Elvis had been on the back of a ute for 3 hours, singing away to the elite runners, then the serious amateurs and then the rest of the 80,000 participants in the City 2 Surf.

We were in the last group of back markers,  5 adults and 5 kids also dressed up as the great man himself and he was delighted to see us as, much as we were to see him. On a sparkling Sunday morning in Sydney, we had a slightly surreal moment. A dozen “Elvi” of various shapes and sizes crammed on the back of a ute, singing along to GI blues and loving every minute of it.

We have participated in the City 2 Surf for the last 6 years. For the last few years we have been dressed up.

It’s always a fun day and a great way for us all to catch up. There are 4 of us that went to school together in the UK. In fact Fiona and I went to the same playgroup and then to the same primary school with Richard. We met Emma when we all went to the same secondly school.  So we have known each other for all our adult lives and most of our childhood.

There was never any master plan for us all to be in Australia, it just happened. It works well, put us all together with partners and kids and we are a surrogate family which makes it easy and enjoyable to catch up throughout the year. Like family it can be easy to take for granted the friendship and the fact that there are people around you that care about you and you can rely on.

It is also nice to know that even as the years progress there are others who are only too willing to grow old in style!

To my Elvis family, thank you very much!