The end of an era ... sob!

A wee bit over dramatic, maybe - I stepped down as our community council secretary at last week's meeting. Not exactly a world-changing event, I concede, and so far BBC News have not been in touch to follow up the story!
I first took up the secretary's role back in the mid-1980s, and have done it more or less ever since - two years off for good behaviour during my spell as Regional Councillor in the mid-1990s. When I took up the role computers were a relatively new phenomenon (I used to write the Minutes with a quill on parchment when I were a lad), Mrs Thatcher was in power and a pint of lager was a halfpenny (I may be lying/mistaken about the some of this).
Anyway, with a new community council now in place it seems a good time to stand down from that particular role and concentrate on some other things. Quite what I'll do with all this new 'free' time I'm not sure, but given past form I'd wager a guess that it will quickly become filled with other 'activities'. My colleagues made a presentation which totally took me by surprise - after all, I am not leaving the CC, only stepping down as Secretary - so I was temporarily speechless ... that is quite unusual for me. The gifts were much appreciated though and it was a genuine surprise .. thanks everyone.

The tearful(!)community council event aside, last week was a really busy one at work so I'm glad that our deadline is not only this coming Friday - still quite a lot of work to be done. I was guest speaker at Pilton Central Association's AGM on Thursday, and it was an opportunity to reflect on the last twelve months of post Fairer Scotland funding, both at the NEN and in the wider North Edinburgh community. Not the jolliest speech I've ever made, I'm afraid, but honest.
There were some happier events - a picture of 40-odd (some very odd) guys at Scottish Gas who have been participating in the prostrate cancer Mo-vember campaign, a good news story at Granton Primary and a big cheque presentation at Morrisons o Ferry Road - £2 million for Cancer Research.
How long I'll be able to report these 'feelgood' stories in North Edinburgh will depend very much on the imminent decisions of the local Neighbourhood Partnership funding panels. Watch this space!

PIC: CC Chair Mike Clark making the presentation. Rugby player Mike is quite a big bloke - makes your humble scribe look almost svelte!

Gey dreich ...

Cold, wet and miserable. Not me, the weather. There's little doubt that winter's nearly upon us, though, and as an ageing old t@sser it becomes harder and harder to drag yourself away from the fireside to face the elements outside. I had every intention of visiting the old favourite watering hole on Friday evening (just to check the lack of progress of the old Fantasy Football team, you understand) but in the end I couldn't summon up the courage to face the wind, cold and rain. So sad.
Instead, we decided to jump in the car to trek out to Livingston to tackle some of the (non-internet) Xmas shopping. MacArthur Glen was like a morgue - either people are leaving their shopping until much later, they're shopping on-line or the recession has even caused the cancellation of Christmas - or maybe a combination of all three.
I did brave the elements on Saturday to visit Easter Road, however. Hibs were atrocious in the second half, but still won 2-0 fairly comfortably, thanks in no small part to Deek Riordan's instinctive finishing. Hibs are still well up there - joint second - and there's a gap opening up between the top and bottom six. The old Jam Tarts are in the wrong half just now, and there are increasing signs of frustration coming from Gorgie. A very welcome three points for them at Kilmarnock yesterday may steady the ship a little, but they've still got a bit of work to do to climb the league. Everybody's favourite hapless striker Nade has got himself on the scoresheet for two consecutive weeks now, though - the big guy's on a bit of a roll (probably a sausage roll or three, but a roll nonetheless ...)
A post-game visit to Ocean Terminal found that centre very busy, so there may be some money around after all; I was going to venture up to the "newly open for business again, well maybe ..." Princes Street today, but again the weather was the winner and I stayed at home. Those old aching bones, you see ...

London Calling

Recently returned from another wonderful week in London. A lot of memories:

The £6 pint!!! (Harrods, of course)
Oliver!
Old Bill the pelican in St James Park
Real ale in The Coal Hole
A £20 haircut in Bow
Walks along the Embankment
Wreaths at The Cenotaph
Picadilly at night ...

If a picture paints a thousand words, above are a few tens of thousands ...

Next week, it's back to everybody's favourite ... yes, it's Fairer Scotland Fund time again. Community council on Wednesday too ... haud me back!