Christmas - A Triumph of Hope?

We have now once again reached the festive season and as we are confronted with Christmas once more, there are some who will be wondering if it is appropriate to celebrate due to the shadow cast by the mindless slaughter that has taken place at Newtown, Conneticut. Tragedy at Christmas is sadly not a new phenomenon, we can recall the worst aspects of humanity through the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and Christmas market terrorist attack at Liege in Belgium last year. In addition, who could forget the awesome scale of the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004, the worst natural disaster in living memory.

Inspite of the recent horror that has dominating the international news,  Christmas is arguably more important than ever. Since the day that evil visited Sandy Hook Elementary, wickedness has been countered by innumerable tales of kindness. This includes thousands of letters sent to the grieving families, toys donated to the children of the town and a movement that encourages people to do 26 acts of kindness in the memory of those whose lives abruptly ended on that fateful day. The acts of kindness have swept across America, with many stories of people paying for other people’s meals, coffee and subway tickets as well as an upsurge in charity to the homeless. The movement has been driven by social networking and has gone global, indeed Glasgow City Mission is able to give in excess of 250 homeless people a Christmas dinner due to an increase in donations. This wave of kindness demonstrates that humanity has a soul, that intangible, eternal kernel of spirit that burns within us and brings us closer to Godliness.

The Christmas story in its stripped down form is an intoxicating tale with a teenage mother, shepherds receiving an amazing vision, an overbearing government, a jealous king and mysterious visitors from abroad bearing exotic gifts. The gifts brought to the Christ child of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh tell their own story. The Gold was a gift of kingship and Frankincense a symbol of Deity. The burning question popularised in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, has to be “Myrrh, Myrrh, What’s Myrrh?”, this was a symbol of death as it was used as an embalming oil. These gifts were a prophesy of the type of life that would be lived by Jesus Christ and the visit of this delegation must have been quite an overwhelming experience for Mary and Joseph. The words of the John Betjeman poem, Christmas, eloquently express the reaction that many people today feel towards the story:

And is it true,

This most tremendous tale of all

Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,

A Baby in an ox's stall ?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Become a Child on earth for me ?

And is it true ? For if it is,

No loving fingers tying strings

Around those tissued fripperies,

The sweet and silly Christmas things,

Bath salts and inexpensive scent

And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,

No carolling in frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

Can with this single Truth compare -

That God was man in Palestine

And lives today in Bread and Wine.

Betjeman was a member of the Anglican Church who had a faith that waxed and waned throughout his life. This extract from the poem combines wonder and awe with honest questioning about the events of that first Christmas. An invitation exists in the lyrics to put aside cynicism  and ponder the deeper meaning of the story. In the last 2000 years, there have been many kingdoms that have risen and faded away but the great old story of Christmas has endured, bringing transformation to many lives throughout the generations.  Whether anyone reading this blog is a person of faith or not, the humility of the history defining events in a squalid stable in the furthest reaches of the Roman empire teach us about peace and goodwill to all men, qualities that we need more than ever in today’s society. I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas.

On Saturday 1^st December, I made my annual pilgrimage to a Continental Christmas market. After a nice time in Lille last year, I headed into Belgium to the city of Bruges for my only day of the year spent away from this island.

Travel Diary - Bruges

The day started at stupid o’clock as I had to be at the rendezvous point in Sevenoaks Kent for the departure time of 8am. The conditions were foggy on the journey but thankfully it was possible to see cars several hundred metres away, although this didn’t stop some fools from activating their fog lights. Unlike weekdays, the journey took about 55 minutes so managed to get there for before 0710. This seemed really early but the decision was wise as the coach turned up 10 minutes later and I was able to get my preferred seat right at the front on the top deck.

There were aspects of long distance coach journeys that I had forgotten about such as the slightly embarrassed smile that people do when they shuffle down the aisle on their way to the rather cramped toilet. It is always amusing to see them return to their seat, seemingly doing a face that tells everyone “honest, it wasn’t a number 2”. Another aspect of the journey is that there is always the travel bore who has been everywhere and he will delight in telling you about the number of times that he has previously visited the city. He also does a good job of never looking impressed at just about anything, its just as well that Judith Chalmers didn't adopt the same tactic on the old ITV show Wish You Were Here. The only thing more certain than death and taxes is that travel bore will at some point be sitting next to you, advising on the best places to eat in Bruges and name dropping of other places he has visited.

