59 to 60 part14

 

                                                                                   21/06/21

Hello and welcome to part 14 of my blog and in this one i would like to go back in time well to when i was born and tell you a bit more of my life. Times of great music some great people and of course school as well, hard times and sad times but it is what has shaped my life and made me the man i am today, yes from that wee boy in the photo to now and the handsome guy i am now 😂 

                                                                             22/06/21

So today was a quick 25miles on bike to get the legs turning and putting some mile into charity event which i only have 30miles left to do, an nice easy cycle today once again up Carlungie way and Monikie and surrounding area and was a very nice sunny day.

So onto my story again i was born march 4th 1962 in and as far as i am aware i was born in Dundee Royal Infirmary (DRI) I am the youngest of seven there are Chris, Peter, Joseph, john, Margaret and Patrica and if i ever find family photo i shall put it up here. We stayed at 120 Balgowan Ave Kirkton and never left until i was 21 years of age, it was hard life at times as my Mum brought us up basically on her own after she threw my dad out during a big argument which I remember to this day but i will only say that during it my dad kicked mum and i am sure it was by accident as before he left I remember him coming back in and putting a bandage on my mums leg before he left. I often wonder how they managed to have seven of us but after they died we found there marriage certificate and few other things they were married I’m sure on Valentine’s Day and they both did there nursing together as well. Mum was a nurse in Strathmartin hospital and dad was a nurse in Ashluidie hospital so i can only figure that at one time they must have been very much in love. Unfortunately i don’t have a photo of dad at moment but mum yes in her nurses uniform.

                                                                      Mum on the far right

My Dad was fond of the drink and well mum she hardly ever drank but as i say was it always this way? I am unsure, so growing up we never saw much of him but he would come and stay every now and then and when sober they really seemed to get on well but you knew when pay day arrived as he would not come back to house and go back to his wee flat in Monifieth. So all i can say is Mum brought us up and what A job she did it could not have been easy for her and we probably never made it easy at times but she worked hard all her life and it is not until it was to late that you think yeah i could have made it a bit easier for her. She is my hero though and reason i have gone into nursing myself. Kirkton was a good place to stay it was a big house we stayed in but we had many happy days there hard ones to but at the time you just got on with life.

                                                                     120 Balgowan Ave

We were brought up in the time of gangs the main one being the Kirkton Huns we were brought up in times of the best music but also we were brought up in times of the belt at school a time when if you did something wrong and police caught you they would give you a slap take you home tell your mum and she would give you a proper slap 😂 but every time i think back all i think about are times of fun being in our own wee gang, fights and well although it sounds strange just enjoying a young lads life. I will go into more detail of course but i am now thinking this blog about me may go into the next part as well. But i hope anyone who reads this gets an understanding of what these days were like and well in todays society where you cant say boo to anyone without getting reported life was so much better then so much easier and much better fun.

                                                                              24/06/21

Well not best start to the day i woke early and was getting ready to go to doctors for my steroid jab to help with my sore arm and have waited for long enough only for them to phone and say it was cancelled as seemingly doctor phoned in sick, to say i am pissed off is an understatement and really fekin annoyed as they don’t even know when i shall be seen but will be phoning them very soon as i have had enough. The rest of the day was spent in garden then out to buy couple of things for tea and i am now sitting trying to stay calm. So onto the early days and to say life was easier i mean it in a way that you were left basically to your own devices we were sent out to play and really we were told when to be back home for tea and then let out again then told to be back for bed at 8 mmm 9 at the latest or the wknd and believe me if you missed this time you were soon told never ever to do it again and usually we never did. I don’t remember much when i was really young just things like playing football on the grass in middle of dual carriageway and in these days there were not as many cars as their is today but it still was bizarre when i think back that we played there.

                                                                 Where we played football

There was always a lot of us who played here and probably to the annoyance of the people who stayed in the street but honestly no one ever said much as we were all from the street. Balgowan Ave was the Main Street it must be just over or near to 2mile long and our house was right in the middle and it used to have a big tree in the front garden a tree we used to climb probably to hide from mum when she was chasing us 😂 oh poor mum she really had her work cut out for here but as i have said at the time you just never thought like this you just wanted to be out and have fun, their were no mobile phones no computers nothing like this there was just you and the outside world and it was great and man we got up to some mischief and sometimes mum found out but most time not mmmm thank god. I remember one incident of being up at a friends mucking about and to this day i don't know why he did but my brother Chris threw a bottle through mates window and all I remember thinking was fuck and running home we both got through our back door of house and hid under the kitchen table, i also remember the front door getting knocked on and my mum being told what Chris had done mum was furious and she started shouting on us it was like a magnet we were kind of drawn to where mum was and i was shitting it ha ha she shouted what have we been up to? All i can say my brother answer lives with me to this day, he told mum it rolled out of his hand and along the ground rolled up the wall and went through the window i just looked in amazement wel that was until mum gave us both yes both a good hiding 🙈 both i was like it was him mam it was him 😂 😂 and can’t remember when we were aloud back out the house ha ha oh my days. 

