Two of life's 'Angels'?

One of the Amazing Things about the Internet is that you can find out 'stuff' about folks you never thought you'd see or hear from again ...

In this first case, I found out about a Lady I had the Pleasure of meeting back in the 1970's.
I found out just today that not only is she alive and in remarkably good health but still lives in the house where I worked for her during the mid seventies.
Dr. Libby Wilson

this wonder of the web however has two sides ...
I was initially searching to find an old pal of my partner's who he has not sen or heard from for over thirty years. I found the person in question and that he had worked for EasyJet, based in Glasgow, back when EasyJet first got off the ground (pardon the pun) ... maybe he was pesonally chosen by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the EasyJet founder? I certaily would like to think so.

The news this time around was tinged with sadness as I also uncovered the sad fact that the lovely man had died of cancer some three years ago.
On a more positive note, during my searching I found nothing but high praise and warm feelings whenever people talk about this lovely man and that is just how he'll be remembered around here.
Bobby Eccles

Memorable Days (1)

Thursday 20th September will remain in my memory for many, many years to come (if I get to live for many, many years that is).

The weather forecast wasn't good but we took the advantage of our 'weather window' and made a dash for the train in time to get to Helensburgh, get a cuppa and take in the sights. However, the rain had not been factored into our timeline and we found ourselves sitting inside Dino's on the promenade just as the Red Arrows began their 23 minute display.

Dropping everything we hurried to the door to get a better look and then outside to get an even better one.

LOL

It was stupendous, with 'the boys', as we call them, putting on a great show to mark the berthing of the QE2 in Greenock on her final, round Britain, cruise and (and this was the reason we were in Helensburgh) to mark her 40th birthday.
Forty years to the very day she had been launched, higher up the Clyde, from what was then John Brown's shipbuilding yard.

Although only seeing the launch on TV, I had had the pleasure of seeing her being build over a period of around six weeks during the summer of 1968 .. only months before she was launched.

The Red Arrows was an added bonus. We had only just discovered they were shecduled to appear when we did our reseach re arrival and departure times for the event which was being staged to mark the QE2's birthday.

Years back my OH had the pleasure of being raised in the same street and being a close friend of a one-time member of The Red Arrows Team and it had been our habbit to visit as many arishows as was feesable back when we did such things ... now alas we're not up to the travelling involved and we both have missed seeing the boys do their thing.

Say what you will re any financial implications, any war-related implications and the military implications of such displays, we Love them and probably always will ... 'Bottom line', The Red Arrows are a part of makes us 'Us'.
Have just found out that the QE2 will be back on the Clyde on 5th October 2008 on her farewell tour ...
so stick it in your diary.
(QE2 Only that day! ~ No Red Arrows ~ awwwwwe !)

Ok ~ Let's Get Serious for a Moment

Those that know me know I'm pretty much 'a political animal' and sooner or later I'll start waffling on about something or other 'political'.

I reckon that's a pretty good bet as, sooner or later, just about Everything is 'political'.

Today I'd like to focus on Guns and armaments in general.

I'm going to quote now from the OXFAM web site;

Stop UK arms getting into the wrong hands


Tell UK Minister Malcolm Wicks to stop UK arms getting into the wrong hands.
Despite recent legislation, UK arms are still falling into the wrong hands. They fuel conflict, poverty and human rights abuse. There is now a real opportunity to end this.
The UK government is currently reviewing the Export Control Act (ECA) - the Act that sets out the UK's laws on exporting arms.

Tell Malcolm Wicks MP, the UK Minister responsible to take action to stop UK arms getting into the wrong hands

* regulate UK companies (and their subsidiaries) that produce weapons overseas
* control the UK arms brokers, wherever they are located (a commitment in the government's 2001 Manifesto) * ensure that adequate resources are available to enforce the law; and make it easier to secure successful prosecutions
* make sure UK arms exports don't undermine development

(The following is taken from the OXFAM website and you can forward this email to the Minister that way or simply Copy & Paste from here and send it to Malcolm Wicks yourself;

• 
  Dear Mr Wicks,
  I urge you to use the current review of the Export Control Act to tighten UK arms export controls to prevent UK weapons, or weapons sourced by UK citizens and companies reaching conflict zones and falling into the hands of unscrupulous users.
  I am aware of that the UK government is committed to controlling the arms trade, and has shown excellent leadership on the Arms Trade Treaty; yet weaknesses in our national arms export control system risk undermining such good work.
  The government should:
  
  * regulate UK companies (and their subsidiaries) that produce weapons overseas
  control the UK arms brokers, wherever they are located (a commitment in the government's 2001 Manifesto)
  
  * ensure that adequate resources are available to enforce the law; and make it easier to secure successful prosecutions
  
  * make sure UK arms exports don't undermine development.
  
  The lives and security of many vulnerable people depend on this.
  
  Please seize this opportunity to make the necessary changes, to ensure that UK law is as effective as possible in controlling the globalised arms trade.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  First name
  
  Last name
  
  Email
  
  Country
  United Kingdom

I'll now step down from this particular soapbox

LOL


Thank You for taking the time to read this through, maybe even act upon it ?????

