Heading to bed now before I fall asleep. Suppose I'd better clear up all the photos I've spread over the floor first! #fb7 hours ago
One of my cousins sent me a pile of old photos of dad from years ago with his mum n dad n sister. Lovely but emotional looking thru them #fb7 hours ago
RT @BSAB_info: Just a reminder for all BSAB members, the band practice is tomorrow night (Wed) at 8pm in Motherwell SA hall, Camp Street, M… 8 hours ago
It’s been another sad day today, as just 5 weeks after saying our final farewells to my Dad, we said a final farewell to my Aunt Mae, Mary Waddell Gilchrist (23/10/1922 – 03/04/2013).
My intention again today, just at it had been on the day of my Dad’s funeral (see the blog post Farewell), was to write a tribute to my Aunt Mae, but I’m afraid again it’s just too soon for me to be able to write anything that would do her justice. At some point in the coming weeks I hope to write tributes to both Dad and Aunt Mae, but for today I simply want to say thank you.
Thank you to so many of you who have offered words of comfort and solace to me, Mum and Sandy over these last few weeks as first we lost my Dad, and then my Aunt Mae. I really can’t express strongly enough just how much your support in person, by phone and/or card, has meant to us all.
To those of you who have helped us get everything sorted out for today, I’d like to say a huge thank you to you.
To the many of you who shared with us today at Rutherglen Salvation Army for the service of thanksgiving, then at Rutherglen cemetery, and then afterwards back at Rutherglen Salvation Army for refreshments, thank you for taking the time to support us on this most difficult of days, as I’m sure it was very much appreciated by all my family. I’m sure my Aunt Mae would have been embarrassed by all that has been said about her today, but as far as I’m concerned, it simply shows the huge impact and influence Aunt Mae had on the many people she met during her lifetime.
I’ll miss you Aunt Mae, and just as I said about my Dad a few weeks ago, I will never ever forget you.
It’s been a sad day today, as we said a final farewell to be Dad, Edwin (Eddie) Robert Johnson (25/04/1927 – 21/02/2013).
My intention had been to write a tribute to my Dad today, but I’m afraid it’s just too soon for me to be able to write anything that would do my Dad justice, so I’ll save my thoughts for another day once Mum, Sandy and me get back to some kind of normality.
So today, I simply want to express my gratitude to everyone who has offered support and love to us during these difficult days either by phoned, in person or have sent us cards. You will never now how much your support has meant to us all.
To those of you who have helped us get everything sorted out for the funeral today and helped with the funeral itself, a huge thank you.
To the many of you who shared with us today at the crematorium and then afterwards at the hotel, thank you for taking the time to support us on this most difficult of days, again it was very much appreciated by us. I’m sure my Dad would have been embarrassed by all that has been said about him today and also by the number of you who attended his funeral, but as far as I’m concerned, it simply shows the huge impact and influence my Dad had on so many lives.
Those four words have been displayed on the Twitter home page for the duration of the London 2012 olympics, and don’t they just sum up what London 2012 has been all about for all the Olympians.
Before the olympics started 2 weeks ago, I thought I’d watch some of the olympics as I’m a big sports fan, however I didn’t expect to get so caught up in it all. Mind you I don’t think even the organisers expected, or could have hoped for, such patriotic crowds at all the events, cheering on all the British competitors regardless of whether they finished first or last in their event.
I missed the first half hour of the opening ceremony, and to be honest, what I did see of it, I wasn’t terribly impressed. Please don’t all shout at me at once, but that kind of show, while I acknowledge it must have taken hours and hours of preparation and practice, just wasn’t my kinda thing…sorry!
The first week of the competition, I was on annual leave from work, and although I spent a lot of time with my Mum visiting my Dad in hospital, I did manage to catch quite a few of the events during that time. I’m sure like many others, I found myself compelled to watch and cheer on the British team, especially as more and more of them performed either as expected or above expectations. It all came to a head on what became known as Super Saturday (#SuperSaturday), as medal after medal was won by the British team in the rowing, cycling and then athletics. What a day that turned out to be, with Britain winning 6 gold medals in that day alone…the best tally in a single day for GB for over 100 years!
