...“At least this Bugle’s in tune!”...

Making a

Difference Christmas is a time of real contrasts. For some it is a wonderful family time,

an opportunity to spend time with loved ones, share gifts and enjoy the fes-

tive atmosphere. Other people view the approach of Christmas with dread. It

can be a time when loneliness is felt most keenly, a time when the pressure

to buy can undermine the pleasure of giving.

In this issue we look at Christmas from many different viewpoints, but we

believe we can all make a difference, a positive difference, to people’s lives,

including our own, by doing simple things.

The

Bugle Winter 2009/10 Issue 17

W R I T T E N A N D P U T T O G E T H E R B Y T H E B E T H A N Y P R E S S T E A M

Wha' is my shepherd weel I ken

The Lord himsel' is he:

He leads me whaur the girse is green

An' burnies quiet that be.

Aft times I fain astray wad gang

An wann'r far awa':

He fin's me oot, he pits me richt

An' brings me hame an' a'.

Tho I pass through the gruesome

cleuch

Fin' I ken He is near:

His muckle crook will me defen'

Sae I ha'e nocht to fear.

Ilk comfort whilk a sheep could need

His thoghtfu' care provides:

Tho' wolves an' dogs may prowl aboot

In safety me He hides.

His guidness an' his mercy baith

Nae doot will bide wi' He -

While fallded on the fields o' time

Or o' eternity.

Verse chosen by Gerry McKenna

Written By John Moir

A partridge in a pear tree

Page 2

Betrayal by Ally Mitchell

I loved you so much, gave my all

Our life was good and I stood tall

You packed a bag and went away

I pleaded with you , please just stay

My words they fell on deaf ears

I felt lost and full of fears.

Why couldn’t you have stayed and

talked

You have no reasons, you just walked

My daughter, you took her away

I’ve never seen her to this day

I pray one day she’ll come my way

And with God’s grace she may stay?

Life goes on and heals with time

It felt good to know that you were

mine

Life has its ups and downs, that’s true

Now I’m no longer feeling blue.

A Heartbroken Dad

How we can all make

a difference

By Beth

Showing a good example, regardless, can cause people to

show themselves for what they really are. It can also ex-

pose the problems they have that make them behave in a

particular way.

When my brother was at secondary school he was shouted

at by a teacher for no reason. In fact, the teacher was so

angry with him that it did not seem she could calm down.

My brother then became angry and shouted back at the

teacher and got himself a detention. Even when my brother

got home he spoke to our mother about the situation with

anger. But my mother didn't just tell him to go back and

say sorry, but also to buy the teacher something nice as

well. My brother could not see the point in it and dis-

agreed, and after a long time my mother wore him down.

The next day my brother took a box of chocolates my

mother had bought, and went reluctantly to school. He

waited until the end of class, when all the other children

had left the room to make his move. He told the teacher

that he was sorry and presented the box of chocolates to

her. She was so touched that she thanked him more than

once which made my brother feel good.

One day my mother told my brother that she had spoken

to his teacher she was shocked at what she heard. The

teacher told her that she had a phone call some time be-

fore she gave my brother the detention, she was told that

there was a car crash in which her husband and child had

died. She was overwhelmed and could not concentrate on

doing her work properly and took it out on some students -

including my brother.

I told you this story to help you to understand how some

people take things out on others and regret it later. Maybe

someone you know has changed towards you, perhaps they

shouted at you for no reason and you shouted back. Maybe

some teacher at your school was more angry than usual and

shouted at you or gave you a detention. Maybe a relative,

or a parent at your child's school was seemingly angry

without a cause. Does it help when you treat them how

they treated you, or did you wonder what caused them to

be angry in the first place?

The Bible say "a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a

harsh word stirs up anger" in the book of Proverbs chapter

15 verse 1 (Prov. 15:1). Have you ever thought that by an-

swering an angry person calmly takes away the edge, or the

rage of anger. Anger breeds anger as surely as violence

breeds violence. Rather, where there is fire you use water,

not fire, to put it out. You can cause a worse situation, or

make a bad situation worse by your retaliation. "A man of

knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of under-

standing is even-tempered", Proverbs 17:27. By acting ac-

cording to the above, you can start to gain greater under-

standing. You have already heard the phrase "practice

makes perfect" and we know that you can learn by experi-

ence, just as a scientist learns from doing experiments.

When you act with self-control, treating people how you

would like to be treated, by the outcome you will learn that

you have done the right thing.

