McAndrew Relays 2008

Westies Own Syd Barratt Makes Rare Appearance

For a short while, it looked as if only David Riach and myself would turn out for the McAndrew Relays at Jordanhill. The weather was miserable and with only half a team out, our pleading with Elsie to do the third stage fell on deaf ears; well her excuse of having already raced at Mugdock in the morning was almost reasonable. So it was that we prepared to run as a half team, when who wandered along Chamberlain Road but that old fox Archie Cameron. The scene of Archie nonchalently turning up. bag over his shoulder reminded me of Syd Barratt’s appearance at the studios when Pink Floyd recorded “Wish You Were Here”, following an absence of several years. Archie, greying gracefully but still demonstrating the most finely-honed and economical running style in the club, has been reported by various informants as having run from Garscube over the summer, and even took to the hills at the Cort-ma-Law race. The McAndrews is just the sort of race that Archie revels in, i.e. it’s short and on roads, therefore there’s a reasonable ( though by no means guaranteed) chance that he’ll finish without getting lost!

And so it was that I ran the first stage of this lung-busting 3-miler, turning in my fastest time for at least 10 years. David Riach took over and effortlessly pulled in loads of places in the second stage before Archie took over to place a modest( by his own standards) time in the third leg. Just a pity that no-one was there to take over for the final leg. Hamilton, still recovering from injury, cheered us on, along with Elsie.

But Archie’s appearance was a sight that gladdened the heart on a dismal wet Saturday…Shine On You Crazy Diamond!