Modern times
A half-marathon is snaking its way through the streets of Greenwich today. As I write a steady trickle of people is pacing past my house to a soundtrack of hand-claps, whistles and drizzly rain. I popped out to get the papers 5 minutes ago and witnessed one of the runners shouting the words "I'll text you back" at her mobile handset as she hung up her phone mid-run and put it back in her shorts pocket.