One of the best inventions of the last 20 years is the channel tunnel. The next stage of the journey took place from the Eurotunnel terminal aboard Le Shuttle. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that this is like a normal train, it is essentially a big car park with a small toilet block that so happens to have an electric locomotive at either end.  The journey from Folkestone to just outside Calais takes around 30-35 minutes. The French Eurotunnel terminal is plugged into the motorway network, making it quick and easy to get on the journey. The landscape around Calais is full of retail estates and large warehouses packed with cheap alcohol, the latter of which is to service the “booze cruise” industry.

The coach took the main A16/E40 route which is a good fast motorway although is mainly has two lanes on either side and a rather threatening looking concrete partition to separate the carriageways. The frontier between the two countries is interesting as the French have a sign with the name “Belgique” surrounded by the European flag and “3000m” written beneath, an almost identical sign is then placed at the border, this time with “Belgie” written in the middle then a further two Flemish signs welcoming motorists to Belgium. Inspite of being a dual language nation, it is immediately obvious that French is not as welcome in this part of the country.

As you enter the city limits of Bruges, there is a degree of poignancy as you travel on the Expressway and see the imposing Sint Jan hospital that was used to treat victims of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster back in 1987.  Beyond this point it is also possible to see some of the spires of the cities cathedrals as the historic cityscape looms into view.

As we made our way into the city, we were greeted by Sinterklaas on the back of a tandem powered by his helper Zwarte Piet. Ah yes, the controversial Black Pete is an integral part of the Christmas season in Continental Europe. He is considered to be the servant of Sinterklaas and revellers have been known to “blacken up”and wear an afro wig, jewellery and lipstick in honour of the character. It’s not like he is Santa’s dodgy black mate who rolls up with his crew to steal the presents that the blessed bearded one has just brought down the chimney. Surely it’s time to give Zwarte Piet a break and see him for the good work that he does, giving sweets to kids and generally preparing the way for Sinterklaas, a bit like John the Baptist from the real Christmas story.

Another aspect of the continental Christmas narrative that is different, is the act of placing a shoe near the fireplace to receive presents. This is fine if you have asked for a mobile phone or something but it is more problematic if you really want a Scalextric.

The main Christmas Market was in the Markt, dominated by the imposing Belfry and the Provincial Court building. The market stalls were right in the heart of the pedestrianised part of the square. There were many stalls selling Gluhwein and crepes, although they do prefer to refer to the latter of these as wafels in this part of Belgium. The crepes/wafels are always excellent when filled with Nutella. Another popular filling is cream, or slagroom, as it is gloriously known in the Flemish speaking world.         

 

                                                        

Beyond the commercially oriented Markt, there is Burg, a square that is the administrative heart of the city dominated by the Gothic town hall. There is also the old Civil Registry in this area. The city is connected by a number of canals, which explains why it is known as the Venice of the north. There are many wonderful architectural jewels around the city such as Sint Salvator Cathedral, the largest church in the city. There was a second smaller Christmas market located not far from the Cathedral. In addition, the Church of Our Lady with its large brickwork tower is also a major landmark in the Bruges skyline. Near to this church is the site of Oud Sint Jan’s hospital is a fascinating medieval hospital that was designed to care for sick pilgrims and travellers, this was an active hospital until 1978.

 

 

 

 

 

It is compulsory to purchase some of the wonderful chocolates that are made in the city and I made sure that I purchase a 500g box to take home as well as a couple of smaller confections. Bruges is certainly a city that has been close to my heart since I first visited back in 1993 and worthy of a visit, as is the nearby city of Ghent which share much of the beauty of its’ more celebrated neighbour. Over the last 15 years, I have found that the European Christmas market is always a good way to start the Christmas season and it is a tradition that I hope to continue for many years.