                                                                     Chris on the right

This is not the only thing he did and will put more up of course but to this day we still go out drinking and football together and with Paddy who is on the left. I have the greatest respect for him but sometimes i wonder why after somethings he got up to 😂. I think even with just putting this little bit up you will get an idea of how life was growing up in Kirkton and he still stays there to this day. I as have said sometimes walk or cycle up Balgowan ave and still stop and look at where i stayed and played and still see a lot of people i use to play with. Stephen and Eric Gudmunsen, Teresa DeFranco the Italian family she was aright tom boy and a good friend who i see every now and again but am in touch through FB there are many to mention some who have passed some who i still see to this day and as i go through the blogs will try to mention more and more of the stories. So time to just chill as 35miles on bike tomorrow weather permitting and that will finish my charity event, currently i am sitting having a beer and just enjoying a blog on the history of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

So top photo is from left John Peter and Chris and a wee joe my sisters son sitting with his curly hair this was take in our back garden in Kirkton. Next  photo is myself in the rattly old jumper and shorts and in the pink is Teresa De Franco in the Main Street of Balgowan Ave then the next is myself and mate called Stephen Gudmunsen at a party at my sisters house i think i am 15 in this photo and denim shirt and jeans was the way for me.

                                                                         25/06/21

Was hoping to finish my charity event today but have woken to very strong winds and rain expected very soon so this might have to wait until Sunday my next day off so i am of out to maybe do bit in garden and bit sanding on an old table i have in the garage burn if weather changes for the better then i may get some miles in. Just back in and not looking good for cycle today wind really strong so will now be Sunday as back at work tomorrow. Gravel all sorted ready for final base to go on for the shed when it arrives so been a productive morning. 

Back to my story and trying to find certain picture is not easy so this is why i have decided to put bits in through the blogs in the hope i can find some more. As i have said times were good but also hard but mum always made sure we had food on the table it was a time when neighbours looked after each other mmm well some also a time when you probably could leave your doors open unless there were certain characters around 😂 but I remember one incident where mum was struggling and one of the neighbours ended up giving her food her name was Mrs Low i think at first my mum did not want to take it but in the end she did even though it must have been hard for her she did it to keep us from going hungry, at that time i was still at school but i look back at certain times and wish i got a paper job and when i left school a job straight away to help mum but first three years i just wanted out and have fun not really thinking how hard mum was working or struggling and i feel really horrible when i think about it because when I finally did get a job and was able to give mum board money it must have helped her and maybe for the first time she never really worried about things to much and of course i will tell you more about mum as we go on and dad.

                                                        Mum with me & John check my hair

Our house in Kirkton was big we had 3 big bedrooms and toilet and lots of cupboard space upstairs downstairs we had a big living room a spare room which was big and a big kitchen we also had a big garden at the back and at the front, i shared a room with my brother Chris and to begin with our wall was covered in football posters and yes Dundee United, i remember one Saturday united sold a player to i think it might have been Aston Villa Chris shot upstairs in a bad mood and next thing i saw was all the photos of Andy ripped up and passing the living room window 😂 i think he was a bit upset as at the time Gray was the main man at united a great player and did make it big down south, but just another wee story about Chris. He is still to this day hates us getting beat but maybe not as bad as back then. Well onto today again and we’ve decided to go out for tea tonight Fort Bar at 18-15 which should be nice it is just good to know we can go back out again for something to eat so i may have a couple of 🍻.

                                                              Kirkton from the Hillocks 

Back on our house it was great when we finally got into music my wall had posters of Kiss Kate bush, Blondie mmm well Debbie Harry and Kate Bush amongst others but i was a very big Kiss fan and just started to get into other rock music such as Led Zep, Motörhead, and Black Sabbath amongst many more and think Chris had some up but cant really remember, after the posters the room was painted Tangerine but think mum refused to let us paint the roof black 😂 i really wish i had some photos but unfortunately i don't which is a shame as that would have been great.

                                                      Debbie Harry and last time i saw Kiss

Just back home from the fort bar after couple of pints and steak pie very nice indeed and was good to see a busy bar and people just enjoying themselves it is also the first pint i have had in my hometown since pubs reopened. Well back to work tomorrow for one day then off Sunday and Monday so will update this on the Sunday. 

                                                                            27/06/21

A good start to Sunday after a quick breakfast it was out to complete my charity challenge which i have enjoyed so it was the sidlaw run today a goo 31 miles on a very god day light breeze but pretty much perfect cycling weather and as i have said that’s it done.