Some people harden themselves on the outside when they

are really soft inside. It is the gentle and understanding

approach that often breaks that hard surface, getting to

the heart and causing them to share the problem, bringing

them that much closer to relief and a change in attitude.

It just takes someone who treats others well, even though

they might not have treated you well.

To put it another way, the nicer someone is the harder it is

for some people to keep being bad to them. When you show

yourself to be understanding and even-tempered, others

start to confide in you, when otherwise they might be the

same ones who treat you badly.

So, understanding that problems in life can make us act

differently towards others, we must also understand how

our character is built. Character is built strongest by per-

severance. The word persevere means to carry on in spite

of difficulties. But it is when we carry on in humility and

self-control that we build our character - this is true per-

severance! So one must realise that we need these trials,

these difficulties to strengthen ourselves. But when you

build your character, you must first have a solid foundation

to build on - like with anything that is built. This is where

the Bible comes in, for without these principles and guide-

lines it will be extremely difficult to build a good charac-

ter that will last.

This is how we understand the parable and proverb of the

foolish man who built his house on the sand and the wise

man who built his on the rock. When the storm came, the

house that was built on the week foundation (the sand) col-

lapsed, but the one built on the strong foundation (on the

rock) survived. If you want to build on a good foundation,

why not build according to the words of God in the Bible.

God gave us his words to live by because he loves us and

know that we will be sturdy and strong if we obey them. In

fact, just like that house built on the rock, we will be un-

shakable in the storm, unshakable in bad times - when

times are hard we will be strong enough to deal with it, and

not even be saddened by bad news.

Two turtle doves

Page 3

Why? Why do people start saying something?

Then spread it to someone else and

They carry on with that and everyone

Else believes those things, so why say it?

And spread it, why say it at all?

I Believe I believe in God and His word

I go by his word

I believe in His word

And most people

Should go by his word

By the Bible. By Sue

It could be lonely this Christmas.

Christmas for many can be a very lonely time of

year, while for others it‟s a happy, warm ec-

static time celebrating with family and friends.

At times like this while we are enjoying the

merriment and camaraderie we often forget

about others who are less fortunate, they may

be alone over Christmas, have no family and

friends and feeling very isolated.

Wouldn‟t be a wonderful gesture if we

gave a minutes thought to those people who are

feeling very vulnerable and maybe if you know of someone in this position , just

knock on their door , wish them a good Christmas and let them know you care, give

them a warm smile and if possible invite them for Christmas lunch.

Just a smile or a little card can often brighten someone‟s day and make a real dif-

ference to their lives knowing that someone cares.

There‟s a saying „A puppie‟s not just for Christmas‟, to let someone know you

care and are thinking about them is not just for

Christmas either, but it would be a start.

So start spreading a little happiness this Christ-

mas and make a real difference to some one‟s life.

There is no greater gift!’

By Ally Mitchell

Three French hens

Page 4

Christmas Alone Again

By Julie Ann Thomason

Having always been independent, I like living alone as I

find it difficult to share my space; I was surprised by my

reaction to having to do Christmas on my own. Last year

I returned home to Leith after more than two decades

living in La Rioja the wine region in North of Spain and

many of my Christmases and New Years had been spent

alone, though in many ways my Spanish Christmases had

always been lonely.

Christmas makes us feel safe.

Christmas is about tradition, and what we love about ritu-

als is the familiarity brought about by repetition, it

makes us feel safe.

Spending Christ-

mases in a foreign

country, though

loving Spain meant

I had no ritual to re-

peat, it was all new.

Spain respects the

Christian tradition

of giving presents on

Epiphany, the children getting excited by the three kings

the givers of presents, though I still prefer Santa Claus

because it‟s my custom. However the emphasis on both

Christmas and New Year days is on copious meals, hedon-

istic mid winter pagan feasts devoid of Christian Spirit,

suppers on the eves as well as the main meals.

Even though I set up my coping strategies treating my-

self to special goodies, a thick un-put down- able novel,

and not crossing the door, I always dreaded the run up.

Having come to love the atmosphere in the streets, in

the shops, nativity scenes more popular than trees and

after working in a primary school I had begun to recog-

nise Spanish Carols. Nevertheless it was always with

sadness that I wasn‟t able to complete the joy, sharing

the rituals by being with people.

Had someone suspected or guessed I was

one of the unwanted?

Then there were the questions, wasn‟t I going home,

where and who was I going to spend the festivities with.

Not wanting to admit that I was one of those, a nobody‟s

child, I brushed it off fearing I‟d be caught out at the

sight of my bare trolley not heaving with Christmas

booty for all in sundry. One year I ventured out to buy

bread some bakers open on Christmas morning and only

bought one stick. Arriving home having not seen or met

anyone I knew I heaved a sigh of relief, my secret was

safe.

