“Newbold Comyn has been part of my life since the mid-1970s.”
My Newbold story is in three parts – golf, exploring, then Park Run.
I was introduced to golf by my dad, and I learned to play throughout the 80s. Summers down the Comyn were spectacular – I was dropped off at the start of the day with my brothers or friends and we’d play golf until it got dark.
Just a few years ago, three friends and I raised £4500 for MacMillan by playing four rounds of golf from dawn to dusk on the Comyn
As the golf declined, exploring the rest of the Comyn (although I’d had to do that to look for my golf balls!!) became a passion. There was so much peace and quiet but what I really loved was the amount of people, the space and the variety of ways people found to explore, enjoy and love the environment.
About 10 or so years ago the Comyn exploded (again) in its importance to me and many others with the introduction of Leamington Park Run
It was a rebirth for me. This was a weekly event where on average 350 runners/walkers/participants come together for their own personal gain and wellbeing. The stories, the love, the impact that this simple event has had on people and the community is immeasurable.
We even get GPs prescribing Park Run!
I’m sure the impact of the Comyn and its beauty is the driving force behind the outcomes that occur through this community event.
Covid brought isolation – and the great lungs of Leamington brought solace through nature. It was the perfect antidote to what was happening
Having lived in the desert of the UAE for the past few years, I wandered across the whole of the Comyn the other day and it recharged my love of this place. The variety of things to do, inspiring a whole new generation to access and use. When you look at brown desert sands every day (which, admittedly, has its own wild beauty), a drop of Newbold Comyn is mind blowing.