 

Remember

Having just marked another Remembrance weekend, I would like to take the opportunity to offer a few thoughts on the importance of honouring this festival.

Remember

Every year in last October, the Royal British Legion launches its annual poppy campaign in order to raise funds to assist its excellent work with our retiree soldiers from campaigns of times past to those who have been injured in current theatres of war. Their work also extends to helping relatives who have lost a loved one in war. The work is brought into sharp focus for about 2 weeks of the yar although  their work is ongoing every day of the year.

In 2009, I visited some of the 1^st world war battle sites of the Somme in northern France. It was sobering to see row after row of gravestones where many gallant young men fell, many of whom were between their late teens and mid-20’s. There were many poignant sites in the area including the Beaumont Hamel, where there is an imposing monument of a lone Caribou calling out to the fallen sons of Newfoundland who perished in that brutal conflict thousands of miles from home. Further into the battle site revealed the monument to the 51^st Highland Division. This included the Gordon Highlanders, Seaforth and Camerons Brigade and the Argyll and Southerland Highlanders. There was also a Lancashire division drafted in to the regiment for a time and the fields around Beaumont Hamel also have the graves of many valliant soldiers from the Red Rose county.  The Black Watch took the place of the Lancashire soldiers and earned the respect of their German foes for their fighting spirit. Some of these storied regiment names may have disappeared at the stroke of a politician’s pen back in 2006 but their blood sacrifice in the cause of freedom will be remembered by the people of our nation.

We may have said goodbye to the last WW1 veteran in the last couple of years but we still have a reasonable number of WW2 veterans in our midst today. It is incredible to imagine what it must have been like in those times such as the Battle of Britain and the battles on the beaches of northern France. There were also many town and cities that paid a terrible price in the German Blitzkreig such as Clydebank, Coventry and Portsmouth. All of these places would rise again although the memory of those ordinary citizens who perished will never be forgotten.  It amazes me how the nation came together as one to join the fight against evil. In my own family, my grandfather was a gunner in the RAF, mainly based in the Middle East campaigns in WW2. Below is a picture of him just after he signed up, this was taken at Blackpool before all the boys went into service (he is in the second row from the bottom, second left). Like many of that generation, he did not speak much of the war and it was only late in his life that we learned of the extent of his war efforts. The reason that our nation overcame the threat to our freedom was due to millions of such men who put themselves on the line when their country needed them.

The UK has undergone some economic difficulties in the last few years and we all have to acknowledge that spending cuts have been needed across all areas of public service. I am not convinced that the best way to reduce our deficit was to very publicly decommission our Aircraft Carrier, Ark Royal, and the fleet of Harrier jump jets back in 2010. What sort of message does this send out to the world? This decision looks somewhat absurd when the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers are not due until 2016 and 2018. There were also concerns that we may not have the aircraft needed until 2020, meaning that our state of the art ships would look like giant, maritime ironing boards. France has also suffered economic problems but they haven’t decided to sell off their imposing Charles de Gaulle nuclear powered aircraft carrier. The UK must have its own carrier as we may have to protect the people of the Falkland Islands once more, as Argentinian sabre rattling increases.

All areas of our forces also play a key role in peacetime. The Royal Navy Fisheries Protection Squadron patrols 80000 square miles of UK waters and also get involves in Anti-drugs surveillance. Want to play Blackjack Mr Putin? No problem, a couple of our boys will be there at Mach 2 to intercept and gently guide you round the perimeter of our airspace whenever you come calling. As an island nation, we rely on those at the sharp end of national security to be provided with the relevant resources to deter our enemies.

 

On the morning of 11/11, I went to the Cenotaph in my home town of Dalry along with many people from the local community to witness a dignified ceremony. The local Church of Scotland minister read a passage of scripture entitled The Mountain of The Lord and this seemed very appropriate as we stood at the highest point of the public park, everyone recognising that they were on consecrated ground.

Through the ages, our armed forces have been there to defend our nation. I have been encouraged by the way that everyone comes together at this time to honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the call of duty. Our armed forces look after all of our interests worldwide in peace time and in war. Above all, they are the people who put the Great into Britain.

