Best's Final Journey 3

Here is the text of the poem that Calum Best son read by Belfast woman Julie McClelland, the one that brought him and me to tears earlier today.

Farewell our friend, but not goodbye.
Your time has come, your soul must fly.
To dance with angels, find the sun,
But how we'll miss our special one.

He walks among us just a while,
Weaved your magic, made us smile.
Your life was so full of light and tears,
We lived it through you, through the years.

The golden days, they went so fast.
The precious times, why can't they last?
So many loved you, did you know?
We were not ready to let you go.

The stars from Heaven are only lent.
A gift from God, that's why they're sent.
We won't forget our Belfast boy,
He filled our lives with so much joy.

Your star will shine now in the sky.
Farewell our friend, but not goodbye.

I've just being reading the comments on the BBC website and am astounded at the number of people complaining about the coverage amongst all the tributes. Why no? Why today? Why mock a man for the disease of alcoholism? Something which as he doctor put so eloquently today he was made too well by the transplant that he returned to drink.

Many of the comments however do refer to the fact that yet again today George Best has done more to unite the people of Northern Ireland than many a politician has tried and been unable to do.

Best's Final Journey 2

Since I last wrote I've been griped by the coverage on the television. I tried to identify the scarfs that were thrown unto the hearse. As well as Northern Ireland and Manchester United I'm sure I also spotted Linfield and Celtic showing that yet again George has united the people of Northern Ireland.

The service was very moving. The second poem that Callum read out got to me as well so I'm not surprised he reached the point of tears. Hearing all the anecdotes for his friends, family and doctors shows the light he will be remembered in. Yes there was the down side but he was a light that was extinguished too early.

Best's Final Journey

I have the TV playing in the background showing live pictures from the Cregagh Estate as the funeral procession of George Best prepares to pass through thousands of mourners to Stormont. Already in scenes reminiscent of Diana flowers are being thrown from the masses unto the hearse in what is the biggest funeral in Northern Irish history.

The location of the funeral service is somewhere I used to walk to during my lunch breaks from one of the government departments just off the estate. It's at the top of a mile long wide avenue that leads up to Parliament Buildings and will undoubtedly provide exception pictures of crowds later on today as the masses stand either side of Prince of Wales Avenue watching the service on big screens.

Best marks a period of Northern Ireland football history where the fans did not care which side of the community the players came from, it was a form of escapism. Sadly for the last few years Neil Lennon has been hounded out of the Northern Ireland team by sectarianism. Best debuted alongside Pat Jennings, two young lads from different sides of the community who both enter the hearts of al football fans in the province.

It is a shame that in relative peace the national football team has become a target of sectarianism, while at the heights of the troubles it was one thing we could agree upon, largely.

ASBO Over Mid Calder

I know that there have been at least two hits to this site this week over the Anti-Social Behaviour Order that has been placed over Mid Calder. I suspect that as my blog mentions both ASBO's and Mid Calder in the past that is why I am coming up high on the list.

Here is my take on this issue as someone local to the area, involved in politics and known to frequesnt the area in the evening following bowls at Mid Calder Bowling Club.

The situation in Mid Calder is starting to remind me of a mild saturday night ack home in Bangor. I say mild in that there are not as many kids hanging around, nor are they all as drunk as Bangor tended to be at chucking out time. However, Mid Calder is not as big as Bangor, so the groups of young people who congregate there look more like a hoard and are closer to residential areas than Bangor's main streets.

Our candidate in the General Election and By Election Charles Dundas talked to local police about this problem while out canvassing in the village in September with Simon Hughes. The police were saying that they were having difficulty controlling the situation which has been getting steadily worse in recent years.

It now appears that the only option open to them has been to apply for an ASBO that covers the entire village. Allowing them powers of dispersal to any group of two or more people, that they suspect of anti-social behaviour.

Are the police right to do so? Well there is no other option open to them under current legisation to take further action.

What affect will it have? Already some people are thinking and writing to the press saying the issue is liable to move just over half a mile away to East Calder. Others are saying the police cannot be everywhere to dispearse everyone all the time.

Where will this lead? We have yet to see but I will keep you posted.

USA Next to None on Climate Change - Says USA

Being a quiz freak while attempting to answer the BBC New Americas weekly quiz I can across this story that I had somehow missed.

What shocked me first is the arrogance of the USA who said on Monday:

"With regard to what the United States is doing on climate change, the actions we have taken are next to none in the world," said US negotiator Dr Harlan L Watson, saying greenhouse gas emissions had dropped 0.8% since George Bush became president.

The statement was of course shot down by environmentalists at the conference, Steve Sawyer of Greenpeace said:

"The one thing... we cannot afford is to allow this US administration to hold the rest of the world hostage while they go on about voluntary this and voluntary that," he said.

However, I think the statement from the US is just an attempt at over spin. They have merely changed sentance order and punctuation. This is the statement that possibly is mor ethe reality they were faced with.

With regard to what the United States is doing on climate change in the world. The actions they have taken are next to none.

After all Bush, rejected Kyoto, doesn nothing to inhibit the oil companies in his own country, is taking little action to encourage alternative fuels. Unfortunately Americans may think this happening due to the activity in the Bartlett Adminstration in The West Wing.

Retirement Seems Further Away with Each Passing Day

I don’t know about anyone else but his post by Peter Black got me thinking about the exponential rise in proposed age of eligibility for the state pension this couple of weeks.


On the 22 November the Liberal Democrats unveiled their proposal to raise the age to 67 and provide the citizens pension. This was widely expected at the time to be the recommendation of the Taylor report.

On Wednesday we are told that the Government in light of the Turner report is considering raising the age to 68.

Then this morning I read that if state contributions are made smaller it could rise to 69.

The clarify what the report is actually saying, The Scotsman writes:

The age of entitlement to the state pension is likely to rise to 66 in 2020, then 67 in 2030 and finally 68 in 2050. If ministers decide the state's contributions should be smaller, Lord Turner said pensions could even be delayed until 69.

So it looks like I’ll be getting my entitlement at 67. Why did I leave the civil service where my contract guaranteed I would have to retire at 60 and be able to claim my contribution pension?

Press Plagiarist of the Year Award

Guido Fawkes in association with a Recess Monkey and Tim Worstall are getting their own back at those lazy newspaper journalists who merely take their copy straight off unsuspecting bloggers. They have launched the Press Plagiarist of the Year Award.

Rather than repeat anything that they say, although of course it would be credited here, I’ll just encourage you to go and take a look and vote.