I received a message last week that made me take a sharp intake of breath, then say out loud (even though I was sitting on my own at the time), “Oh My God!.....Woohooo!...... Aw, that’s so Great!.......Oh Help!....”
I think I mentioned, in a previous post, that I was waiting to hear if I’d been successful in an application I’d made for a 4 month part-time placement; well, the message I received started with “Congratulations!” and went on to say “You’ve been awarded a placement on the Vodafone World of Difference Programme.” It’s the news I was so hoping for and I’m still, one week later, over the moon - but also pretty nervous about the task ahead! I’ve not been allowed to write anything about it before now as we were asked to keep it to ourselves until the Vodafone Foundation launched its own press release. Now that I’m free to talk about it, I don’t really know where to start!
I think I’ll leave the details for another post. But, basically, the Vodafone World of Difference Scheme awards 500 placements in the UK each year to people who would like to try to ‘make a difference’ to a charity of their choice. It doesn’t cost the charity a penny and it gives people, like me, who love working for their charity but can’t afford to volunteer for more than a few hours a week, the opportunity to spend more time helping out. I had to put together a kind of ‘pitch’ for what I would like to do and I came up with a project called ‘A Myriad of Music’. I have absolutely no professional qualifications in music, in any way, shape or form, but I do know that music can make a difference to people’s lives. So, I’m hoping to introduce some new things to the Hospice that will be both therapeutic and enjoyable for the patients, and I also hope to raise some money for Strathcarron as part of the process. I'm also really hoping to involve as many people in this as possible (and am hoping for some help along the way!) as music is something that so many people can benefit from - whether it's listening to it, sharing it, performing it or talking about it.
I’ll record more of the details in my next post; I just wanted to note on my wee blog how excited, chuffed and privileged I feel to have been given this fantastic opportunity to work with the lovely staff and patients at Strathcarron. I can’t wait to get started on the 1st of March – and once I manage to get my nerves in check - I’m sure I’m going to love every minute!
Here's the video I made to go along with my application; hopefully it gives you the general gist of what I'm going to be doing.
Monday, 30 January 2012
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Just being more aware
I promised myself, when I started this blog last year, that I wouldn’t let a week pass by without writing a post. Ocht well, it’s been a busy two weeks! And, bearing in mind that the main purpose of the blog was to encourage me to write, I’ll let myself off as I’ve spent some of that time writing other bits and pieces (which are now filed away in my ‘maybe I’ll submit this to something someday’ folder!)
Rather than do a ‘did this, did that’ run-down of the past fortnight, I’m just going to mention one thing that sort of made me feel good. It might sound a bit weird that this thing made me feel good, but I’ll try my best to explain why.
A sense of raised awareness about any topic, I think, is no bad thing; even when that topic is a particularly harrowing one. At last week’s Samaritans Branch Meeting, a representative from Open Secret – a charity that provides support for adult survivors of childhood abuse - gave a presentation which not only described the range of services that they offer, but also made me so much more aware of the range of issues that survivors of abuse have to cope with. She also brought along a DVD, filmed by and featuring survivors themselves, which was simply heart-breaking. However, the overall message - that both the support worker who came to our meeting and the survivors on the DVD portrayed - was one of hope, and acknowledgement of the strength that can be gained through being listened to, being believed and being supported.
Our branch often invites along speakers; it not only encourages more SAMS to come to (the sometimes otherwise mundane) branch meetings, but it also helps in our role as volunteers. Last month we had a visit from a local Consultant Psychiatrist, along with a nurse who specialises in new therapies for mental health disorders, such as Bipolar and the like, and a few months ago we had a talk from a recovering alcoholic. All have been interesting, some have been difficult to listen to, but all have raised my awareness of some of the issues that some of the people who call Samaritans are having to deal with. Now, I should make it clear that I don’t think it’s at all essential that I have in-depth knowledge of these issues. After all, as the old saying goes, “there is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something but not really understand it!”
