Spring Must Be Round The Corner

Added on Tuesday 14 Feb 2012

Christmas Joy and Sadness

Jim and I had a lovely Christmas Day when we went to visit Caitlin and Ryan, Gail and my sons Michael and John. We also had a delicious meal and a lot of laughs with Issi, Davie and Marianne over Christmas Dinner at their house.. I also spent time with my brother John, who was looking great, and we had a super time phoning our other siblings to wish them Happy Christmas. Very sadly John died five days later on 30th December. We had a phone call that morning to say that he was unwell and that he was going to A & E and Jim and I got ready very hurriedly but before we reached the hospital we had another call telling us to alert the rest of the family. My other brothers met us at the hospital and we only had a short time with John at the hospital before he died. It was a terrible shock.

There had to be a post-mortem because of the sudden death so it was another fortnight before we could bury John. The funeral was very moving and the church was overflowing with family and friends so a lovely tribute. John was a very special person and there's now a very big gap in our lives.

People have been very supportive and it was wonderful having my sister Catherine and her husband Alastair home from Canada and we've also had a new wee baby in our family, Erin, so that was a bit of brightness.

Photo: luisa and bj o'neill. Just prior to John's death, Jim and I had a lovely time up in Beauly, when we went to Luisa and BJ's wedding. Luisa looked absolutely stunning and we had a really lovely time. Congratulations to Mr and Mrs B J O'Neill.

It was lovely to see all the Venditozzis and also very good of Rosemary to have a birthday dinner for me with those gals from Rosemount, Val and Margaret. I also had a nice time just before Christmas with the usual suspects, Eleanor, Rena, Jackie and Joan, when we christened Eleanor's lovely new conservatory. I look forward to many happy and decadent get togethers there.

Now I'm trying to get back on track, working on the website and going along to my Creative Writing Course at Glasgow University, which has been a great distraction for me. I'm not exactly sure what I'm meant to be doing a lot of the time but feedback has been very encouraging and not a little surprising.

Meeting Folk

I've had a lot of people to see and this week it was lovely to have some visitors including Issi, Stephanie, Margaret and Roisin. Recently I also caught up with Roy Beers in the lovely restaurant, Persia, where the food is absolutely wonderful. Roy is busy at the moment writing a review, which will appear on the website very soon.

I enjoyed catching up with Mark Buckland and had a lovely brunch with him at Zizzi's. The ambitious young Scottish publisher is owner of Cargo Publishing and the force behind Margins, Book and Music Festival, which will take place between 24th - 26th February. Most of the events will happen at The Arches but on 26th Alasdair Gray's 'Fleck'will be presented at the Auditorium in OranMor.

West End Treats and Glasgow Festivals

Photo: oran mor. Also at OranMor a new session of A Play, A Pie and A Pint is once more under way.

This is a great time for festivals in Glasgow and Glasgow Film Festival 2012 kicks on the 16th February (Youth Film Festival and Short Film Festival are already underway). I went along to the programme launch with Roisin Brady and we had a lovely evening, the atmosphere down at the GFT was great and this year's festival it looks set to be antother fantastic cinematic event in the city.

I was back in the GFT the other night with John and Jim, when we went to see The Descendants with George Clooney. I'm now looking forward to a whole range of movies at the festival.

Then next month (9th - 17th March) Glasgow's Book Festival, Aye Write, will take place for the seventh time with The Mitchell Library playing host to scores of home grown and international writing talent.

Gigs and other Outings

Celtic Connections made its usual considerable splash at the Concert Hall and various venues throughout the city. I had planned to go along to quite a few gigs and in particular was looking forward to seeing and interviewing Madison Violet but it didn't work out. I enjoyed seeing Jim play for the first time his band with The Blackwoods, Dinny, Elanor Gunn and Peter Byrne at the Danny Kyle Open Stage and you can listen again to his performance on Celtic Music Radio..

We also spent a lovely evening with Dominic Venditozzi at Cafe Manna in Newport on Tay, where Jim played with his brother Peter. The gig was to launch Sonny Carntyne’s fabulous E.P. Unicorns and Ghosts, which we enjoyed hearing. It got quite a few more plays on the long journey home. Jim’s been invited back to return so we’ll look forward to it - a very enthusiastic crowd and pleasant venue, well worth the long trip north.

Back in the West End it's almost time to come out of hibernation. We've had a few walks through the Botanics and Little Italy has very much been the diner of choice for John, Ryan and myself.

I’ve also caught up with Maggie Graham at Avenue G, which is becoming a bit of a favourite. I’m also looking forward to trying out Nardini’s, which seems to be progressing well on the old Morton’s coffee shop spot on Byres Road. I'm depending on Roy to keep me up to speed.

Photo: barras. Ryan and I got a bit adventurous and ventured out of the West End to the People's Palace to catch Avril Paton's 'Talk of the Steamie' - great to see a full house and her talk about all the lovely images she's painted of Glasgow and Glesga folk was fascinating. Afterwards we had tea in the Winter Garden's where he was most impressed by the banana tree.

Then we walked up through the Barras. Not quite the entrancing place it used to be but you still see an amazing assortment of unusual things for sale including a pile of old saddles sitting beside a huge stuffed dynosaur and a dalek! Could perhaps get into the Tate Modern.

At this time of year I always feel the need to strive for more exercise so John, Ryan and I duly paid a visit to the Allander Sports Centre in Milngavie and had a game of badminton and then a swim. It’s a start.

Needing to catch up

Our shelter at the allotment was blown over in the second big storm and we went along to push it back in place but we didn't have enough strong men in tow. Michael has since been back with a team so it’s now upright once again.Thank you one and all, and thanks also our wonderful next door plotter, Gordon Manning for his help. I need to get along and do some digging and see what's blossoming. The daffodils are starting to pop through on Great Western Road so fingers crossed we are heading for a warm and early Spring.

I’ve got a list as long as my arm of places to visit and people to see. This coming week I’m definitely heading down to The Hidden Lane in Finnieston to check out Peter Gillies' Stained Glass and also Made with Love.

I've also been missing too many gigs but enjoyed seeing Dinny perform at The Vagabond Social Club and catching up with Graeme at The Vagabond Social Club, which had moved from The State to The Griffen for one night only.

I've not been in many shops lately but I did enjoy a trip into Make Believe Events at Kelvinbridge and need to have a longer blether about weddings and things. I also enjoyed a browse around artpistols pop up art shop in the Grosvenor Hilton Hotel.

Some events of note coming up

Photo: jacqueline smith. I also enjoyed a coffee in Offshore and a rare blether with some of the students on my course at Glagow University, a very interesting bunch from all over the world. I'm looking forward to seeing some of them in action at up and coming events including Jacqueline Smith, Scottish Writers Centre, CCA and James Carson and Siobhan Staples, who will perform alongside Allan Bissett and others at February Fringe at The Ubiquitous Chip on 21st February.

So all sorts happening in Ashton Lane that week including Jim Byrne and The Blackwoods at Brel for the launch of Jim's new album The Innocent - Saturday 25th February. You'll be able to buy tickets for the event online at tickets-scotland or at Brel. Or see me.

In the meantime Happy Valentine's Day.