I must admit I’m not particularly patriotic when it comes to GB, as I get a bit fed up by all the comments by some people about it being the “English team”, so I’ve been particularly surprised at how caught up I found myself during Super Saturday.
Week two saw me back at work again during the day, and visiting my Dad in hospital at night, so I wasn’t able to see nearly as much of the events during the second week as I was of the first. My highlights for weeks two were definitely Sir Chris Hoy winning a record breaking 6th olympic gold medal and Mo Farah wining his 2nd gold medal of these olympics after winning both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres.
Yes TeamGB did an outstanding job overall in London 2012, yes there were a few people who underperformed, but I think that was far outweighed by those who did far better that anyone had hoped for. Well done TeamGB!
I’m sure we’ve all heard some amazing stories about some of the Olympians, their past and how they came to be taking part in the olympics, as well as how they celebrated their successes. There were inspiring stories of athletes doing amazing acts of kindness or show of their emotions. The one that really got me was the Hungarian swimmer Daniel Gyurta, who having won the 200m breaststroke events at London 2012, has offered to have a copy of his medal made to send to the late Dale Oen’s family as a mark of his respect. Norway’s Alexander Dale Oen who died suddenly in April this year of a heart problem was world champion in this event and so would have come into London 2012 as one of the favourites for this event if it hadn’t been for his untimely death. What a touching thing for the Hungarian swimmer to do.
I’ve already spoken about how proud I was seeing so many British competitors perform way above expectations, and the joy shown by the nation as we celebrated with them in their successes. But what does all this success do for us as a nation going forward? Well I hope it inspires us all to get out there and take up a sport and hopefully we can find some new stars who will be up there competing for gold medals in Rio in 2016 and in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014!
Finally I just want to congratulate the BBC on their absolutely superb coverage on a variety of mediums, as they covered all olympic sports in all venues. Not only was the coverage superb, but the commentators were fantastic too. Well done to the BBC!
Well done London 2012 and a particular well done to TeamGB on an excellent performance!
Last Thursday night was a bit of an odd one for me, as for the first time since I transferred from Rutherglen Salvation Army to Bellshill Salvation Army, I was back at Rutherglen corps playing in Bellshill Band – I have been back at Rutherglen a number of times since I transferred, but just as a visitor, although I have still played in Rutherglen Band when I’ve been there!
Bellshill Band were on duty at Rutherglen for the welcome and installation meeting of the new West of Scotland Divisional Commanders Catherine and Russell Wyles.
I was already fighting some emotions during the meeting, simply because it was my first time back at Rutherglen in a different band, when the Divisional Youth Chorus sang one of my favourite songs, One Life To Live – I ask that you to listen to the audio below and follow the words…
One live to liveOh may I live for theeGive me your spiritAnd I shall be freeFree from desireMy own way to pursueFree to obey your willMy whole life throughI live within a whole full of confusionWhere happiness is nothing but illusionAttractions that deceiveIn what can I believeI’m tossed about by every wind that blowsOne live to liveOh may I live for theeGive me your spiritAnd I shall be freeFree from desireMy own way to pursueFree to obey your willMy whole life throughI live when I receive your holy spiritA promise that you said I would inheritYou’ve planned it from the startI give to you my heartAnd now my spirit really can be freeOne live to liveOh may I live for theeGive me your spiritAnd I shall be freeFree from desireMy own way to pursueFree to obey your willMy whole life through
Well this was just about the tipping point for my emotions, as it brought back floods of memories about my Christian experiences in both the junior and senior sections at Rutherglen Salvation Army, as our Singing Company (junior choir) used to sing One Life To Live when I was both a member and the accompanist.