SAMS are on the end of the phones to - first and very much foremost - offer emotional support. But I’m glad that the organisation encourages its volunteers to listen carefully not only to its callers, but to other agencies and support networks too; not so that we can become armed with knowledge, but just so that we can become a wee bit more aware of some of the many issues that callers have experienced, or are experiencing, in their lives.
As I said at the beginning of this post, maybe it sounds a bit weird that having a raised awareness of some of the really awful things that folk have to contend with is something to feel ‘good’ about; but it’s the idea that that raised awareness can help in a supporting role; that's what makes me feel good, not the awful thing itself.
I hope that made some kind of sense – this post’s been written in a bit of a rush while I’m procrastinating over an assignment for my course that’s due in soon. Part of the assignment involves reflecting on things I’ve become more aware of about myself over this past year – so, thank you blog for finding me a starting point... “One of the things that I’ve become more aware of is how difficult I sometimes find it to express why something makes me feel good......”
Rather than do a ‘did this, did that’ run-down of the past fortnight, I’m just going to mention one thing that sort of made me feel good. It might sound a bit weird that this thing made me feel good, but I’ll try my best to explain why.
A sense of raised awareness about any topic, I think, is no bad thing; even when that topic is a particularly harrowing one. At last week’s Samaritans Branch Meeting, a representative from Open Secret – a charity that provides support for adult survivors of childhood abuse - gave a presentation which not only described the range of services that they offer, but also made me so much more aware of the range of issues that survivors of abuse have to cope with. She also brought along a DVD, filmed by and featuring survivors themselves, which was simply heart-breaking. However, the overall message - that both the support worker who came to our meeting and the survivors on the DVD portrayed - was one of hope, and acknowledgement of the strength that can be gained through being listened to, being believed and being supported.
Our branch often invites along speakers; it not only encourages more SAMS to come to (the sometimes otherwise mundane) branch meetings, but it also helps in our role as volunteers. Last month we had a visit from a local Consultant Psychiatrist, along with a nurse who specialises in new therapies for mental health disorders, such as Bipolar and the like, and a few months ago we had a talk from a recovering alcoholic. All have been interesting, some have been difficult to listen to, but all have raised my awareness of some of the issues that some of the people who call Samaritans are having to deal with. Now, I should make it clear that I don’t think it’s at all essential that I have in-depth knowledge of these issues. After all, as the old saying goes, “there is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something but not really understand it!”
SAMS are on the end of the phones to - first and very much foremost - offer emotional support. But I’m glad that the organisation encourages its volunteers to listen carefully not only to its callers, but to other agencies and support networks too; not so that we can become armed with knowledge, but just so that we can become a wee bit more aware of some of the many issues that callers have experienced, or are experiencing, in their lives.
As I said at the beginning of this post, maybe it sounds a bit weird that having a raised awareness of some of the really awful things that folk have to contend with is something to feel ‘good’ about; but it’s the idea that that raised awareness can help in a supporting role; that's what makes me feel good, not the awful thing itself.
I hope that made some kind of sense – this post’s been written in a bit of a rush while I’m procrastinating over an assignment for my course that’s due in soon. Part of the assignment involves reflecting on things I’ve become more aware of about myself over this past year – so, thank you blog for finding me a starting point... “One of the things that I’ve become more aware of is how difficult I sometimes find it to express why something makes me feel good......”
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Still not doing very much...
I’ve managed to while away today sitting and thinking about all the things that I should really be doing. Ocht, it’s Sunday – and we just got home from our wee break yesterday – so I’m not going to get too hung up on the fact that the day’s nearly over and I’ve still done nothing. Actually, I’ve not done nothing; I’ve uploaded a few photos. Though - as I said in reply to one of the comments made on my last post - I didn’t take too many photos while we were away as I was too busy doing, well, nothing.....
So, here’s a wee snapshot of what I’ve been surrounded by for the past few days. Maybe the photos will help explain why I’m still feeling so chilled out today. (They look a bit clearer when you click on them.) It’s back to the grind tomorrow but, until then, I’m off to indulge in another few hours of doing, well, nothing very much at all....
