Archives

  • They say getting to the start line is half the battle. In these pandemic times especially so as nothing could be taken for granted. Added to that about 10 days before I experienced back pain. I could walk but not run so it really played on me whether I could take part. Now think it…

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  • Ready to Go

    Getting ready for the big day (and night) tomorrow! It was 10 years ago I first ran the West Highland Way. I told myself that main thing is to finish. However my competitive spirit (mostly against myself) planned to do it in 28 hours. Then and in subsequent races I have never achieved this. The…

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  • Excited at the prospect that at 11am on Saturday 29th May I can hopefully once again run the West Highland Way. Organised by another group than I normally run with there are a number of differences to what I have been used to. This is partly due to Covid restrictions and will make it a…

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  • 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—    where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord,     the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip—     he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel     will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches…

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  • In my summer break as a student in 1975 I took a job in Canada. Looking back it was doing something I am not now proud of. Picking tobacco. How doing this squared with my convictions at the time I don’t remember. I do know that smoking and tobacco was not seen as negatively back…

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  • Opposites Attract

    Recently I watched the ‘The Two Popes’, a film about the aging Pope Benedict and the not so young Pope Francis. Having never written about a film before there may be some spoilers. However don’t read if this is an issue. It is a fascinating study of two men brilliantly acted by Anthony Hopkins as…

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  • Window on the Past

    Recently I have been transcribing old letters and reports from 30 – 40 years ago into a digital form. My work at that time involved travel to many countries and reporting back to those I was responsible to as well as to friends. I am thankful to have this window. A record, a snapshot into…

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  • Like the proverbial elephant in the room the pandemic and it’s effects on physical, mental and spiritual health cannot be ignored. I thought writing a blog in these times one topic I would safely ignore is the virus. There is so much in the news and most conversation is permeated by it that people don’t…

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  • A friend Martin Reid mentioned several weeks ago if I was interested in an idea of his. It was to ‘summit’ every hill in the Kilparticks over 300m in one go. Must admit it was not something I had been dreaming about. In fact if honest it had never even occurred to me in my…

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  • For 2 years in my late teens I had the wonderful experience of training as a pilot with the Royal Air Force (see ‘Bio’). As a reservist in the Universities of Glasgow and Strachlyde Air Squadron I spent many evenings and Saturdays training. Flying was done from Glasgow airport. At same time I was studying…

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