The first Christmas I spent alone was 2001, I had played

about with the idea of coming home to Scotland, although

various offers were thrown around only one invite mate-

rialised, I spent Christmas Eve feeling really uncomfort-

able and was never invited back. The following Christmas

day I spent alone. The day dragged, I fretted while

hearing all the background sound effects of noise and

laughter coming from the neighbours‟ flats. Boxing Day

is a normal working day in Spain so it was with relief I

could return to normal. I was a bit more prepared for

New Year I faced the challenge in a more stoic manner.

As the twilight arrived I was overcome by relief, I‟d got

through it I had survived.

A significant element of the sharing of traditions

is being with people you love

Every year dropping subtle hints, the comments from the

teenage students reinforcing that I had gained freak

status, they didn‟t mind missing classes in the holidays it

was their parents who paid. Didn‟t anyone like me enough

to invite me? Why didn‟t I go home? And comments of

such ilk and then there was the odd invite, turning down

over pushy people and a few resulted in strained experi-

ences, defining the Spanish proverb It is better to be alone than badly accompanied. A significant element of

the sharing of traditions is being with people you love,

care about and want to be with.

Every year was accompanied by the sense of

failure

Yuletide proved to be a challenge always. I opted not to

travel home to Scotland, it is both an expensive and mis-

erable time to travel and being a self employed teacher

classes were still expected in the holidays. It was not

financially viable to be with my people. Every year was

accompanied by the sense of failure I was alone again,

inside it was okay it was being outside the sense of

shame and guilt of being on the outside the unloved the

unwanted.

Christmas this year will be lonely for other reasons as I

lost my father this year and it will be the first I spend

without both parents.

Four calling birds

Page 5

During one of my visits to the Edinburgh city

Mission I thought to myself what a great idea it

would be to write about one of the services that

they provide to people who are homeless, on low

benefits, or in supported accommodation, a basic

need such as food.

I asked Bill

Charmers who

runs this service

with an other

two people, Mar-

gret and Teresa

if it would be okay to write

about what a wonderful service they provide to

people like my self and how this is a life saver for

me and others. For some people in society food is

taken for granted, they will always eat and have

plenty. Unfortunately for others, this is a basic

need where without this people would starve.

There are two sites in Edinburgh one in the Leith

area on Thursdays and the other in Pilton on

Tuesdays. They provide food to 12 people in Leith

regularly for at least two months max, and will

look again at the person‟s circumstances after

this period.

The way it works is that people are referred by

statuary and voluntary organisations, I myself by

the Bethany Christen Trust. This is great that all

these agencies work and network together for

disadvantaged people in the Edinburgh commu-

nity.

The Basic Bank is not only a place that provides

food but is also a safe place and has a holistic

approach when dealing with the people who use it,

for you are made welcome as soon as you walk

through the door whereupon they provide tea,

coffee, biscuits, cakes, juice and toys for chil-

dren, as well as getting involved with play time

with your children while you talk with other users

and staff.

The thing I liked about the basic bank was they

have lots of information about various organisa-

tions, and also provide a counselling service, and

while you are there they offer a safe place

whereupon you are accepted by every body and

they listen to you and offer advice in an informal

manner {BLETHER}

The Basic Bank takes donations of food from

Churches, Fare share, also from schools, where

children are also educated about issues and the

crises that homeless people and low income peo-

ple face, and family need places like The Edin-

burgh City Mission. Bill goes into to schools to

talk with children and young people. {He said this

is great for they can learn about caring for other

folk}

This food that they provide not only has an im-

pact on the person collecting and using the ser-

vice but also reaches people‟s family and children

like a ripple of water.

I asked some of the users

how the Bank makes a differ-

ence to their life. One was

Michael Dueqemin. He said

“Cause it saves you money on

food. It gives you a bit of ex-

tra money to spend on other

things like bills and a bit for leisure and pleasure.

All the people who use this place are real nice and

friendly. I think it is a brilliant idea, as it‟s help-

ing people. “

A report by

Cha Maloney

Five golden rings

Page 6

Why I like going to the men’s group

When you walk into the acorn centre you get a warm

welcome

And you get something to eat and tea/ coffee.

And the staff are fan dab a dosey and very helpful and

considerate.

After the food and drink it is time to have fun and

games

Because there’s a pool table and table tennis and domi-

nos.

Games on the wii screen and Tim provides the quizzes.