Well, today started with a veritable flurry of activity ...
First off I hoovered what was left of the house that Needed hoovering and then, just as a settled down exhausted into my computer seat, found my OH had been doing his research.
I'd mentioned yesterday I'd read someplace that the Waverly was to take folks to 'view' the QE2 when she was docked in Greenock on Thursday next ,which is 40 years to the day that she was launched ... I think ...

Anyway, the trip wasn't on the online timetable so I reckoned it would be well booked-out but phoned ... just in case .. but right enough, they'd been booked out for months and had a waiting list of around 40 or 50 (turns out it's The Balmoral that's doing the deed) .

So, we're off to Helensburgh on Thursday, IF the weather is as lovely as it is this morning that is, and, camera at the ready, we'll see what we can see.

The QE2 is set to leave around six o'clock, which means, if the weather is fine, even though we don't usually stay long, I should be able to get a couple of 'distance shots' in before we head home.











The QE2 at Greenock
with Helensburgh in the background to the right

As an addendum to the previous bit of news, I just found out that, from 12.15pm, there will be a 23 minute display by no less than The Red Arrows ! Yes ! Yes ! Yes !

I can just imagine the trouble the Balmoral's captain is going to have keeping his command on the level when everybody on board, somewhere around six hundred to a thousand souls, is chomping at the bit to get their film or pictures of the QE2 and they rush to the port side or the starboard, all at the same time! The ballast is going to have its work cut out for it that day!

The QE2 will be berthed, I am told, facing up river and will decant and set of down river at around 6P.M.,
some time after we are due to leave.
But, we should be able to see the Red Arrows and the QE2, ... weather permitting.

I'm pretty hopeful about getting some good pictures as the picture below was taken in August, on a pretty bad day visibility wise and with my old camera. The QE2 is Significantly bigger and the new camera has a digital zoom and a way better lens.

















Ocean Queen berthed at Greenock; August 2007
Taken From on board The Waverley

Praying for Great weather on Thursday!

Day Two

Woke up this morning determined not to let the house stay dirty a moment longer so made arrangements to do some hoovering and started cleaning up the kitchen till it was back to its usual clean and tidy-ish condition.

The weather is Awful, Very wet and dreary as anything.
Pity really as they're holding our local fun run today and there's a lot of very wet people out there but not nearly as many folks as there might have been had it just been a wee bitty better weather .. the Latest on the weather ...?
It's four in the afternoon and the sun has come out and everywhere is 'steaming' as the water dries out with the heat of the sun ... really lovely ... now!
Oh but those poor wet souls at the Fun Run!
Last year it was a great sucess with over 700 participating in the run.
But then, that was a Lovely day!

Heard some sad news, Colin McRae is thought to have died after the helicopter he was said to be piloting crashed near his home on the way back from a short trip to a neighbouring village.
Also on board were his young son, his son's friend and a family friend.
All were said to have perished in the crash and subsequent fire.
... think he was 'one of the good guys' ...

So many folks seem to be dying recently, maybe it's 'an age thing' ?
My Gran used to say that a person gets to an age where the only requirement of a decent wardrobe was a pair of Black Shoes ... all those funerals to attend ...Feels like she was right ... Again!
Older I get the more valid her quaint 'sayings' and thoughts on lifer in general become ...

Anyway, Colin McRae one of the best WRC Rally Drivers I ever saw on TV and he was responsible for giving ordinary folks like us hours and hours of riveting 'entertainment' ... He Will Be Missed.

Day One ~ September 2007

Well, here we are, who would have thought it, I finally got around to starting 'a blog'.

First off, if you're of a sensitive disposition and don't like to see too many inverted comas then, please, go look someplace else ...I use them with unrelenting repetitiveness ...

and the ...'s are 'mine' too so if they annoy you ... you know the rest.

I'll start where I said I would and that's with yesterday, Saturday 15th September 2007.

Got a phone call from my son who was apparently planning on coming up to town to visit some places not usually open to the public and generally get see his home town again.

After a real bad week (of which more later Perhaps) I was of a mind that just hearing he was OK and just knowing he was in town or there abouts was 'Good News'.

Later in the day, just as my partner and I were heading for the bus home, I got another phone call, which made me think, why not have a get together, at home, where we could chew the fat and generally be more relaxed that would have been the case in some fancy tea room/bistro in town ...
Turned out my Granddaughter was there too which was an unexpected bonus.

When we finally got home, after the surprising sight of a seaplane over the city
and meeting an old friend and neighbour on the bus, we had a cuppa (Italian decaffeinated coffee) while the GD had a glass of juice ... then, before our 'visitors' left I managed to get some photos taken, which added significantly to the super-duper surprising nature of the day.
Only 'downer' on this otherwise great day was that the house was in a total Mess!
We'd not been 'expecting visitors' and so I'd just up and left everything when leaving on our usual Saturday mission ... 'Bargain Hunting' ...

LOL