So, here’s a wee snapshot of what I’ve been surrounded by for the past few days. Maybe the photos will help explain why I’m still feeling so chilled out today. (They look a bit clearer when you click on them.) It’s back to the grind tomorrow but, until then, I’m off to indulge in another few hours of doing, well, nothing very much at all....
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| Oor holiday lodge back yard |
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| Just before the sun went down |
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| Over the roof |
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| Through Glen Shee on the road home |
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Enjoying not doing very much at all
It’s strange for me to be sitting here in my jammies, just pondering, at eleven thirty on a Wednesday morning. Normally, I’d either be work working, or at the hospice, or on some course or another, or – although much less likely – doing some house-work. Today’s completely different as I’m away from home, up north, for a wee mini-holiday.
I arrived last night; Alex and Ross have been here since Saturday and have clearly been enjoying doing what they love to do most for the past few days. I know this from the number of empty beer bottles waiting to go to the recycling bin and the mountains of manky running gear waiting to go in the wash! It's great that they had that bit of time to themselves - I couldn’t join them till last night as I had my course to go to on Monday and Tuesday - but it’s great to be here now. I’m really looking forward to a few days of catching up on some reading, doing some writing, going out walking and just chilling. It’s kind of a weird time to for us to go on holiday, but it’s often a fairly quiet time for us work-wise. Alex had hardly any time off last year, so we decided to make leisure hay while the work sun wouldn’t be shining and booked this wee lodge, in the beautiful Highlands, a while back.
Sod’s law has seen Scotland being battered by some pretty horrendous storms over the past few weeks. Fortunately, not many people were hurt and, as far as I know, no one was too seriously or fatally injured. Unfortunately, many people have faced the difficulties that arise through having no power or have sustained substantial damage to their property. Loads of stone chimneys have been toppled, many boundary walls have collapsed and scores of trees have fallen down, with many of them damaging stone-built things in the process. Consequently, what is often a snow-bound, quiet (and, therefore, often worrying) time for us in our wee stonemasonry business, has turned out this year to be one of our busiest. And we’re away from home. Up north. On holiday.
Yup, sod’s law.
Ocht, it’s not really that big a deal; we’ve left our great wee team of lads to keep things ticking over, we’re picking up messages from the answer phone and we’re responding to emails and answering queries through our website. We’re making sure folk don’t think we’re ignoring their calls and assuring them that Alex’ll be out to see them as soon as possible. Thank goodness for computers and mobile phones! When I think back to this time last year – when we were worried sick about an ex-employee issue and the fact that we hadn’t been able to do any constructive work for over a month because of the snow – I’m so thankful that our wee business is still here for folk to contact at all. Many other good small business’s haven’t been so lucky over these past few, economically bloody difficult, years.
So, we're looking forward to a busy work work time over the next few months. For the moment though, it’s a toss-up between getting down to some serious writing, coorying up with my new Kindle (Santa was good to me), or getting up off my butt and going for a wee walk in the sunshine (yes, sunshine, in January, in Scotland!!).
Lovely choices; but I think I’ll just sit here, look out at the beautiful surrounding scenery, and ponder for a wee bit longer....
I arrived last night; Alex and Ross have been here since Saturday and have clearly been enjoying doing what they love to do most for the past few days. I know this from the number of empty beer bottles waiting to go to the recycling bin and the mountains of manky running gear waiting to go in the wash! It's great that they had that bit of time to themselves - I couldn’t join them till last night as I had my course to go to on Monday and Tuesday - but it’s great to be here now. I’m really looking forward to a few days of catching up on some reading, doing some writing, going out walking and just chilling. It’s kind of a weird time to for us to go on holiday, but it’s often a fairly quiet time for us work-wise. Alex had hardly any time off last year, so we decided to make leisure hay while the work sun wouldn’t be shining and booked this wee lodge, in the beautiful Highlands, a while back.
