RUN OTLEY, RUN!

Any englishman has heard about fancy dress, and had surely been in one of those massive theme parties. They're actually amazing parties, though are an excuse for girls to dress up in the bitchiest way possible without being persecuted by horny kids (me as well, LOL) and for boys to be even more stupid, if possible (?).

Lets face it: the little tiny child inside us is always grateful when we just have fun without thinking "OMG, this is so stupid, it'll ruin my status quo!".

Ghostbusters working in parties too.

In Leeds, they do much more.

Picture it: late '80s,  some extremely bored mid-aged men, dressed up, laying on the steps of a house that was supposed to hold the party of the year. Instead, it turned out to be shitty, and everybody is just chilling out by that time - which, to me, is not what people are supposed to do in parties.

Until the classical douchebag stands up shouting a loud Fu*k off!, catches the closest girl and runs to the nearest pub to get hammered; and once he's done there, he gets into the next pub, and the next, and the next, and the next. HE is the only hope last for all the party people, and HE lighted the idea that the party could yet go on, just changing location.  The whole house shook while a bunch of dressed up drunk people tried to catch up the douchebag, rolling down the stairs and jumping in the garden...

Result: people running like morons in the middle of the street, swinging from pub to pub, drinking loads of beer and, off course, dressed up in the weirdest and yet most genius way you've ever seen.

(I damn love it )

The Otley Run usually starts from Woodies, in far Headingley. It crosses the whole student district, passes through the University of Leeds and ends up at the Dry Dock, after 3 miles and 19 pubs where every participant is obliged to order a drink. Rules may change, but usually it's set that participants should have a different drink in each pub; non-alcoholic options are available, as well as charity collections to help as many people as possible to end the run. And off course: fancy dress!

Leeds people and students here in general surprise me with their fantasy and their imagination. Ideas I'd never have, that could be either genius or dramatically stupid and incoherent. Some of my block mates wore like crayon pencils, and the result was simply amazing: a dozen of colourful guys, covered with cardboards of the same colour and a massive "crayon" written on their chest. AMAZING.

 Blurred for privacy matters.

Or the "Rubik cube" run: each person had to wear in many different colours in different combinations, exactly like a Rubik cube looks like. Once the run started, we had to exchange clothes and accessories in order to wear just a single colour by the end of the route! HELL YEAH!

We're going to have another Otley Run for L.'s birthday. It's going to be during Halloween time so... if you see some Santas, Christmas Trees or Rudolphs around Leeds don't be scared and just join us! :)