It shows the men there’s more to life than drugs and

drink.

And not to down grade yourself, and to get yourself re-

spect back.

Plus I like to meet the guy’s who turn up to the acorn

centre

By Gordon Innes

The Men’s group meets every Thursday 1pm to 3pm at The

Acorn Centre in Junction Place

My life after my

heroin addiction

By Michael Chalmers

Well my life has changed dramatically, as now I am off

heroin. Since I have been off the heroin I have started

to get my life back. I am still on the methadone pro-

gramme but I‟m now able to get up every morning and not

think about where my next £10 was coming from, and

waking up rattling. That‟s really good, that I don‟t have

to worry bout where my next £10 is coming from. And

now I have a lot more money all the time to go and spend

on my daughter, so it‟s a lot better now. I now don‟t just

think of myself all the time. I now think of my family and

try to help people with things if I can without thinking of

getting money from them for doing it. I am now getting

on with my wee sister who never spoke to me for 9 years

because of my heroin addiction, but she is now talking to

me so it‟s all good! THE WORKS

By Alison

You’ll see Jesus….

When you do not cry alone,

You’ll see your Lord

In those who point to home.

You’ll see the Saviour

Come to ease the pain,

You’ll see your Lord

In those who help the lame.

Your Lord is in their patience

Their kindness, expressing love,

Your Gods in their compassion,

Gently building trust.

Jesus is in their knowing

Of all you have been through.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

Comforted them to comfort you.

Give everyone a smile

for Christmas!

Make a difference this Christmas..

by sending someone you have lost

contact with a nice Christmas card

and say “Happy Christmas” to strangers on

the street on Christmas Day!!

Six geese a laying

Page 7

Men’s Group Stirling Castle Trip

By Alexander Stone The air was damp and the sky was grey but Tim prom-

ised faithfully that it would brighten up. For the half

dozen or so souls that turned up, these were empty

words. Tim took the constant chiding in his stride as we

headed up through the cold & rain. Eventually he took

great pride in saying “I told you so” as it did brighten

up. This only added to an excellent day out and at the

knock down price of £2.

First stop we made was Bannock-

burn, scene of the famous battle in

1314 where Robert the Bruce led

his “army” to a historic victory over

the mighty English. I got a really

poignant feeling as I walked the

field imagining men hacking each

other to bits with claymores, axes,

hammers & pitchforks. Whether the cause they were

fighting for was worth it is a topic that‟s fiercely de-

bated up and down the land to this day.

We also used our stop here as a pit stop and as usual

Bethany provided an excellent range of quality food

generously provided by Fare Share.

The visitors centre was a fascinating place with many

displays of replica weapons, armour and clothing, which

you could try on. Also there were many graphic pictures

and written commentaries detailing the events of the

days leading up to the battle as well as the specifics of

the battle itself. I was getting deeply engrossed in the

history but sadly time was against us as we pressed on

towards Stirling castle.

During a long and bloody history Stirling Castle has

been attacked or besieged at least 16 times. Three

battles have been fought in its immediate vicinity, two

of which were turning points in Scottish history: and a

fourth equally important battle took place just a few

miles to the north.

Approaching the castle, there are many historic build-

ings and the men expressed a strong interest in visiting

some of them. Again Tim showed his depth of historic

knowledge with his constant narratives but time con-

straints kept us from these intriguing places. From

these narrations, I learnt there was a connection be-

tween the battlefield and the castle; and I knew they

didn‟t have firearms in 1314, so I was surprised when I

saw a statue of a soldier carrying a rifle at the en-

trance to the castle. Then I noticed the ramparts were

fortified with cannons so I decided to investigate this

aspect further.

The main parts of the castle include the chapel (closed

for refurbishment), palace, museum, great hall with

many anterooms, tapestry room, kitchens, gardens and

soldiers quarters with weapons store and gunpowder

room. A fact I discovered was the castle is regimental

headquarters for The 1st battalion of the Argyle &

Southern Highlanders and the statue outside is a trib-

ute to their men who have been lost in various con-

flicts.

The cannons were added and

increased in number at vari-

ous times in the 16th century.

James 4th built batteries but

by the time they were fin-

ished they were already proved to be inadequate. Mary

de Guise, widow of James 5th and mother of the more

famous “Mary queen of Scots”, built more elaborate

batteries in 1559. This includes the French Spur, some

of which still stands today. I found a couple of obscure

things that really intrigued me.