Sod’s law has seen Scotland being battered by some pretty horrendous storms over the past few weeks. Fortunately, not many people were hurt and, as far as I know, no one was too seriously or fatally injured. Unfortunately, many people have faced the difficulties that arise through having no power or have sustained substantial damage to their property. Loads of stone chimneys have been toppled, many boundary walls have collapsed and scores of trees have fallen down, with many of them damaging stone-built things in the process. Consequently, what is often a snow-bound, quiet (and, therefore, often worrying) time for us in our wee stonemasonry business, has turned out this year to be one of our busiest. And we’re away from home. Up north. On holiday.
Yup, sod’s law.
Ocht, it’s not really that big a deal; we’ve left our great wee team of lads to keep things ticking over, we’re picking up messages from the answer phone and we’re responding to emails and answering queries through our website. We’re making sure folk don’t think we’re ignoring their calls and assuring them that Alex’ll be out to see them as soon as possible. Thank goodness for computers and mobile phones! When I think back to this time last year – when we were worried sick about an ex-employee issue and the fact that we hadn’t been able to do any constructive work for over a month because of the snow – I’m so thankful that our wee business is still here for folk to contact at all. Many other good small business’s haven’t been so lucky over these past few, economically bloody difficult, years.
So, we're looking forward to a busy work work time over the next few months. For the moment though, it’s a toss-up between getting down to some serious writing, coorying up with my new Kindle (Santa was good to me), or getting up off my butt and going for a wee walk in the sunshine (yes, sunshine, in January, in Scotland!!).
Lovely choices; but I think I’ll just sit here, look out at the beautiful surrounding scenery, and ponder for a wee bit longer....
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Knowing a friend got through the day
At times today, my mind’s been wandering back to this day two years ago. We lost a very dear family friend who’d been suffering from depression. January the 7th will probably always be a day that’s tinged with sadness for me - and it’ll probably always be a day that’s full of sadness for his wife and children. I’ve tried to avoid playing it over in my head, without success – I simply can’t imagine how it must be for them. His wife’s a very special pal of mine and my heart aches for her.
Just as I said in yesterday’s post, everyone has terrible times in their lives – especially when they lose someone they love. And, it’s such a hard fact of life that we’ll all lose people we love.
So, what made me feel good today? Well, although it was a day tinged with sadness, lots of things. The one that stands out though was receiving a nice wee message - in return to one I’d sent earlier - from a special pal whose day was probably full of sadness. Knowing that she’d got through the day, that she's OK, that she's with her family, and - thinking back to Jung’s quote from yesterday – that she's finding that her dark nights are getting slightly shorter with the passage of time; that’ll do for today. That’ll do...
Written by Randy Newman, Sung by Peter Gabriel, Loved by Me.
Just as I said in yesterday’s post, everyone has terrible times in their lives – especially when they lose someone they love. And, it’s such a hard fact of life that we’ll all lose people we love.
So, what made me feel good today? Well, although it was a day tinged with sadness, lots of things. The one that stands out though was receiving a nice wee message - in return to one I’d sent earlier - from a special pal whose day was probably full of sadness. Knowing that she’d got through the day, that she's OK, that she's with her family, and - thinking back to Jung’s quote from yesterday – that she's finding that her dark nights are getting slightly shorter with the passage of time; that’ll do for today. That’ll do...
Written by Randy Newman, Sung by Peter Gabriel, Loved by Me.
Friday, 6 January 2012
A bit of 2011 reflection
So, did I manage (√) or not (X) to achieve the things I was aiming for in 2011? Let’s see, in no particular order I was aiming to:
1. Get fit again - X
Failed miserably. Will try again this year. Must stop feeling sorry for myself because I had to give up running. It’s been over three years now – come on, get a grip woman! Get on your bike, get your walking shoes on, get in the pool, get off your arse!
