Back to School

Back to school for the gang earlier this week. I wish their teachers well...

 

Edinburgh's Leaders

Embra cooncillors: What can we replace this monstrosity with?

    

                                                How about this....?

 

SWEET F.A. - The Story of the Right to Play Football

 

Winning, working women won’t you hear what we’ve tae say

We work our hands unto the bones for a quarter less in pay

We started our own football teams and showed them how to play

But when we ask for equal rights we’re given Sweet F.A.

 

1916. The men fight on the Western Front. The women work in the factories, and form football teams, playing other factory teams across Scotland and raising money for the war effort. Women’s football fast becomes the most popular game in the land. Worried that their game is starting to rival the men’s, the football authorities ban the women’s game in 1921.

Sweet F.A. tells the story of one women’s factory football team from Fountainbridge, fighting for their right to play the beautiful game.

Following their acclaimed productions of A War of Two Halves at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 and 2019, the producers present a new play at Tynecastle Park for the Edinburgh Fringe 2021. Written by Paul Beeson & Tim Barrow, Sweet F.A. is directed by Bruce Strachan, Artistic Director of Nonsense Room Productions, with original music composed by Matthew Brown.

 “We are thrilled to be returning to Tynecastle Park with a brand new production, telling this timely tale of the rise of women’s football during the First World War. After an uncertain, disrupted time it feels more vital than ever to bring people together to tell stories. We’re grateful to Hearts for allowing us to take advantage of the outdoor, covered facilities in the main stand at Tynecastle, and we immensely look forward to meeting Tynecastle audiences again, telling this important story about women’s football – including its historical connection to the ground. We vividly remember the brilliant reception they gave A War of Two Halves and they, and new audiences, can expect a similar blend of history, humour, passion and poignancy from this brilliant tale. ”

                                                Bruce Strachan, Director

Heart of Midlothian Football Club welcomes audiences to their stadium, the historic Tynecastle Park:

 “I thought the last play was outstanding – top notch acting – in fact, it was that good I went back and watched it 3 times! Really looking forward to the new one, and I would recommend everyone to get along to see it.”

                                                Gary Locke, Club Ambassador, Heart of Midlothian Football Club

 “We’re delighted to be able to welcome back the team from This is My Story Productions with a brand-new story to tell.  The resurgence of women’s football in the early 20^th Century, to huge popularity, and the subsequent barriers and bans by authorities had a huge and lasting impact.  Sweet FA manages to brilliantly capture the spirit of those war years and deliver a little bit of history with some real laugh out loud moments.  Something I think we’re all in need of just now.”

                                                Lianne Parry, Head of Heritage, Heart of Midlothian Football Club

 Sweet F.A. plays from Thursday 5^th August to Monday 30^th August 2021, with shows at 3pm and 7:30pm each day (some days without shows due to football fixtures – to be confirmed). The production is suitable for ages 12 and upwards, and has been designed to be compatible with the latest Covid-secure requirements for events, and takes place outside in the concourses and Main Stand at Tynecastle Park.

 

Tickets will be available from:

Edinburgh Fringe – www.edfringe.com  

Universe Events – www.universe.com/users/heart-of-midlothian-football-club-4GP5VW

Getting Older

 

The effect of lockdown on one's mental health is intensified at times you would usually share with family and loved ones. I commiserated celebrated the beginning of the final year of my fifties on Friday but the usual family gathering was prevented due to lockdown rules in Scotland as a result of the Covid pandemic.

These technological times, however, meant I did get WhatsApp messages from my three of my five grandchildren (the youngest two still being a wee bit young for that sort of thing) and these highlighted it isn't just me who is getting older.

Jack, who will be 16 in a couple of months and, therefore, a young man sent me a typically polite 'Hope you have a good day' message. 

Hannah, who will be 14 going on 24 in August, said 'Happy birthday Papapapapapapa' which is probably her way of showing a sense of humour. She does have a tendency to burst into a fit of the giggles for no apparent reason although this may be because I make her laugh without realising it aka extracting the Michael...

It was left to 10-year-old Ava to display the unconditional love which used to be a trademark of her older sister and brother by saying 'Happy birthday to the best Papa on Earth - miss you loads'. This brought a wee tear to my glass eye and underlined how much I miss them all, not having seen them since early November. I like to think Jack and Hannah share their wee sister's sentiments but they are now at the age when showing affection to one's elderly relatives may be deemed distinctly 'uncool'...

It was left to their mother to send me the above collage of my children and grandchildren which cleverly includes a headshot of my father who passed away in 1997. He would have been immensely proud of them all and I like to think he is looking down on all of us. It's a tragedy he never lived to see any of his great-grandchildren but he loved his granddaughters and I know Laura and Michaela still think of him. As I do every day.

Jack, Ava and Laura all have their own birthdays in May (that month costs me a bloody fortune) and I will see them then to join the celebrations - no matter what Scotland's First Minister says at that time. Covid cases in Scotland are falling as are hospital and ICU admissions whilst vaccines are rising in their thousands every day. 

We need hope that we will be able to see our loved ones again very soon. Even rapidly ageing old gits like me...

Float On, Baby

 

Cancer - and my name is Larry.....Mmm... take my hand

Come with me, baby, to Love Land

Let me show you how sweet it could be 

Sharing loving with me

On Valentines Day, the present Mrs Smith and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. I say celebrated but we were stuck in the house thanks to lockdown meaning most places are closed. Flicking through the interminable number of trash tv channels, we stumbled across Now 70s which was dedicated to cheesy love songs, many of which I've tried to forget for the last 45-50 years.

One such song was Float On by, er, The Floaters. Part of the lyrics of this cheesefest are above. No, please, don't leave yet, I haven't finished. Being an old romantic - well, old anyway - I dedicated this song to my beloved but personalised the lyrics.

Pisces - and my name is Mikey....Mmm... take my hand (but mind my arthritis) 

Come with me, baby, to Pound Land

Let me show you how sweet it could be - just take your purse with you baby

Who said romance was dead?

                                                               

                                 

We'll Meet Again

Lockdown means I ain't half missing these little blighters....

 

The Other Side of the Covid Coin

 

               Image from Daibhidh Stevenson's Facebook post

We keep hearing from politicians that there is hope in the fight against Covid-19. With vaccinations starting to be given and this process set to accelerate as 2021 begins,  they may be right (although there are few politicians I really trust)

But what about the other side of the Covid coin? Lockdown has impacted on society in a way I feel those same politicians don't want us to know - or won't allow us to know. 

So when the figures are published on a near daily basis on the number of positive Covid cases and the number of deaths perhaps someone in authority could also publish the number of people dying from impact of lockdown. 

But, if you'll pardon the phrase, I won't hold my breath...