Firstly, a small door through the ramparts at the rear

of the castle, which was presumed to have been an exit

for the king to reach his hunting grounds. This I

thought was a potential “Achilles heel” and was rightly

blocked up around the time of the Jacobite activity.

My favourite discovery was made when I was in the

guardhouse cells. I closed the door and on the back

were a lot of names, initials and length of sentence

served, carved in the wood, but I‟m a bit sceptical

about their authenticity.

Having spent too much time on the

peripherals, we had little time left

to spend on the main features. I

found the architecture and engi-

neering of the place truly fasci-

nating and I feel inspired to re-

turn in the future. I would highly recommend a visit

here to all native Scotsmen and foreign tourists alike.

We also had a brief stop at Linlithgow Palace, another

place steeped in history. Within the grounds stands a

church that dates from the 1200s and is still used to-

day by the local parish. Our wise & trusted guide

pointed out pockmarks in the ancient stonewalls of the

palace. These were reputedly caused when Oliver Crom-

wall‟s men lined up and shot anybody who was a traitor

to his cause.

I found the trip highly rewarding and it has kindled in

me a desire to find out more about our beautiful coun-

try that we so often take for granted. Historic Scot-

land has an excellent web site where you can find out

more about all the places we visited on this trip.

Seven swans a- swimming

Page 8

Here far from the chill winds

of Scotland’s capital seat

Dry dust and waiting death to

meet

Thoughts of family and that

grey Scottish sky

Wondering if I will be the next

to die

To do my duty as best I can

To protect my mates in this

foreign land

The guilt I felt as we laid you

to rest

I couldn’t save you mate, but I

tried my best

Now for you there’s no fear

or dread

You need not worry where you

tread

Unlike us who’re left, with gun

in hand

Wondering who will next hit

the sand

This war, for most, is far

away

But for us squaddies it’s our

every day

We don’t complain, we heed

the call

Please don’t forget us if we

fall.

Sent to us by a soldier serving in

Afghanistan.

Remembering British troops in Helmand, Afghanistan.

Photograph: Lewis Whyld/PA

Fishing in The Tweed

By Chris Smith

I think the best place to go fishing is the river Tweed, as there

are a lot of trout and salmon in it. That is where I went fishing.

The biggest catch was an 8 1/2 pound trout and 6 1/5 pound

salmon, but my pal has caught bigger ones from that river.

The best way to catch fish in the river is by fly fishing and my

dad showed me how to make my own flies. I had boxes of his

flies, but over the years I don‟t know where they have gone.

I like to get right into the midst of the river as I think it is

better to fish from. I have fished in all weathers.

One time, one of my pal went fishing with me and we were in

the middle of the river, but there were hidden deep bits in the

river and the next time I looked at him he was up to his neck!

He had fallen into one of the pools and his rod was going down

the river without him!! So I left him and got the rod. It was

the funniest thing I‟ve seen, the look on his face was priceless!

I will try to find some of the flies me and my dad made, and

also see if I can find the tools you need to make them, as it is

good to make your own flies. It‟s good to catch a fish with a fly

you have made yourself and not one you have bought in a shop

I went fishing with my uncle on loch in a boat, it was good too,

but I prefer to fish in the rivers.

Eight maids a-milking

As the morning wakes

And the time ticks by

Through the clouds the sun breaks

Lightning up the sky.

There’s all the hustle and bustle

Out on the street

As the people walk past first part of a poem

On their way to work and meet By Steven Gibson

Ally’s Fashion Column

Page 9

How to get that glam festive party look on a tight budget.

The party season is almost upon us and what to wear this Christmas, be it night out, dinner etc, can be a real dilemma, so here is Ally’s fashion fix to ensure your Christmas is all you wish for.

Whether you want the current season’s themes such as animal prints, sequins, or plenty of glitter there is lot’s about to choose from, and chunky jewellery is everywhere.

You may wish to go for the Rock Glamour Look, choose a festive version of the biker look which offers more of an edgy chic look, black gold lurex tops, black leggings, chunky long neck-laces can look very sexy, the ultimate rock chick!

Perhaps you’d prefer the sparkling 20’s look, the flapper style dress but brought bang up to date coordinated with coloured tights, which are very much in vogue this it’s back to the fu-ture girls, you’ll get a real blast from the past wearing this outfit.

Finally if you’d prefer a class act look then you can’t go wrong with the L.b.d. The little black dress which will allow you to create a variety of looks, so check out your high street shops it’s all out there girls!!

Happy Hunting and have yourselves a very Merry Christmas and a cool YULE.

BEST WISHES Vintage Ally.

