I DID a lovely afternoon tea event at Priory Campus last week and, with so many people in, I wonder how they did what they did for the money.
The staff were wonderful and we raised £231 for BIADS on the raffle which the centre kindly agreed to match.
But there was a little unexpected highlight for me because a lady pulled me to say: “I have to tell you I worked with your dad 60 years ago at Shaw Carpets.”
And then she proceeded to tell me what a gent he was, in an environment where some men were a bit ‘lax with their boundaries’ – never a hint of that from dad.
And how totally efficient he was at what he did which was him to a tee and I had a bit of a flurry while I was flogging raffle tickets – but a nice flurry. Made my day completely.
Last week was a terrible week news-wise. Whatever your political views, no one should be executed in a so-called civilised society for them.
There are those decrying – ‘why the fuss over one man?’ Well I’ll tell you why because the death of Charlie Kirk, and the reaction to it, crystallises where we all are as humans. Once upon a time we had discussion and debate but now we descending into a terrible abyss of political violence.
The rhetoric used by one side is almost giving permission for this type of action against the other and that it is wrong on all levels.
Do I rejoice when someone’s arguments I don’t agree with are verbally trounced by an more eloquent opponent? Yep. But would I cheer at them being wiped out for their stance? Not if I consider myself a decent human being.
The more civilised our so-called society, the more neanderthal we become – and that’s giving the neanderthals a bad press!
Politicians and public speakers should be as safe to do their jobs as young girls are to travel on public transport. Another story that upset me so much I can’t even compute it.
The other story that absolutely devastated me was the death of Ricky Hatton because here was a man obviously in the grip of the worst sort of depression that in the end was so big he couldn’t handle it.
He had riches and adoration, he had a loving family, he had skill and respect and it wasn’t enough, none of it. Everyone wanted a piece of him, said one report and I can imagine the weight of that, being pecked at for favours, requests, demands.
What an incredibly sad loss and one that leaves behind a family that no doubt will be beating themselves up because they didn’t see it coming, will feel they didn’t do enough, a terrible burden to shoulder and it will take time to accept that once that darkness envelops someone, there is no way in. I hope he has found his peace.
I end with something cheery. Well done to Wombwell’s Michael Steer who had a bit of a wake-up call after clocking in at 30 stones and decided to do something about it.
So he began to walk and now he’s on course to run the Yorkshire marathon. It’s amazing how a bit of weight off gives you the umph to move even more, and you don’t need to run and bugger your joints and achilles (says she from experience) because walking is aloe vera for the soul and the heart, plus the extra energy by-product is like gold in your veins.
Just ask Michael. And it’s entirely doable for just about everyone.