2. Start training towards becoming a fully accredited counsellor - √
After years of toying with the idea, finally took the first step on the road to finding out if counselling’s really for me as a profession by starting the COSCA Counselling Certificate course. Module One: completed successfully with Rowan Consultancy at their Dunblane training centre along with a great bunch of fellow students. Made a special friend for life. Module Two: completed successfully at Stevenson College in Edinburgh, but intensely disliked the way the course was run. Got to know a new bunch of students, some of whom went on to become friends. Learned a lot - from the dreadful tutor - about how not to behave as a counsellor. Module Three: completed successfully with Rowan Consultancy at their Perth training centre. Met yet another new bunch of students and learned a lot - from the excellent tutor - about how to behave as a counsellor. I’m looking forward to starting Module Four next week and hope to be finished by mid-February and be awarded the full Certificate. That’ll be the first step towards accreditation in the bag. Next step – possibly the Postgraduate Diploma at Strathclyde Uni, if I’m successful in my application to the full-time course.
3. Complete some more Open University modules - √
Did lots of mumping and moaning when it came to assignment time, but I miss the essay-writing now that the modules are finished! If I don’t get on to the Postgrad Diploma course, OU here I come again!
4. Keep on top of work work - X and √
Failed miserably at keeping the office tidy; sometimes I was on top of work work, sometimes I was way behind. But, everything that needed to be done got done. That’s an overall tick in my book! Aiming to gut the office this year, keep it tidy and always be on top of work work...
5. Qualify as a Samaritans volunteer - √
Every moment of the long training program was worth it to end up in the privileged position of being trusted by callers - who are often deeply distressed - as they share their deepest fears and feelings. Along with every other SAM, this year I’m again aiming to play a part in reducing the number of deaths by suicide and, in turn, reduce the number of families who are deeply affected by the aftermath of a suicide.
6. Do more at the Hospice - X
Kept up my voluntary reception duties at Strathcarron, but never did manage to fit in the Bereavement Counselling training. I’m still waiting to hear if I’ve been successful in my application for a part-time placement at the Hospice through Vodaphone’s World of Difference scheme. Will hopefully know one-way-or-the-other by mid-January. Expect a very grumpy post if I get knocked back!
7. Stop listening when folk tell you you can’t do things - √√
Managed more than ever before not to let any porcupines spoil my party. I’m definitely getting better at following the ethos that I’ve brought my kids up with. It goes something like: “If someone laughs at you, or mocks you, or tells you you’re not capable of doing something, do it anyway. You’ll gain something just by giving it a go. Go looking for the things that you think’ll make you happy, don’t sit still and wait for them to find you. Your life will be so much better for doing that.”
8. Find a singing group in Stirling - √√√
After years of looking, found THE singing group in Stirling! This time last year I’d never even heard of The Heart of Scotland Choir. Now, it’s a big, big part of my life. I love it. I love the people that make up the whole choir family, I love Monday night rehearsals, I love the gigs and I simply love that something I love to do but have really only been doing in the shower or at parties for the past thirty years has become something I now do regularly here, there and everywhere! I’m so looking forward to more of the same this year!
9. Write more often - √
Even managed to get a little article published in the Samaritans News! Not quite Pulitzer Prize material, but we all have to start somewhere....! This year, yet again, I’m aiming for a proper published article. This is a good example of “it may never happen, but it’s all good as I’m doing something I love to do in the ‘trying’ process!”
10. Get thin again – X
Failed miserably. Must try harder! Have started the year off, a bit hypocritically, by starting on one of these ‘cut out the carbs’ diets. I’ve always been really critical of any method for losing weight that doesn’t just involve eating less and doing more. Sod it. I’m desperate!
11. Be happy - √ and X
It’s not possible to always be happy; let’s face it, life can be really shit sometimes. This year there’ve been times I’ve been worried, angry, stressed or sad. In the words of that famous old geezer Carl Jung, “There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.” Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t aim to be happy. So, I’m looking forward to another year of looking for the things that I think'll make me feel happy.
Definitely more ticks than crosses - that'll do for me. Right 2012, let's see what you've got to offer......