Very good i do like a challenge and although normally i do more miles sometimes we need something to push us on. So back home and about to go out again for an hour or so have a coffee then it will be back to hopefully sit in the garden and do bit more of this and then watch a bit of the football. 

Back home after couple hours. Out even saw the dolphins today but after a coffee not much else to do so fitba on and couple beers. So to finish this blog i would just like to tell you something which i will go in to more detail later, a while ago I decided to go on a long walk and visit my old schools and place where we used to hang out in Kirkton a lot especially at night, what happened during that walk i have to say brought tears to my eyes and even today i still find it hard to understand why it affected me the way it did, i will probably start blog 15 with this story and maybe one day if anyone reads this they may I understand why i had this reaction

It is funny as bought this from charity shop today A Trick of the Tail by Genesis an original 1975 and here is me writing about these days this made me smile. 

59to60 part 13

 

                                                                             14/06/21

Hello and welcome to part 13 of my blog and yes that is me in this photo think i am 16 at my brothers wedding i look a proper gangster 😂 mmm well maybe not. Today has been a quiet day as i am off to Pitlochry tomorrow as said in previous blog so relaxing day well maybe not so relaxing as i decided to watch the Scotland game and yes they lost 2-0 but i have to say the Croatian keeper pulled of some great saves but we were just nit good enough, and now it is on to Friday and Wembley to play the winners of the tournament seemingly well according to there crap pundits, can’t say i am looking forward to this game but with Scotland you just never know. So was bit of shopping today then back home to get bike int the back of the car and all cycle gear ready for tomorrow. Tonight will be an early night as well so not very exciting start to part 13 but hopefully bit more exciting tomorrow until then a video.

                                                                         

                                                                             15/06/21

So how did my cycle from Pitlochry to Dundee go? Well it went rather well, i was up at 5-30 and set of for the train around 6-10 and happy to say that it all went well on the train they were not busy so was able to keep my bike beside me which was good did not need to use lock on both trains 🚊 and they were both on time getting to Pitlochry around 8-45.

I did meet a nice fella from France 🇫🇷 he was on his way to cycle in the Cairngorms so wished him all the best, i went into Pitlochry to grab a cake and coffee which truthfully wish i never as it wasn’t very nice but think it might just have been me. So off i set heading towards the Moulin Hotel this takes you right onto the back roads and some stunning scenery and as i like to take photos well i did stop a few times.

This route is just fantastic i had a smile on my farce from the start even though i was having trouble sending Helen who took me to the station early morning ⭐️ a link so she can follow me on strava but my Spotify was not working right either so i think it was down to me losing my signal as it did eventually send. First part of this route takes you kirkmichael and as i have said it is beautiful and not to much traffic which is always good. So o did stop few times at the start to take some photos.

Then headed onto Bridge Of Calley nice wee place but i think as far as i know the hotel shut but today it seemed to be open for tea and coffee but not sure if it is open for staying, had a ten minute break here was going to go in for a cuppa but decided just to eat what i brought with me so it’s was a granola bar and some of my water which was fine.

Next was onto Blairgowrie which was just 6miles down the road and took me half way to 25miles then it was to Cupar Angus this is where i felt or started to feel bit burnt out but i decided that i was going to push on until i did the climb that takes you on the road to piperdamn and by this time i did need to take 15min to stretch and fuel up bit more this is first time for while trying to do 50miles and also a lot of climbs so i was expecting this to happen.

So after fuelling up i did feel bit stronger so it was the push back home and got to say it felt good to get onto the flat road and wind was behind me for while so was right through Birkhill and decided to take the cycle track back home which ended up being bit annoying as there is a lot of work going on there at the moment so it did slow me down a bit but all in all a great day. Now sitting in house doing this blog but am about to kick back for half an hour before my tea. 

                                                                           16/06/21

Well woke this morning feeling wee bit sore but all in all not to bad at all and the fact that rain is expected soon i would be out for quick ten miles, happy that although my back is bit sore and i have had a bit cramp everything is workable so it shall be a stretch and see what the rest of the day brings but i think it may involve the dentist as my tooth has been given me bit pain it has been filled in 3times but really i think it is time for it to come out as the dentist did say he does not think it can be saved, my youth catching up with me as i was not the best at cleaning them but i was very good at eating very sugary sweets and drinking very sugary drinks as in these days there was not much diet stuff about. On my cycle yesterday i had a memory flash up about a walk that i did few years ago which i will wright about in my next blog no 14 about school days and growing up in Kirkton. 

Well tooth is out and i now look a total gadge it was a very big tooth and has left a real gap, now have to let gums settle then go back and see if i can get something to fill the gap watch this space 😂 so that’s been it for today i am back to work tomorrow for next 3 days but will try and do a bit before i am off.