Although it may seem I was focusing on the past, through the message from our new Divisional Commander I found myself looking forward and wondering am I really doing all I can to live my life for God, to show that I am free to obey His will throughout my whole life…
To answer this question truthfully is difficult, but I must be honest with God, and say “no” so far I haven’t been doing all I can to live my life for God. So now is the time to start living for God.
How about you, are you living your life to the full, for God?
Last night I told you about the opening of the long awaited M74 motorway which links the existing M74 to the M8motorway at the far side of Glasgow city centre. Today though I want to ask you what may seem like a daft and maybe pointless question, but it’s one that’s got me curious for a while but I’m sure one of you out there will be able to answer it…
When a new motorway (or extension to an existing motorway) opens, how do they go about opening the new bit of roads and all the associated on and off-ramps to the mew road at the same time?
Sorry, I know that might seem a strange question to ask, but to me, who thinks logically about all I do and all problems I face, it struck me that this kind of situation may be a bit of a logistical nightmare:
What if they open one on-slip road before the remaining of-ramps are open?
What if they are opening the junctions/on-off ramps in sequence and a motorist gets ahead of those opening the junctions?
What if they open the on-slip roads but haven’t opened where the new road joins the existing road?
I did think for a while that they could probably avoid a lots of these potential issues by opening the new motorway in the middle of the night when there would obviously be very little traffic. This theory was however dashed when I discovered the M74 extension was opening at 7pm last night – So how did they do it?
I’m sure there is probably a very sensible and straightforward answer to this, but hey I’m just curious how they do it!
At a time of austerity, the idea of spending more than half a billion pounds on a five-mile stretch of road might seem strange to some. However the M74 extension in Glasgow which opened at 7pm tonight, cost approximately £657m, which works out at about £131m per mile. This extension consists of five miles of an elevated six-lane highway which will link the current end of the M74 which finishes at Rutherglen (South-East Glasgow) to the M8 at the far side of the Kingston Bridge (South) and will for a short period of time be the second most expensive road per mile in the UK – after Limehouse Link, in London’s Docklands.
For those of us who have lived in Glasgow for many years, the opening of this new part of the M74 has been a very very long time coming. I remember a lot of years ago when my Dad was a local councillor, the link-up of the M74, which at that time finished at Maryville (just past Glasgow Zoo), and the far side of the Kingston Bridge was a hot topic of discussion. However at that time many objections were raised to the extension, particularly due to the proposed route the motorway would take through the city.
Since those days, further discussions have obviously taken place, the motorway’s route through the city has been amended slightly, and the go-ahead has been given. The result is an additional five miles of motorway which will provide an alternative route for traffic travelling north on the M74 to the far side of Glasgow city centre, and vice-versa. It will hopefully lighten the traffic load on many roads in the south-east of Glasgow which previously had no direct route through to the city centre other than the busy M8 motorway. In addition the volume of traffic on the M8 itself through the city centre should also be lightened due to traffic now able to use the alternative M74 motorway.
From a personal perspective, living in the south-east of Glasgow just a few minutes from where the M74 currently ends, we envisage this extension will make many of our journeys to the far side of the city centre, far quicker and less stressful.
We will be trying out the new M74 extension either later tonight or in the next few days. Happy driving!
Any ideas what my blog post’s going to be about tonight, based on the title?
I’ll give you a clue, I was at Hampden Park last night…
Got it yet?Take That, the Progress tour – so having been at the show last night that means I’ve been Progressed!
My friend and me were at Hampden park last night for the 3rd and final night of the Take That show in Scotland. I was really looking forward to the show having been a huge Take That fan since they first came on the scene a number of years ago. I saw them 2 years ago at Hampden for The Circus tour and thoroughly enjoyed that so was expecting another great night last night.
Well I wasn’t disappointed, even the rain starting part way through the show didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowd or lessen our enjoyment of the show.
