So
farewell then, 2014. And I have to say I won’t be disappointed to see the back
of it. It’s not been the best of years
for the Ranter for a number of reasons. Here are my highlights – and some
lowlights…
The Good Times:
The
lovely Marion who has been my rock these last few difficult months. She is the
love of my life and I simply could not live without her. And her home-made soup
is to die for (some say literally, but not me, oh no…)
Arranging
my wedding to Marion on 14 February 2015 has been the main priority this year.
Less than seven weeks to go now and the nerves are already jangling. We are
almost there – but I need to work on my speech…Marion means so much to me and,
as The Proclaimers sang so memorably, ‘it’s just a piece of paper but it says I
love you’. She has transformed my life for the better and for that I will be
eternally grateful.
Daughter
Michaela giving birth to her first child. Max was born on 5 March and was six
weeks premature. He was in a special unit for the first few days of his life and
these were worrying times for the whole family. However, he is now as strong as
an ox. Max is grandchild number four for the Auld Reekie Ranter. My family is
fast turning into the bloody Waltons but I’m proud of each and every one of
them.
Michaela
also got engaged to her partner Sean in November. Fiftysomethings like me will
recall the days when couples got engaged first, then got married and left home
and then had children. The modern trend seems to be to do this in reverse!
Michaela has endured some tough times in her young life so I’m grateful to Sean
for making her so happy. Sean is a fellow of the Hibernian persuasion but, hey,
you can’t have everything…Their wedding is set for May 2016 – around cup final
day but that won’t trouble Sean’s team…
Watching
my other grandchildren Jack (9), Hannah (7) and Ava (4) develop into such
wonderful, loving children. No matter what goes on in my life they always give
me such a great welcome and their unconditional love is something I treasure.
They are a credit to my elder daughter Laura who has done such a fantastic job
in bringing them up. I’m proud of her too although I don’t tell her this as
much as I should.
Away
from family – and on to football. Hearts turning 2014 into a year of two
halves. The first six months were awful – losing the League Cup semi-final to
nine man Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Easter Road on the second day of
February; relegation from the top flight of Scottish football meaning Hearts
would be playing in the second tier for the first time in over 30 years; the
painful departure of coach Gary Locke (a died in the wool Jambo) and players
such as goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald who served the club so well. The second half
of the year saw Hearts with a new owner – Ann Budge who has brought integrity
back to Tynecastle; a new Head Coach, Robbie Neilson and a new young and
vibrant team and a playing style now based on passing the ball rather than
lumping it up the park. Hearts ended the calendar year 15 points ahead at the
top of the SPFL Championship – optimism has returned to the Maroon Army.
My
book Hearts 50 Greatest Games continuing to sell. It’s still available in all
good bookshops…
The Not So Good Times:
Where
to start. The start of the year saw Michaela struggle with her pregnancy and my
mother having health problems. Both had short spells in hospital. An attempt by
Marion and I to get away from it all with a wee trip to Liverpool for a few
days in February was met with a hurricane on Merseyside which curtailed our
activities.
With
workload at the office mounting, granddaughter Ava breaking her arm and tension
all around, I reached breaking point in the early summer. In May I was signed
off work with stress/depression. I was off for 10 weeks all told and these were
difficult times. My lowest point came in June and I just couldn’t see any way
forward. All sorts of thoughts entered my mind. However, with Marion’s help, I did drag myself
back from the abyss and returned to work at the end of July. Professional
counselling has helped. Things are still difficult on so many fronts but I’m
more focussed now on what I need to do.
My
dear old mother continues to have problems, not only with her health but with
utility companies who seem to be trying their level best to make her life
difficult. We have done battle this year with BT, Scottish Gas and the
Television Licence people, all of whom have struggled with the relatively
straightforward concept of my mother’s address. I have threatened to go to the
relevant ombudsman on more than one occasion. Life shouldn’t be this difficult.
Marion’s
aunty, who I have a special affection for, was diagnosed with a serious illness
towards the end of the year. Although she’s in her early eighties, her spirit
is remarkably strong and her humorous, positive approach to life makes me feel
so humble.
2014
was, of course, the year of Scotland’s Independence Referendum. A huge number
of people went to the polls on September 18th. Sadly, after the
Westminster establishment panicked and sent Messrs Cameron, Clegg and Miliband
to Scotland as the opinion polls swung marginally to a Yes vote, the majority
of Scots swallowed the London government’s ‘vow’ (with more than a little help
from former PM Gordon Brown) and voted to remain ‘Better Together’. Within days,
many regretted their actions. It may be some time before Scotland gets another
chance like this.
Best Gig:
It’s been
another great year for gigs, particularly in the second half of the year.
Marion and I took in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (see below) and we spent
much of the year going to gigs in Glasgow. We began the year by seeing The Beat
in Edinburgh in February. In October we saw the wonderful Carol Emerald at the
Hydro in Glasgow; at the end of November we went to a gig I never thought I
would get the chance to see – the legends that are The Who, also at the Hydro
in Glasgow. There may only be Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend left from the
original line up but they are still worth seeing. We returned to the Hydro a
week before Christmas to see the masters of ska music - Madness – another
magnificent occasion. The best gig of 2014, though, was the now traditional Christmas
visit of Bad Manners to Edinburgh. The atmosphere at the Citrus Club was a real
party one as Buster Bloodvessel and co belted out the old ska classics.
Brilliant.
A wee
mention, too, for Colin Cloud, Forensic Mind Reader who we saw at Edinburgh’s Dynamic
Earth in April. He is a gifted performer and if you get the chance to see him I
urge you to take it.
Edinburgh Fringe:
This year we saw
the legend that is Barry Cryer along with his I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue
companion (at the piano) Colin Sell, comedians Tim Vine, Kevin Day and the I’m
Sorry I Haven’t a Clue host Jack Dee. Jack’s team asked the audience for some
questions as they queued to get in – the show was called Jack Dee’s Problem
Page. I wrote that I wondered who the funniest comedian was at the Edinburgh
Fringe and immediately thought of Jack Dee – perhaps he knew who it was. In
fairness to Jack, he read out my message and gave me a name check (my brief
flirtation with fame!)
Musical (not so) Youth:
Marion’s mission to
convert me to the joys of musicals continues. Only the one this year though – Let
It Be, The Story of The Beatles at the Edinburgh Playhouse in June. Sadly, I
wasn’t overly impressed.
The Year Ahead:
So another eventful
year draws to a close. It’s been a difficult one and, as I said at the
beginning, I won’t be sorry to see it end. However, I am looking forward to
2015 and marrying the girl of my dreams, making some real positive changes to
my professional life and hopefully seeing Hearts get promoted.
Happy New Year,
folks. Here’s to a happy 2015 – it surely can’t be as bad as 2014!