State of Independence?

When making a coffee at work, I had somebody question me about why Scotland wants to break away from the UK. The question did not surprise me following all of the publicity surrounding the announcement of the independence referendum paper that the First Minister, Alex Salmond, with typical self-agrandisement, Christened as the “Edinburgh Agreement”. I don’t normally want to talk about politics in this forum but as I have lived in England for much of the last 8 years and likely to face more questions, it is probably a good time to address the issue.

State of Independence?

Many people are baffled by the sudden promotion of the independence cause north of the border and could be forgiven for wondering if the seeds of a revolution are being sown in our towns and cities. Can it be that the United Kingdom’s mountainous, northern outpost is about to say goodbye to its neighbours and bring an end to over 300 years of union?

In the 1990’s, many people in Scotland wanted more of a say in their own affairs and were happy to vote for devolved powers. It could be argued that the politicians mis-managed the process as all that happened was that a new division was put in place and an absurd situation where MP’s representing Scottish constituencies are potentially able to vote on matters representing England whereas English MP’s couldn’t vote on certain Scottish matters. Arguably, this was brought about by politicians not rolling out a devolution plan for each individual country in the Union. Perhaps one lesson of devolution is that we should be aware of politicians peddling more politicians. The SNP  have emerged as a force mainly due to the Labour Party implode due to sleaze and losing touch with the people and the other unionist parties being largely irrelevant up north.

I visited our great capital city of Edinburgh in late September, a city that was nicknamed “the Athens of the north” due to its contribution to intellectual enlightenment. There is always a feeling of pride when I visit our capital city, New York has the skyscrapers of Manhatten, Kuala Lumpar has the Petronas Towers and Paris has the Eiffel Tower, but none of these has a hulking, great fortress sitting atop a dormant volcano. At any time of year, there is always a great sense of occasion to walk on the Royal Mile and hear the skirl of the pipes.

There was something that did make the visit a bit less pleasant in that many streets looked as if they had been hit by a bomb due to being dug up to make way for tram tracks. The Edinburgh trams project has been one of the Scottish Government’s vanity projects where costs have gone out of control and completion dates have been moved back. There is the farcical situation where rolling stock worth £40 million can be seen sitting in the sidings at the Gogar depot. It is amazing to think that the people who have overseen this botched, modestly sized infrastructure project somehow think they can represent our nation in the international context.

One key component of the independence movement is to make Scotland a nuclear free state. This includes closing down our nuclear power station at Hunterston and placing more emphasis on renewable energy sources. There have been many wind turbine developments in Scotland in the last 10 years, turning our nation into an overgrown Tellytubby land. Our nuclear submarine base at Faslane would also close and this could have potentially dangerous national security implications. It would appear that the SNP have listened to the John Lennon song, “Imagine” and taken it to be a political manifesto.

Scotland is a country that has punched above its weight in the world and could have the ability to survive as an independent state, however, there would have to be clear policies for tax and trade. It is clear the SNP would be seeking to take an independent Scotland into the EU. Part of the ascension criteria for any new EU state is the acceptance of the Euro, a currency that has come close to the brink in the last few years. It surely can’t be lost on the Scottish Government that Ireland, the Celtic Tiger, needed financial assistance. There have also been the other nations such as Greece and Portugal needing to be bailed out by the EU, with France and Germany setting stringent conditions. Ah yes, France and Germany – the two dominant forces in the EU who dominate policy and are not afraid to push around the smaller nations. The EU is striving to achieve closer political union and an independent Scotland joining this club would arguably only swapping London government for Brussels government.

I will always consider myself to be Scottish, first and foremost. If Scotland plays England at anything from tiddlywinks upwards, I will be there draped in tartan to roar on my home team. This is how it should be, each of our nations has its own character and sense of identity. Equally, I am also proud to call myself British and take pride the amazing achievements of the United Kingdom in the last three centuries, who couldn’t have been amazed by the showing of Team GB at London 2012? We will always have our squabbles and rivalries but this is true of any family and the ties that bind us are stronger than a few peripheral disagreements here and there.

