Leicester was a bit like a blast of cold air on a hot day. Restrictions re-imposed, ‘non-essential’ (that phrase again!) shops to close, schools to close etc, and be reviewed in two weeks. Leicester may not be in Scotland, the situation there may be different from here, but it is a reminder of what could […]

We will see various changes this week designed to ease lockdown restrictions: a number of shops will be re-opening today (who thought up the term ‘non-essential’? It is very disparaging to staff and owners who work hard to meet the needs of the wider public) and on Friday the five-mile travel restriction will be lifted.

Today is Armed Forces Day, when the country is encouraged to think about, and show its appreciation for, our Armed Forces. Usually there will be events around the country to mark it, and Dumbarton hosts it for West Dunbartonshire Council from time to time. No events this year because of the virus, but still an

End of term, end of school year. What a term, what a year! Thanks to all the school staff and volunteers who have helped to keep the education system going (albeit in a different way) over the last few months. Good wishes to all the pupils and parents/ guardians. All the best for planning for

The newspaper headlines today are celebrating when people will be able to go to pubs, the hairdressers, art galleries, on holiday. For it all to happen on the planned dates, infection rates must stay low. That requires people to be sensible, careful and think about others. Most of the population meet those requirements all the

Talk about Sex and the City! There were strange noises in the garden late last night. Investigating with a torch confirmed that two hedgehogs were indeed getting friendly. (What a chat-up line: “Here hen, d’ye wan a date doon by the compost heap?”) All fitted exactly with the text-book information on hedgehogs. Humanity has seen

Yesterday we reflected on the ‘new normal’. Today we are reminded of the ‘old normal’: it’s raining, it’s not awfully warm, the rest of the country is roasting, while we can look forward to usual ‘start of the school holidays’ weather! But the school holidays will not be the same as they usually are: people

While sifting through old photos yesterday to scan for this week’s Tail of the Bank shots I came across some photos from Primary School days. When in P5 I went on a school trip to Belgium, starting with the overnight train to London. There we were on the station platform, hours after we usually went