How I Have Helped To

Make A Difference

By Shaá

In India there are many impoverished fami-

lies who need medical attention, but cannot

get the medical help they so desperately

need. Among these are children who have

cleft palate or cleft lips. Although normally

in the UK the operation needed to correct a

cleft lip would be done shortly after birth, in

India there is such poverty that children of-

ten grow with the problem.

A charity called Opereation Smile has been

raising money for these operations, but the

children still need clothing to wear whilst in

hospital. At my school we have been provid-

ing t-shirts and decorating them with our

own designs, making them presentable for

the children to enjoy wearing - as the hosp-

tals cannot afford dressing gowns for all the

children. All the efforts of all involved go

together to make many children and families

happy - I am just so happy to help another

child to smile by my small, but important

role.

I just wish that more people would get in-

volved in things like this. Even the smallest

contribution can make a difference as long

as the numbers of those who contribute are

many. In this world today there are many

problems that cannot be avoided, but with

the efforts of the multitude at least we can

deal with those problems that can easily be

solved - it just takes a little compassion and

love for others.

Nine ladies dancing

Make a difference this Christmas and

buy two Big Issues and give one away!

Page 10

Christmas Day?

No more Christmases

for my family The mother of an off duty soldier stabbed to

death in the street has asked us to print her

victim statement in the hope that others may

understand the true cost of such acts of vio-

lence. Her son was stabbed by a complete

stranger while walking along the street. The

murderer wanted to kill someone, and it just

happened to be her son.

How can I tell you what this murder has done to us? How can I bear to face the reality that my first born son has been murdered by a stranger for no apparent reason?

It is unbearable

We spend our days avoiding this truth because it is unbearable. We tried to organise a beautiful and moving funeral which will celebrate his life, his kindness, his friendship, his sense of fun, his stub-bornness, courage and beauty. To say our heart-broken farewell to our son and brother.

We are comforted and appreciative of the love and support we receive from family and friends. We hold each other tight and try to be strong for each other. We remember the good times and share our memories. We plan to do good work in his name. Every day we shed tears for him. But even-tually we have to go to bed.

I hug his photograph

For me, the worst time is waking up. I begin to wake and realise that my eldest son is dead, no longer in this world, and I try to sink back into sleep. My heart thumps, I feel that my insides have been scraped out, my throat is raw with un-voiced screaming, my face is wet with silent tears, my heart is full of despair and fear and I wish I didn't have to get up and go on, I wish that I could abandon life and go wherever he is. I hug his pho-

tograph – the photograph of my sons which I looked at each night before sleep, thanking the universe that they were both healthy and safe – it does not bring comfort. He is gone. He'll never be able to come back. He will never come home again.

I'll never hear his key in the lock, his light swift footsteps, his laughter or his beautiful voice. He'll never tell me how his life is going, his hopes and dreams. We'll never argue. I'll never cook his fa-vourite foods or taste his special pasta sauce. He'll never put his arm around me and give me his cheeky grin as he teases me. I'll never hug him tight and tell him I love him before he leaves home again. Christmas Day? No more Christmases for me.

Fear

His younger brother is an only child now. He does-n't have his brother to share his life with, to grow old with, to support each other when his Dad and I have passed on.

We have all been robbed, our hearts broken, our souls battered and bruised. This loss will be with us forever. will never live another day. My son was willing to give his life for his comrades in both just and unjust conflicts and in international peace keeping. That he should be murdered so brutally by a stranger, for no reason, puts fear into everyone.

My son’s ashes are buried at Tolsta on the Isle of Lewis, where his grandparents lie.

Ten lord‟s a-leaping

Page 11

His death has affected so many people and I have a hole in our family, which can never be re-paired. Our extended families, friends, col-leagues, his friends and colleagues in the army (who are his second family), the young people who witnessed the attack and their friends and families have all been affected too. No-one's life is the same. No one feels quite as safe, quite as confident in human decency.

We read about violence everyday in the news, we see so much on TV both as news and as drama and we think nothing of it – this has be-come normal prime time “entertainment”. To have it happen in real life to one of the people I love most in this world makes me feel half dead. This feeling will be with me for the rest of my days, part of my life will always be missing.

No thought or compassion

The murderer by rights should not have been living unsupervised in society. He planned his at-tack but the victim was arbitrary – a soldier for preference ,but if they had all left it could well have been a member of the general public. He had no thought or compassion for my son, for the young people who witnessed the attack, for the friends and family of all ages who would be shocked by this pointless murder. And his assis-tant was equally cold and callous in aiding and abetting.

