John Gibson: To be Frank, it's a labour of love, this

Published on Friday 26 December 2008 09:10

RELAX, Frankie, relax. Financial meltdown on our doorsteps but out by Bonnyrigg, the Midlothian spa, where Frank Hanlon bides, he's never heard of it. The New Year Sprint, his "baby" these past 18 years, must go on.

Same venue, Musselburgh racecourse. The heats this Sunday, the final on Monday afternoon around three. There are some hundred entries, sprinting for the money.

Hardly loadsaloot but there is, too, a 20k cash prize. That's a "special event" and Frank owns up: "It'll be there for the winning but I doubt if there will, in fact, be a winner."

He adds, spiritedly: "Each year people ask me why I go to the bother organising the sprint meeting, how I have the time and patience to spend three months or so putting it all together.

"I just tell them 'it's in the blood'. This is the 140th anniversary of the Powderhall Sprint – there was a an authentic connection in the Chariots of Fire movie – as it was originally known. The 'Musselburgh Sprint' endeavours to carry on that tradition, albeit in a modest way." Good luck to you, Frankie boy. The pros and the bookies need you.

Jerks for berks

'Tis the season to be gluttonous and telly cook Jamie Oliver's telling me I should get stuck in to spicy jerk ham. He's saying: "You might think this jerk ham is an odd thing to include in your festive menu but a lot of the spices here (he's supplying the recipe) are really Christmassy."

Thanks but no thanks, Jamie. Jerks are for berks. This Christmas, what with the crunch and all that, we're doing liquid lunch. We're drinking to forget.

Take a powder

A shocked and stunned reader from the foot of Leith Walk and late of Mathers Bar at the West End, seeing my item about David Frost and temazepan, feverishly asks: "Do you really do drugs, John?"

Me? Don't be ridiculous! But someone did once slip me some white powder. A Bob Martin's because he thought I was barking.

Afterwords . .

. . . from a radiant Sigourney Weaver: "No one loves to see a tired saggy face in the mirror but I think when you enjoy life, you look pretty and that's the secret."