Having considered all of these issues, the only conclusion that I can reach is that we are better as interdependent in the UK rather than just a small subsidiary state in the EU, otherwise Edinburgh could be known as the Athens of the North for all the wrong reasons.

 

 

Heroes And Zeros

Welcome

 

This is the first edition of my new blog. I struggled for a name and wanted it to sound contemporary and quirky at the same time. I had to choose something that would identify it as "Colin's Blog", without using such a generic name. I did think about calling it the iClog as a trendy sounding name for the digital age, but had concerns that a major consumer electronics firm may have commandeered the name for a web enabled Dutch shoe that they may be developing. After deliberation with many focus groups, the final name of the publication is The Clog.

 

This publication has no hidden agenda and is not designed to lecture or alienate, it will simply offer my views on the world around us in a straightforward manner. Each blog will have a collection of different stories for you to consider ranging from the thought provoking to the light-hearted. I hope that you will enjoy reading and stay with me on this journey into the blogosphere.

 

Where are the Heroes?

 

In the last few weeks, it was easy to remember the The Stranglers song "No More Heroes" as the reputations of Lance Armstrong and the late Jimmy Savile were very publicly put through the mangle. In the last 15 years, the world witnessed Armstrong return from life-threatening illness to become the most prolific winner of the Tour de France and do his bit in the fight against cancer. Unfortunately, the sporting success was outed as all smoke and mirrors by the US Anti-Doping Agency with a 1000 page report claiming the most sophisticated doping programme seen in professional cycling.

 

Unlike Armstrong, Jimmy Savile did not have international sporting success but was viewed by many as a harmless, eccentric TV personality with a stellar reputation for charity work. All the good works became tarnished as revelations emerged that he may have been a bit of a fiddler, only of the kiddie variety. Indeed, the police are investigating an avalanche of leads and it may reveal that Savile did so much fiddling that he will be remembered as the Yehudi Menuhin of the Paedophile world. In both the cases of Armstrong and Savile, their charities have distanced themselves from their tarnished founders.

 

After seeing all the press coverage of soiled reputations, it is easy to be cynical but then the astonishing stories of Felix Baumgartner and Malala Yousufzai helped to restore faith in the human race. In considering the case of Baumgartner, there was something rather moving about seeing a man standing on the step of a capsule over 24 miles in the air, surveying the grandeur of earth below, saluting and then plunging into the inky blue sky. It was remarkable to watch him take that one small step for man and make one humungus leap for mankind. Some may say that it was a senseless stunt, but we have progressed because people were willing to ask questions like "how far?", "how fast?" and "how high?"

 

The annals of history tell us of a range of great adventurers who have pushed the boundaries. People like Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong were the pioneers in scaling new heights in this world and beyond. There are also those who died in pursuing great feats like Captain Scott and Amelia Earhardt. The events of Sunday 14th October 2012, showed us that the spirit of endeavour burns brightly in the human race in an age where there seemed to be no more records to break. By demonstrating a combination of humility and fearlessness, Baumgartner deserves all the plaudits that he has received.

 

In a different context, Malala Yousufzai has shown remarkable courage in protesting about the right of girls to receive an education in an area where the Taliban have sometimes banned girls from going to school. She had gained a media profile for her activism before she became the victim of a cowardly assassination attempt last week. It has been encouraging to see the international community condemn this attack and the people of Pakistan take to the streets in protest against the Extremists. It is also significant that the Pakistani government is paying for her treatment at a UK hospital.

 

Although Malala has a long way to go until a full recovery, there are signs that she is beginning to communicate with those around her, we can only pray that this progress will continue. It is amazing to see someone take a courageous stand against an oppressive regime but it is all the more remarkable to see such bravery from one so young. One can only hope that this little girl's stand will lead to the end of the Taliban, a movement that exists only to promote the regression of humanity.

 

Having contemplated the downfall of individuals who were previously on a pedestal, it is easy to be angry and discouraged, however, the feats of the Austrian daredevil and the young Pakistani political activist  can only be lauded as heroic in their respective ways.