard they worked and how little sleep they were getting because of the additional hours they were working and stress that they are still under.
“I for one who was getting little sleep because of the shooting pains in my legs fully appreciate their stamina, grit determination and loving-kindness.
“This was after only 5 weeks. She said I was making excellent progress.
“The following week I was jogging for 30 minutes. I didn’t felt any pain during the operation.
“I was drifting in and out of consciousness and felt a lot of pushing and pulling as the implant went in.
“It was a bit like an episode of Mash in the nicest way I think in my morphine-infused state.
“The radio was on the staff were laughing and chatting and the surgeon wandered past with my blood splattered on his outfit.
“I was away with the fairies as he opened up my side with a knife. So I didn’t care.”
What Geoff does care about now is the reopening of Parkrun and cheering people around like his Warrington Visually Impaired People staff, Simon Moran, MP Charlotte Nichols, Editor of Warrington Worldwide Gary Skentelbery, Council Leader Ross Bowden and Deputy leader Cathy Mitchell hopefully in the coming months.
He added: “But meeting up with parkrun volunteers and the organisers Huw, Cal and Tony will be the greatest moment as it will mean all stations are go and we all are in safe hands!”