1. Get fit again - X
Failed miserably. Will try again this year. Must stop feeling sorry for myself because I had to give up running. It’s been over three years now – come on, get a grip woman! Get on your bike, get your walking shoes on, get in the pool, get off your arse!
2. Start training towards becoming a fully accredited counsellor - √
After years of toying with the idea, finally took the first step on the road to finding out if counselling’s really for me as a profession by starting the COSCA Counselling Certificate course. Module One: completed successfully with Rowan Consultancy at their Dunblane training centre along with a great bunch of fellow students. Made a special friend for life. Module Two: completed successfully at Stevenson College in Edinburgh, but intensely disliked the way the course was run. Got to know a new bunch of students, some of whom went on to become friends. Learned a lot - from the dreadful tutor - about how not to behave as a counsellor. Module Three: completed successfully with Rowan Consultancy at their Perth training centre. Met yet another new bunch of students and learned a lot - from the excellent tutor - about how to behave as a counsellor. I’m looking forward to starting Module Four next week and hope to be finished by mid-February and be awarded the full Certificate. That’ll be the first step towards accreditation in the bag. Next step – possibly the Postgraduate Diploma at Strathclyde Uni, if I’m successful in my application to the full-time course.
3. Complete some more Open University modules - √
Did lots of mumping and moaning when it came to assignment time, but I miss the essay-writing now that the modules are finished! If I don’t get on to the Postgrad Diploma course, OU here I come again!
4. Keep on top of work work - X and √
Failed miserably at keeping the office tidy; sometimes I was on top of work work, sometimes I was way behind. But, everything that needed to be done got done. That’s an overall tick in my book! Aiming to gut the office this year, keep it tidy and always be on top of work work...
5. Qualify as a Samaritans volunteer - √
Every moment of the long training program was worth it to end up in the privileged position of being trusted by callers - who are often deeply distressed - as they share their deepest fears and feelings. Along with every other SAM, this year I’m again aiming to play a part in reducing the number of deaths by suicide and, in turn, reduce the number of families who are deeply affected by the aftermath of a suicide.
6. Do more at the Hospice - X
Kept up my voluntary reception duties at Strathcarron, but never did manage to fit in the Bereavement Counselling training. I’m still waiting to hear if I’ve been successful in my application for a part-time placement at the Hospice through Vodaphone’s World of Difference scheme. Will hopefully know one-way-or-the-other by mid-January. Expect a very grumpy post if I get knocked back!
7. Stop listening when folk tell you you can’t do things - √√
Managed more than ever before not to let any porcupines spoil my party. I’m definitely getting better at following the ethos that I’ve brought my kids up with. It goes something like: “If someone laughs at you, or mocks you, or tells you you’re not capable of doing something, do it anyway. You’ll gain something just by giving it a go. Go looking for the things that you think’ll make you happy, don’t sit still and wait for them to find you. Your life will be so much better for doing that.”
8. Find a singing group in Stirling - √√√
After years of looking, found THE singing group in Stirling! This time last year I’d never even heard of The Heart of Scotland Choir. Now, it’s a big, big part of my life. I love it. I love the people that make up the whole choir family, I love Monday night rehearsals, I love the gigs and I simply love that something I love to do but have really only been doing in the shower or at parties for the past thirty years has become something I now do regularly here, there and everywhere! I’m so looking forward to more of the same this year!
9. Write more often - √
Even managed to get a little article published in the Samaritans News! Not quite Pulitzer Prize material, but we all have to start somewhere....! This year, yet again, I’m aiming for a proper published article. This is a good example of “it may never happen, but it’s all good as I’m doing something I love to do in the ‘trying’ process!”
10. Get thin again – X
Failed miserably. Must try harder! Have started the year off, a bit hypocritically, by starting on one of these ‘cut out the carbs’ diets. I’ve always been really critical of any method for losing weight that doesn’t just involve eating less and doing more. Sod it. I’m desperate!