                                                                               20/06/21

So hello Sunday its been a sore last few days as my gums decided to swell on Saturday morning and was in a lot of pain by the time i reached work so had to call NHS 24 and get an emergency appointment, they were very good and had me seen within a few hours and seemingly i have dry gum syndrome which she says can be really sore so she rinsed it out and put a small dressing in which helped for a while but have had to kneel taking pain killers which just help and no more sh says it could take a while to heal, i am so tired of being in pain what with my arm and now my gums and hoping by the end of next week it will all be sorted as i also have my appointment at doctors for my arm. Anyway onto today and after Scotland’s result against the auld  enemy i go in search of a Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 top today as we are on the brink of football history all we need is a good result against Croatia and for other results to help us and for the first time we will go through to the next round of the European championship the players did us proud and really they should have beat England as they dominated the game so fingers crossed for Tuesday.

Scotland top now purchased medium bitty tight 😂 at moment but fine and all set for Tuesday. Not much else today as decided best thing to do is just take it easy so after a bit shopping and coffee it was home time to watch a bit of the fitba and have a bit of chill before tea. And so ends part 13.

                                                          Sky from couple of nights ago

59 to 60 Part 12

07/06/21 

Hello and welcome to part 12, at the moment we are just about to leave Pitlochry and head to Perth for Helens consultation and of course bit nervous as always it we are hoping all is ok. Breakfast in the b&b has been really good and sets you up for the day but i have to say that the next few days i shall be eating very lite and i don't think alcohol will be on the menu for a while as well. So time to leave here after a very nice relaxing time.

Well all went well with Helens consultant appointment and she managed to meet some of the people i work with through in Perth, arrived home and and all unpacked. I decided to just give the cars a wash as i felt bit weary so today shall be nice easy one from now until i go to kip. Helen to feels bit better and can’t blame her as she gets nervous as i said earlier and it must take it out of you mentally. So lovey evening out and tomorrow i shall start my charity cycle again and hopefully manage a good wee 25miles and Wednesday as well. So our first wknd away and it was fantastic sun ☀️ Beer 🍺 walking 🚶‍♀️ food 🍱 in great surroundings and here is to the next few days away.

                                                                                 08/06/21

Well not to bad a day but did not do lots, black pudding roll for breakfast then onto the bike for another 27miles up to Arbroath and back by Arbirlot pretty straight forward but that is me at 129miles for this charity, was bit of a head wind which meat it was a good tail wind as well and i was hopeful of getting home before the 2hr mark but never quite made it.

But 2hrs 10mins was not to bad considering the wind on the way back and only a couple stops so that was good as well, so home and then off out again to pick up contact lenses and get my glasses sorted, then headed up to Balhungie farm for some mmmm strawberries and Raspberries the best there is so big and so bloody juicy. 

So back home and did small bit in the garden but when the sun came out it got bit hot and can feel myself wilt so decided to call it quits for today, may have a glass of fizz tonight though as it is probably last day i can as back to work on Thursday so nae fizz on a school night. 

                                                                               09/06/21

Well last day of holiday was spent in the garden mainly as decided that bike will wait until Sunday my next day off, it was cloudy day but still very warm especially when the sun broke through does feel like thunder may be on its way which may be a good thing to clear the air. So it has been good 10days but getting away was just great and looking forward to next break. Have booked a ticket for next Tuesday to Pitlochry by train and cycle back from there early morning so should be a good challenge and may finish my charity challenge. 

So now back home and getting stuff ready for work tomorrow hoping its an easy first day back which i am sure it will be then look forward to next few days of starting Sunday when i shall probably update this blog which I must admit to enjoy doing even though it may not be the most exciting it is really good for my mind.

                                                                                     13/06/21

Hello Sunday and after a busy three days at work was feeling bit weary this morning but decided to do a 14miler on bike nothing to hard just short and sweet and make tomorrow a rest day in the hope that all is ok for my train journey to Pitlochry and then my cycle back, windy again out and patchy clouds but is warm.

A good three days at work but unit was very hot so think that took a bit out of me as well as did feel it when got home last night. So onto this afternoon and see what it brings. So not the busiest of days went picked up a wee sound system for my man shed and some gravel to lay as a base as well, come back home and cup off tea and watched bit of the football and currently just waiting on the second game to start and have a small glass of red wine am going to watch some of it outside as it is a lovely day. I dont have many pictures to put up as been busy at work but here is couple of ones from last week.

Actually these are from a few years ago couple of mountains i did one in strathfarar and the other summit of mount keen as you can see i do like snowy mountains and winter walks. So not the biggest blog for the week as when at work there is not much to wright about, onto tonight and think be a bit more football and bit more red wine.