I have always tried to understand people, to see the best in them and to believe in them. I know that some people have terrible childhoods and my work is about giving people second chances, better opportunities. However there are some people who are so out of touch with their hu-manity that they cannot be given a second chance because they have absolutely no respect for other human beings. These people are a dan-ger to everyone because they have no regard for other people nor for the norms of society. This murder was both planned and random. I believe such men should not be allowed back into society….and I mean ever.

Make a difference this Christmas by say-

ing I love you to those you love. You

might think they already know it, but it can

never be said too much when it’s heartfelt. Alan

Eleven pipers piping

Above is a poster sent in by a reader. It adver-

tises The Treasure Trove shop in Castle Street.

She told us that it is a charitable endeavour in

which people can place their work for sale, helping

people to supplement their income by the sale of

hand crafts. We are pleased to advertise this and

would encourage readers to go and check it out!!!!

Page 12

George Whitefield

By Eric Scott

George Whitefield is widely known as

the greatest evangelist the world has ever known.

His remit was to bring the gospel to the

“unregenerate”, both here and in the United States

of America, which at that time was in its infancy

spiritually. Although slight in stature he had a voice

as of an angel and could be heard a mile away at sea. Converted in 1735 he

was a Calvinist and preached on the new birth extensively. On the strength

of this he was made aware of the awakening here in Scotland and arrived

here on the 6th July 1741 and immediately the work got underway with lec-

tures taking place at 7am and preaching twice a day, as well as private sit-

tings after 12pm.

This went on for some six weeks, then he went to Cambuslang at the re-

quest of the minister there, William McCulloch .Whitefield preached to a

captive audience three times a day in the open air regardless of the

weather, and the crowds were in the order of some 20 thousand. He wrote

to his wife saying ,”the awakening here is greater than ever, never have I

seen so many bibles and people looking into them”.

He returned the following year and once again began his ministry preaching

this time to the order of 50,000 in what became known as the Cambuslang

Revival, where hundreds if not thousands were converted, would to God we

could see those days again .

Bridge Project in Leven

By Gerry McKenna

We will be taking out people on excursions so they can learn

how to load a camera& work a camcorder because we will also

be doing cinema. They will be finding out about the local his-

tory of the places they are visiting. The different cultures of

the different towns we visit. We may have to visit the local

tourist visitor centre or board.

So come along! We meet 11am on Fridays at Cornerstone café in Leven.

CHRISTIAN By Alison

In the light of God’s mercy

In His humbling love,

Sinners are precious

To the Lord of great worth.

With eternal eye’s given,

Sight beyond death,

Our wants are but vain,

Our life’s but a breath.

So we reach out beyond

Every trial and pain,

We reach out to you…

To know Christ is your gain.

Freely received,

Freely we give,

In the light of God’s Mercy…

In God’s Mercy……We live.

Twelve drummers drumming

Page 13

“I Continue”

By Graham Adamson

Graham is a member of the Bu-

gle team and attends the Men’s Group. He is

a chef but he had to give that up as he de-

veloped Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Here he gives

some background on his condition.

MS is caused by bad signals being sent to the

brain through the nervous system to certain

parts of the body. Though I was quite late being

diagnosed, being forty, normally this occurs when

the patient is in their mid twenties. I do not be-

lieve that things have taken their course at a

fitting pace.

first attack

I had my first attack at about the same time my

parents had their strokes and I thought that I

was having mini-strokes, as they vanished as

quickly as they arrived. I now know that it was

Multiple Sclerosis, or MS. Having been diag-

nosed, it wasn‟t until I had more attacks that I

realised that the kitchen wasn‟t the place from

me, and I soon stopped. So now I put my efforts

elsewhere. So now I use my head, as the signals

don‟t go properly to the desired limbs, or ex-

tremities. Because of MS I become frustrated

as I can no longer do things that I had taken for

granted previously. However, I continue, as any-

one with MS.

HB and MS

I have had chemo-therapy, which was not li-

censed for use on mainland Britain at the time.

However, I was on the Isle of man, where it was

available. My consultant neurologist, Dr Bogild,

came from The Walton Centre, Liverpool. I now

have a referral to a neurologist, Dr Weller, at

the Western General Hospital. Though I did not

get any benefit from the chamber or the chemo-

therapy, it does not follow that everybody is the

same. You have to give everything a try, as there

is no cure, you do learn to live with what you

have. If anything is discovered, perhaps there

may even be a cure.

I have a son, David. I only hope that MS is some-

thing that I haven‟t given him genetically. I can

only hope that a cure is found, and it may be pre-

vented. There are also other illnesses that can

be treated this way, like autism and cancer and

some other brain disorders.