The support act were The Pet Shop Boys, who I must admit I haven’t heard for years…probably since Take That were first around. They did a great job getting the crowd going, as they played many of their old hits including West End Girls and Left To My Own Devices. You might get a good idea of the average age of the crowd when I tell you that many folk (certain round us) were singing along with the Pet Shop Boys!
The Take That show was fantastic, just like The Circus, the set was fabulous with many outfit changes and changes to the set layout, including waterfalls on the stage and fireballs. What a spectacle!
The show started with 4 of Take That performing a few songs before “the fifth man” made his appearance…by himself! Yes Robbie Williams did about 5 or 6 of his own songs, on stage himself before the five members of Take That joined together for the remainder of the show. As always Robbie didn’t disappoint, he is such a wonderful showman and really got the crowd going…even more than they already were!
All seemed good with Take That, with no signs of any issues between any of the band members. The very fact they let Robbie do some of his own songs suggests to me that the rest of the guys are totally comfortable with him “back for good”.
Take That did many of their newer songs as well as a short spot where they did some of their older songs just with Gary Barlow at the piano. They played all my favourite songs so I was more than happy with the show.
If you get the opportunity to go and see Take That live, I’d thoroughly recommend that you do so, they do a fantastic show and it’s certainly one you’ll remember for a long time.
Read any newspaper or any on-line news page or turn your TV onto any news programme and you’ll find there’s nearly always news of someone somewhere having been murdered or seriously injured in what is said to be “an unprovoked attack”. Tragic events which shock the community in which the crime has taken place. Tragic events which devastate families and friendships.
It’s at these times when we as Christians are compelled to pray that God will provide comfort and solace to all those affected by the tragedy. In the days that follow the tragedy we continue to pray for the family and friends of the person killed.
In February this year the nephew of one of my managers was murdered in Blantyre in an unprovoked attack. At this time the community of Blantyre, the family and friends of Raemonn Gormley all voiced their disbelief and devastation at the death of a wonderful young man – I wrote about some of this in two blog posts in February, A Black Friday and Life Is Fragile.
Well on Friday this week the two men charged with Reamonn Gormley’s murder appeared in court in Glasgow. Meanwhile, one of Reamonn’s aunts, my manager, was at work…I was with my manager when she got news from her family on how things had gone at court…all I can say is she was very understandably emotional.
If I’m honest I must admit that I stopped praying specifically for her, her family and Reamonn’s friends a number of weeks ago. It’s almost as if just because the immediate aftermath and media attentions, the funeral etc were all over, so the events of that tragic day and it’s impact of them, had gone from my mind. I felt very guilty, I felt I had failed as a Christian as although I had prayed for my manager’s family at the time of Reamonn’s death, I have failed to continue to offer the kind of support that both she and her family have needed.
The grief and devastation felt by the family and friends of any murder victim lasts a lifetime, not just a few days, weeks or months. So I ask that you like me, you will make a promise today to continue to pray for the families and friends of all murder victims, no matter whether the crime occurred yesterday, last week, last month, last year or indeed many years ago. Their pain and grief will never go away, although through our prayers and our support we can help them be strong enough to face another day in the knowledge that God is always with them, and that their loved one is at peace in God’s presence.
How many of you have been watching The Scheme on BBC1? It’s a documentary about the high and lows of life for a number of people who live in a large housing estate in Kilmarnock (near Glasgow).
I’d heard a number of people talking about this series…not always in the best light, so I thought I should check it out for myself. So on Monday night I watched the final episode in the series…and boy did it pull at my heartstrings. The reminder that there are so many people so close to home living below the poverty line, feeling as though they have no hope for tomorrow, really troubled me.
I’m sorry to say I’ve heard a number of people say this programme should not have been shown as “it’s a disgrace and shows Scotland in a bad light. All I have to say to that is Yes and Yes…It is a disgrace and it does show Scotland in a bad light, but unfortunately that’s how things really are. Surely that shouldn’t mean the programme should not be broadcast?