11. Be happy - √ and X
It’s not possible to always be happy; let’s face it, life can be really shit sometimes. This year there’ve been times I’ve been worried, angry, stressed or sad. In the words of that famous old geezer Carl Jung, “There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.” Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t aim to be happy. So, I’m looking forward to another year of looking for the things that I think'll make me feel happy.
Definitely more ticks than crosses - that'll do for me. Right 2012, let's see what you've got to offer......
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Having a happy Hogmanay
I didn’t want the first day of the New Year to pass without writing something, so this is going to be a hastily written wee post; we’re just back from the traditional family get-together - and delicious steak pie - at Mum’s and I’ll be heading back out shortly with my ‘Mum’s Taxi’ hat on to collect Gordon from a ceilidh.
I don’t think I could’ve asked for a more enjoyable way to end one year and welcome in the next. The choir had been asked to open proceedings for the Hogmanay celebrations on the esplanade of Stirling Castle. Aw man, I loved every minute of it! The choir were first on – at 9pm - so I wasn’t expecting much of a crowd; how wrong was I?! It was mobbed! The view from the stage was just brilliant. Well, it was brilliant for me, maybe not so much for my choir pals that were standing behind me! Sorry I’m so tall girls! (I should explain that the ‘low harmony’ and ‘the men’ are the two smallest groups in the choir, so Annie places those two groups in the front so that the microphones can pick up our voices over the much bigger melody and mid-harmony groups. So, for my friends that keep ribbing me about it; I don’t push my way to the front – honest!) Annie, yet again, did us all proud and - after a very short sound-check, having to work with a water-logged piano (the rain thankfully went off by the time the show started), having to play a piano which one of the 'technical' guys had put on to the setting labelled 'weird' for our first song, having to rely on the 'technical' folk to sort out a few other wee sound issues during the set, and having to deal with all the other things that she has to think about when taking a big group of folk onto a stage to sing - she guided us through a great set that the crowd clearly loved. It was yet another choir experience I’ll never forget; from the moment we walked out, soaked up the view of all those people standing under our beautiful castle, took our places and sang our songs, till the moment we walked off the stage – I loved every second of it.
Gordon was up on the stage with me while Alex, Gemma and Ross were standing near the front of the crowd - watching and singing along with us. I’m writing this in a hurry and don’t have time to think of the collection of words that could properly express how happy I felt for that twenty minutes or so.
After sharing some very special hugs with some of my choir family, I went off to join my own wee family (minus Gordon, who’d headed off to join his pals) in the crowd. It’s a few years since we’ve all been together for the bells at Hogmanay. Ever since they’ve been old enough to go off and do their own thing, we’ve made it really clear to the kids that they’ve never to feel that we expect them to stay with us for occasions such as this. We’d much rather they were doing what they wanted to do, rather than what they felt obliged to do. So, it was lovely that Gemma and Ross chose to bring in 2012 on the Castle esplanade with their auld maw and paw and we had such a rare time! My home town did itself proud with a line-up of 100% Scottish acts; our choir, an up-and-coming band called The Three Blind Wolves, Eddi Reader and The Red Hot Chilli Pipers. We loved them all and were thoroughly entertained. Alex had made up a wee drink in one of these ‘camel’ things (basically a wee pouch you put on your back with a long tube for sooking from. It’s meant for water top-ups when he’s out running, but was just perfect for our wee New Year dram or six...) so we sang, danced and were very merry by the time the countdown to the bells started! We cooried up, counted down with the crowds, wished each other and everyone around us a Happy New Year then cooried up again for a pretty spectacular firework display. Big well done Stirling council! You’ve redeemed yourself from the mistake of having Wagner play the Castle last year!
Right after the bells, I’d managed to get through to Gordon and Mum on my mobile to wish them a Happy New Year. And I’d held my hands on my heart and whispered, as I’ve done every New Year since 1993, “Wish you were here. Promise I’ll do my best to do you proud again this year. Love you so much Dad.”
After a brilliant finishing set from the Chilli Pipers, we headed off for home; very wet and very bedraggled (the heavens opened just after midnight!), but very happy!
