Life's Journey

  "Lest we forget...." It is that time of year, and how can we forget that through out the centuries young people, both men and women, have gone to war and given their lives for others. Many of us will take up the poppy and pin it to our clothing. Our red poppy is a symbol of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. Poppies are worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community.  The poppy is a well-known and well-established symbol, one that carries a wealth of history and meaning with it. Wearing a poppy is still a very personal choice, reflecting individual experiences and personal memories. It is never compulsory but is greatly appreciated by those who it is intended to support. During WW1, much of the fighting took place in Western Europe. The countryside was blasted, bombed and fought over repeatedly. Previously beautiful landscapes turned to mud; bleak and barren scenes where little or nothing could grow. And so the poppy emerged as a symbol of hope as th...

an interview on radio  November is certainly a month for remembrance. In a few days, the 5th November, many in the UK will be recalling the poem "Remember, remember, the 5th of November" which continues to detail the story from history of Guy Fawkes and the failed gun powder plot over 400 years ago. The 11th November is also known in the UK as "Remembrance day", remembering the day that peace came to the world in 1914, with the hope that we might have seen the war to end all wars. That hope was so disappointing, wars continue to this very day but we continue with that memory seeking to find lasting peace. Today, the 1st of November, is also a day to remember, "All Saints day". It is a day to be reminded that there is something personal in all of this, for the bible indicates that saints are the people who have trusted Jesus as Saviour. On the day of that commitment God has set us apart for him, not about being perfect for none of us has gained perfection b...

  History plays a role in so much of life today, but who would have thought that sufferings of one man 110 years ago would have played a part in what has become an important part of caring for folks today. In 1911, a young man named Douglas Macmillan watched his father die of cancer. His father's pain and suffering moved Douglas so much, he founded the Society for the Prevention and Relief of Cancer.  Douglas wanted advice and information to be provided to all people with cancer, homes for patients at low or no cost, and voluntary nurses to attend to patients in their own homes. So how does that affect us today? Many of us know someone who has suffered from cancer. My own father died of cancer in 1977. He died one month from the diagnosis. Where do people seek support? For many its in those circumstances that the role of MacMillan nurses is discovered. Today much of Douglas's legacy lives on. They have continually adapted the support offered to ensure it’s right for peopl...

 "Hart to Hart" was a TV series that many of us enjoyed watching between 1979 to 1984. The series majored on a married couple by the name of Hart who travelled the world as amateur detectives solving crimes wherever they went. However, the topic that comes to my mind this week is not about a RV series, nor anything fictional, but something that we all carry with us wherever we go. The heart! It is a major item that keeps our lives running as it pumps the blood around our body. What happens, however, when the heart runs into trouble? Who has the heart to prepare to meet the needs of another persons heart at such a time as this? Restart a Heart is held every October, where thousands of people across the UK, and many more worldwide, come together to increase public awareness of cardiac arrests and increase the number of people trained in life saving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillator use.   The initiative is led by  Resuscitation Council UK ...

  President Ronald Reagan was once challenged by a college student who said it was impossible for Ronald Reagan’s generation to understand his. “You grew up in a different world,” the student said. “Today we have television, jet planes, space travel, nuclear energy, computers. . .” Taking advantage of a pause in the student’s litany, Ronald Reagan said, “You’re right. We didn’t have those things when we were young. We invented them.” Nancy Reagan, My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan (Random House)   In the political world there can be so much that is challenging that we miss what are the real issues of the day. We are in the midst of the party conference season in the UK which gives the opportunity for politicians to make the headlines, but not always for the right reasons. Sadly we have had a senior politician in one party giving time to name calling those of the other party. The response has been for a senior politician of the other party suggesting that the name caller mus...

 This month there have been many displays through out the UK celebrating the Battle of Britain that was fought in the UK in 1940 between 10 July – 31 October. Adolf Hitler expected UK to admit defeat following the defeat of France but Britain continued its fight defying Germanys hopes of superiority in the air.   There are many interesting memories that were shared from that period by those who lived at that time. My own mother worked with the London Ambulance service as part of the "war effort". She spoke of how she had to travel in the midst of the bombing to assist those in need. Such was the need that removal vans were commandeered and converted into ambulances. She was only 4 foot 8 inches. Can you imagine the fears of drivers, not only dodging the bombs but seeing the ambulance coming along the road and due to her small stature there did not appear to be any one driving! In 1975 I was posted to RAF Brawdy in Pembrokeshire where I was given a new insight into the pilots ...

 Footballer, televsion personalty, and man who still had higher hopes! James Peter Greaves MBE (20 February 1940 – 19 September 2021), or Jimmy Greaves, was an English professional Footballer who played as a forward. He was Englands fourth-highest international goal scorer (44 goals). What a record! However, thats not the full story. He was also Tottenham Hotspurs 's highest ever goalscorer (266 goals), the highest goalscorer in the history of English football (357 goals), and also scored more hjat tricks (six) for England than anyone else. Due to an injury he failed to have a place n the 1966 world cup team.   Such a distinguished football career would have been enough for many folks, but Greavsie still looked for more. After retiring as a player Greaves went on to enjoy a successful career in broadcasting, most notably working alongside Ian St John on Sant and Greavsie from 1985 to 1992. During this period, he also made regular appearances on TV-am.Yesterday it was repore...