We should be embarrassed by this programme, not because of our nationality but because we are supposedly living in a developed nation, one that has enough money to look after its own people but yet we still have people living in atrocious and chaotic circumstances. There really is something wrong with that!
Kilmarnock isn’t the only place in Britain where people find themselves living a life where they have no prospects of a job, and no hope for their future other than unemployment, drug abuse, alcoholism and prison. Funny how we don’t mind watching these programmes about people living in these circumstances when they live hundreds or thousands of miles away from us. However when it’s people in our own country, living just a few miles from us, it’s all just too close to home for many of us!
Maybe it’s just that we all live in our own wee comfortable world most of the time. One where it’s easy to forget that right on our own doorstep there are many needy people.
People who need us, people who need hope, people who need God!
When giving to charity, I’d ask that you consider donating some of your time and/or money to charities/organisations in your own area that give help to those in need.
They Need Christ (John Gowans)
There are people living in the world out there…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ;
There are children crying and no one to care…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ.
And they’ll go on hurting in the world out there,
And they’ll go on dying, drowning in despair,
And they’ll go on crying, that’s unless we care:
They need you, they need me, they need Christ.
There are people living who would rather die…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ;
And their Christian neighbours simply pass them by…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ.
There are people sitting by a silent phone,
People cold and hungry, people left alone, Suicides for reasons that remain unknown:
They need you, they need me, they need Christ.
There’s the prostitute and there’s the prisoner too…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ;
There’s the ‘skid row’ fella who has lost a shoe…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ.
The compulsive gambler dreaming of his yacht,
And the lad that’s stealing just to get his ‘shot’,
And the kid that’s pregnant and pretends she’s not:
They need you, they need me, they need Christ.
There are runaways who want a place to go…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ;
There are alcoholics who don’t seem to know…
They need you, they need me, they need Christ;
There are God-less people who have lost their way,
And they need God’s love but they’re afraid to say.
If we close our eyes perhaps they’ll go away
Without you, without me, without Christ;
Sunday night into Monday morning we didn’t get a good night’s sleep as we were woken up just after 3am by our catTigger, being sick and going to the toilet lots as times. Tigger wasn’t too well for the next couple of hours before he finally settled down, at which point we managed to get some more sleep.
Given this is the second time in a month Tigger’s had this same problem, and given his age (he’ll be 16 in July), I thought it best to take him back to the vets again to get checked out.
Thankfully after visiting the vet and some blood tests it seems Tigger is probably ok, however it will be the end of the week before we get the additional blood test results back.
Anyway, it’s really the visit to the vets that I wanted to talk about today…
I arrived at the vets with Tigger about 10 minutes early for his appointment (as usual Tig was “hiding” in the rear of his carry-case as he no-like vets.
The vets was quite busy with about 3 other cat or dog owners sitting waiting with their petsto see a vet. There were two vets on that afternoon so I expected we’d get taken quite soon, however it was about 20 minutes after out appointment time before we were finally seen.
At one point while we were waiting to see the vet, one of the consulting room’s door opened and two women came out (they looked like mother and daughter), carrying an empty cat carry-case, the younger one had tears streaming down her face and the older woman looked as though she was struggling to keep-it-together.A strange and eerie silence fell over the vet’s waiting room at this point (bar the noise of one dog panting!), as we all knew what had happened…These women had just had to do something all us pet owner’s dread…say goodbye to their family pet for the last time…Their house will be that little bit emptier from now on.
I like at least one other person in the vet’s at that time, felt myself welling up, after all, here’s was I sitting waiting to see the vet with our cat who hadn’t been well again…it could be me saying goodbye next!
Some of you who have never owned a pet, will probably think we’re daft getting all upset about our furry family friends, however those of you who have had a pet at some time will totally understand that they just become another member of our family.
Just let people, we must do our best to look after and love the animals of this world, just as we do the people. Therefore, when an animal dies, it should not be a surprise when we get upset, just as we do when a person dies.
God loves us all, people and animals, and so should we!