Christine Grahame MSP

Friday October 30th 2015

Christine Grahame MSP in Parliament Main

It’s called Halloween for Goodness Sake

Now I know I am fighting a losing battle over this transatlantic import and I can live with pumpkins instead of neeps but “Trick or Treat”? No.

I have surrendered to the pumpkin because even I know that it’s hellish hard, not to say a matter for Health & Safety, trying to carve out a neep and to chisel out eyes and a jaggy mouth. Many an attempt in my childhood was discarded and meant we were condemned (quite rightly) by my “waste not want not” mother to turnip as the main meal ingredient for days.

But why of why “Trick or Treat”? It’s more hideous than spooky outfits bought off the shelves these days where a child need make no effort to dress to scare. I hear my sons playing imaginary violins as I come over all nostalgic for the days when sooty faces and white (soon to be soot stained) sheets was all it took. But it gets worse; you can even buy plastic pumpkins with inset lighting. Ach, I give up…….

The Things you find out in a TESCO Surgery

There was I doing my monthly Saturday TESCO surgery and tell the truth, business was slow. However I need not have worried because at the end of the checkouts were young girls packing with T shirts bearing the logo “ Ultimate Storm”. Well not a real storm of course like hurricane Patricia but members of the Penicuik Cheerleading Group whom I bumped into while setting up my regular Penicuik TESCO surgery this week.

I had a chat with the leaders and then a look at what they do on YouTube. Crumbs, it’s like not waving pompoms and all that stuff but really difficult acrobatics and is very impressive. It’s particularly good because so many girls once they leave primary school pretty well abandon physical activity because it’s not attractive to them but modern cheerleading really is and with smashing costumes to boot. It keeps them uber fit and is glamorous. Grand stuff.

Free Chips

Not to go with yir battered fish but the microchip variety. This is a reminder that you can have your dog micro-chipped free of charge at Penicuik Town Hall on Friday 13th November –lucky for some-from 10.30 till 2pm. It’s the right thing to do for your pooch and if other micro-chipping events I have run with the Dogs Trust are anything to go by, I’m expecting crowds.

Next year the Scottish Government will be bringing in legislation to make micro-chipping yir dug compulsory. Look forward to meeting you and your best friend on Friday 13th.

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