I’ve just received a text calling for Mum’s Taxi, so I’ll finish quickly by wishing you all the very best you could hope for in 2012. I'll leave you with this little snapshot showing just how much I enjoyed my last few minutes of 2011. I'm the mad wifey that's jumping around and 'wooing' about 20 seconds into the video.....
I don’t think I could’ve asked for a more enjoyable way to end one year and welcome in the next. The choir had been asked to open proceedings for the Hogmanay celebrations on the esplanade of Stirling Castle. Aw man, I loved every minute of it! The choir were first on – at 9pm - so I wasn’t expecting much of a crowd; how wrong was I?! It was mobbed! The view from the stage was just brilliant. Well, it was brilliant for me, maybe not so much for my choir pals that were standing behind me! Sorry I’m so tall girls! (I should explain that the ‘low harmony’ and ‘the men’ are the two smallest groups in the choir, so Annie places those two groups in the front so that the microphones can pick up our voices over the much bigger melody and mid-harmony groups. So, for my friends that keep ribbing me about it; I don’t push my way to the front – honest!) Annie, yet again, did us all proud and - after a very short sound-check, having to work with a water-logged piano (the rain thankfully went off by the time the show started), having to play a piano which one of the 'technical' guys had put on to the setting labelled 'weird' for our first song, having to rely on the 'technical' folk to sort out a few other wee sound issues during the set, and having to deal with all the other things that she has to think about when taking a big group of folk onto a stage to sing - she guided us through a great set that the crowd clearly loved. It was yet another choir experience I’ll never forget; from the moment we walked out, soaked up the view of all those people standing under our beautiful castle, took our places and sang our songs, till the moment we walked off the stage – I loved every second of it.
Gordon was up on the stage with me while Alex, Gemma and Ross were standing near the front of the crowd - watching and singing along with us. I’m writing this in a hurry and don’t have time to think of the collection of words that could properly express how happy I felt for that twenty minutes or so.
After sharing some very special hugs with some of my choir family, I went off to join my own wee family (minus Gordon, who’d headed off to join his pals) in the crowd. It’s a few years since we’ve all been together for the bells at Hogmanay. Ever since they’ve been old enough to go off and do their own thing, we’ve made it really clear to the kids that they’ve never to feel that we expect them to stay with us for occasions such as this. We’d much rather they were doing what they wanted to do, rather than what they felt obliged to do. So, it was lovely that Gemma and Ross chose to bring in 2012 on the Castle esplanade with their auld maw and paw and we had such a rare time! My home town did itself proud with a line-up of 100% Scottish acts; our choir, an up-and-coming band called The Three Blind Wolves, Eddi Reader and The Red Hot Chilli Pipers. We loved them all and were thoroughly entertained. Alex had made up a wee drink in one of these ‘camel’ things (basically a wee pouch you put on your back with a long tube for sooking from. It’s meant for water top-ups when he’s out running, but was just perfect for our wee New Year dram or six...) so we sang, danced and were very merry by the time the countdown to the bells started! We cooried up, counted down with the crowds, wished each other and everyone around us a Happy New Year then cooried up again for a pretty spectacular firework display. Big well done Stirling council! You’ve redeemed yourself from the mistake of having Wagner play the Castle last year!
Right after the bells, I’d managed to get through to Gordon and Mum on my mobile to wish them a Happy New Year. And I’d held my hands on my heart and whispered, as I’ve done every New Year since 1993, “Wish you were here. Promise I’ll do my best to do you proud again this year. Love you so much Dad.”
After a brilliant finishing set from the Chilli Pipers, we headed off for home; very wet and very bedraggled (the heavens opened just after midnight!), but very happy!
I’ve just received a text calling for Mum’s Taxi, so I’ll finish quickly by wishing you all the very best you could hope for in 2012. I'll leave you with this little snapshot showing just how much I enjoyed my last few minutes of 2011. I'm the mad wifey that's jumping around and 'wooing' about 20 seconds into the video.....
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