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Debbie Leigh: Risky business
WE all grumble about "health and safety gone mad" but until it directly affected me I didn't realise quite what a crazy state we were in.
A friend was supposed to be having a new washing machine delivered and installed but when the delivery men arrived and found the kitchen was downstairs they refused to do it.
You know, in case they hurt themselves.
Hello? Surely moving these machines up and down stairs should be part of their job description.
Plenty of people have washers in their basements or live in flats, so if you're going to have such ridiculous rules, how about highlighting the "no stairs" clause at the time of purchase?
Instead, despite having been paid extra to fit the thing, the two burly chaps just flung their hands in the air, abandoned it in the lounge and drove off – leaving its dumbstruck, much more petite new owners to deal with it.
What next?
The next time I order a crme brul in a restaurant will I be told I have to do the "brul-ing" myself in case the chef burns himself?
Will we soon have to load our own suitcases on and off planes so the baggage handlers don't strain themselves?
Where will the madness end?
I have no idea, but it clearly won't be in this city as right at the other end of the health and safety mentalness spectrum is the Leeds High Heel-a-thon planned for September.
As the name suggests, it's a race for people wearing stilettos.
Is it just me or can you hear the sound of ankles snapping?
Footwear
The fundraiser for Breast Cancer Haven in Leeds is a 1.24 -mile race from the charity's HQ, around the Clarence Dock area.
Although thankfully, organisers aren't being quite as strict about participants' footwear as the team behind a similar event in the US.
They were brutal, insisting on a minimum heel height of three inches; maximum heel circumference of three inches; no wedges, no boots and no taping shoes to your feet!
At least in Leeds entrants are being told they must begin and finish in heels but they are actually allowed to whip them off in between.
I guess they realised that asking women, and perhaps a few foolhardy men, to sprint the full distance around the city's streets in heels was a recipe for disaster.
Or maybe it suddenly dawned on them that they could never get such a dangerous-sounding proposal past the health and safety zealots.
As we women know, you don't have to run a mile in a pair of killer heels to know the agony it would cause.
Anyone who has spent a night drinking at bars on opposite sides of a city, as well as tackling stairs, cobbles and dancefloors along the way, is familiar with that numb, pins-and-needles pain that can last for days, not to mention sprained ankles and cuts and bruises.
Still, if we're going to put a stop to the health and safety madness maybe we all need to start taking a few more risks in our daily lives.
I don't know about you but I'm off to put on my favourite new Carvela heels and manhandle a washing machine down three flights of stairs while scorching the top of a fancy dessert with a mini blowtorch.
Running scared
I KNOW I'm getting old because the years are now racing by.
I can't believe it's just a few days until the Jane Tomlinson Run For All – again.
Last year I was annoyed with myself for not bothering to train for the 10k fundraiser and I vowed to do better this time round.
But all of a sudden it's here again and a recent jaunt to Italy followed by various late shifts at work has meant I've missed a precious few weeks of British Military Fitness sessions.
I'm sure I'll be ok on the day, especially as I'll be running with Mr N and my colleagues on the YEP team.
But I can't say I really enjoy running, so when it comes to spending an hour pounding the streets of Leeds this Sunday, for once time can't fly fast enough for me.
Ice la mode
WE keep hearing how it's going to be a barbecue summer but personally, I'd rather it was an ice-cream summer.
How annoying though, that bikini season and perfect ice-cream weather go hand in hand – as one really is bad news for the other.
Fortunately, seeing as an icy treat is definitely going to be our key accessory for the next few months, I've discovered a low-calorie version that should help me stay swimsuit svelte despite my insatiable appetite for ice cream.
The delicious Skinny Cow, made just up the road in Northallerton, proved its style credentials with an appearance at the supercool Graduate Fashion Week in London last week.
It won a lip-smacking seal of approval from fashion royalty Zandra Rhodes and hot new model on the block Amber Le Bon – so clearly it's the fashionistas' choice this summer.
Who am I to argue?
I'm all for edible accessories…
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Weather for Leeds
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
