Tuesday May 28th 2019
Christine Grahame MSP writes her monthly column for Midlothian View
Penicuik Hunter Lad & Lass
For another year I had the good luck to be invited to the installation and later to say a few words.
This year we were stuck indoors because of some hoo-hah about the stage outside. On the plus side it was warm and cosy but as I had not known we were moving indoors I like many roasted in my many Penicuik layers.
The children performing, the dancers and the talent competition winners were a delight and the idea of a junior Hunter and Lass is excellent. The junior Hunter’s face was a picture and quite inscrutable. As for the talent competition winners, I spotted a nascent Tina Turner. If you were there you will know who I mean!.
But next year Midlothian Cooncil we want outside again. Too many couldn’t get into the Town Hall and anyway, what is the Installation without the tribulations of the weather?
Penicuik in the Park
Well this year we had showers and rain, last year sunshine (not rain) by the bucket and one year I recall hanging on to guy ropes to stop the gazebo taking flight. However whatever the skies throw at us, it’s good fun all round with interesting stands to visit.
I can’t always get round them all but visited the Glencorse stand, excellent sausage rolls and rocky roads by the way, the Rotary with the kit they provide for disaster areas, the water purifying stand where muddy grubby water is instantly transformed into something eminently drinkable , and yes I did drink a cup.
Beeslack were doing temporary tattoos and I was all up for that. By Sunday night despite scrubbing, my naughty emoji was still highly visible and as I was laying a wreath in Edinburgh the next day as a Presiding Officer for Parliament at a memorial to the fallen in 1914-18 it had to go. By the way nail varnish remover did the trick.
Bought more nibbles at the Penicuik Youth Athletic stall and had a long chat with Penicuik Men’s Shed team where I noticed that it was the women who were busy preparing the stall while the men chatted to me! I also had a good blether with Penicuik Citizen of the Year June Horne, a woman who fully deserves the title being so committed to Penicuik and its folk.
Brexit
Yes I had to mention it because frankly it matters. For the second time Scotland has voted for parties which want to remain in the EU. The SNP took the lion’s share of the vote. Nigh on 38% and streets ahead of the Brexit party.
3 seats out of 6 is, some tally, yet the way the wind is blowing at Westminster we are being dragged out Deal or No Deal as they say. Chaos in the Tories and meltdown in Labour which had only 9% of the EU vote and lost 2 MEPs including the excellent David Martin. In the meantime while Westminster collapses and Labour dithers, in Scotland our Government, indeed Parliament gets on year in year out with that day job.
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