5 Sun awareness week (3-9) Amongst other things this is Sun awareness week. On Monday, with heavy rain and wind, we might flippantly have asked if we were supposed to be aware that somewhere in the far blue yonder beyond the cloud there is supposed to be a sun. It’s rather different today with sunshine […]

4 Deaf awareness week (3-9 May) During the last year, with mask wearing and keeping a 2m distance from people, a number of folk have realised that they actually have hearing issues – up till then they weren’t aware how much they relied on being close to someone, and to some extent watching their lips,

3 There are various commemorations taking place today to mark the creation of two separate jurisdictions on the island of Ireland one hundred years ago today – effectively creating ‘Northern Ireland’ as a political entity separate from what became the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland. Differences in identity among communities on the

1 May Today sees the start of ‘National, local and community history month’ – no I hadn’t heard of it either! So after you washed your face in the dew, skipped round the maypole, marched for workers’ rights or whatever, you might like to reflect on how you could learn a bit more about the

30 As we have been enjoying a major easing of restrictions in Scotland this week, following the success of the vaccine programme and weeks of tough restrictions, we see terrible scenes of the virus surging almost-out of control in India, Brazil struggling, and Turkey entering a new lockdown. We feel desperately for those affected –

29 What is going on in the world of politics and political parties? At Westminster we have a slew of allegations concerning  the Prime Minister and some of his colleagues. It isn’t that long since we had a very public split between the current First Minister of Scotland and her predecessor. Now the First Minister

28 World Immunisation Week Many people who were around in the first half of the Twentieth Century could tell of friends or relatives who caught infectious diseases such as diphtheria, polio and tuberculosis, of long spells in hospital (often in isolation), and for some life-changing or even fatal consequences. Nowadays it is very unusual to

27 National gardening week (26 April -2 May) Over the past year many people turned to their gardens in a completely new way, lavishing them with attention they hadn’t had in years. Work that was on the ‘to do’ list got done, colourful displays will brought on, seeds were planted and tended for plants and

26 Allergy awareness week (26-30) The weather is dry, warm and sunny (well, it was), but not everyone can enjoy being out in it. For some, such weather comes with sneezes, runny noses and itchy eyes – hay fever. Pollen (which doesn’t just come from newly mown grass) is one of the triggers that can