Inherited

However, these can be treated hyper-barically

under the discursion of the management of the

MS treatment centre, but some centres have

more need for the treatment of MS. Is it possi-

ble to treat Alzheimer's this way? MS, I now

believe, is inherited, as two of my grandparents

also had MS (My mother‟s father and my fa-

ther‟s mother.)

What I have is in the form of relapse and remit-

ting. However, there are a recognised thirty-six

different variations of this disease, as I believe.

Is there a way to stop this or prevent MS much

earlier? Is there a dietary clue, as MS is a very

Scottish illness? Why is the chamber closing

down on the Isle of man, or is that just rumour?

Very strange, as hyper-baric treatment is very

good for motorcycle injuries.

Do not give up

Maybe a preventive cure can be found. Hope is

something we are all capable of, so be it.

Thoughts are a very personal commodity. But,

sharing them happens to be a choice that you

alone can make. And, sometimes, you may find it

a lot easier to write them down. It can be bet-

ter, for you, to release your feelings in an appro-

priate manner, any way that you find possible.

Just let it out! Though it may take time, do not

give up. A valve exists, persevere and you shall

discover this.

Page 14

The Decline of

Scottish Rugby

Although my favourite sport is football,

I am very focused about rugby. I was

born in Peebles in the Borders, the

heart of Scottish rugby.

When professionalism came in a few

years ago, it ruined Scotland as a

world class nation. Scotland can boast

of world class players who also toured

with the British Lions. To name a few

Scots—Andy Irvine, Mighty Mouse (Ian

Hamilton), Gavin Hastings, the late

Gordon Brown. Another great player

was my old school mate, Tom Smith,

who played for Gala.

The school we went to was MacMerry

Primary and to Ross High School in

Tranent. Not only has professionalism

harmed Scottish rugby, it has harmed

British rugby as well. No more great

Welsh team.

By Bobby McLean.

Listen to Bobby’s weekly sports round up on Leith FM on Mondays at 2pm

Religious Symbols Of The Twelve Days of

Christmas

By Douglas Forbes

The Love refers To God

Turtle Doves refers To the Old and New Testaments

French Hens refers to Faith hope and Charity the

Theological virtues

Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and /or the

Four Evangelists

Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old

Testament, the Pentateuch which give man‟s fall

from grace

Geese A- Lying refers to the six days of creation

Swans A –swimming refers to the seven gifts of the

Holy Spirit the seven sacraments

Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes

Ladies Dancing refers to the Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Lords a leaping refers to the ten commandments

Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles

Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of

doctrine in the Apostles Creed.

Crisis has been ever

present in my life over

the last 3 years without

taking it over, enhancing

relationships and helping

me gain respect again.

The whole ethos behind

Crisis has permeated

through so many aspects

of my life over the last

3 years that since win-

ning the long service I

am now trying to use what little influence I have

among several service providers to set up some

sort of out of addiction/into work programme.

Recovery from addiction should not be a long pe-

riod of time doing nothing but should be seen as

an opportunity to learn new skills, try out other

work options, retrain in fact do anything to get

ready for re-entering the employment market.

By Alastair Kirkhope

The true spirit of Christmas is not

Santa and giving presents, but cele-

brating the birth of our Lord Jesus

Christ, our saviour. Only through Him will we get

the best present of all.. Heaven! Gordon Cameron

Page 14

Page 15

Hope at Christmas in the

trenches in 1914

By Eddie Klimek

The First World War began in August 1914 and

was greeted with enthusiasm and optimism by the

great powers. All felt such patriotism and unity;

here in Britain we were saying “it'll all be over by

Christmas”. Little did they know that this would

be the first of four Christmases. It was to be a

long, bitter and bloody affair. Yet amidst the

fierce fighting and the extremes of weather, liv-

ing conditions and daily trials, there gleamed

hope.

In the Lancashire Bolton Chronicle of 2nd January

1915, appeared the following letter (shortened

here due to space restrictions) which shows that

even in war and struggle there is room for good-

will:-

“ Dear Everybody - Many thanks for the parcel of tobacco and pipe we had on Christmas Day. Things are very quiet in our part of the line. On Christmas Day there wasn't a single shot fired - a kind of truce was declared. By means of a megaphone one of our officers wished the Ger-man in the opposite trench a merry Christmas.

They returned the compliment and added that any of the troops who wished to visit them in their trenches were at liberty to do so. Several of our chaps accepted the invitation and were well received. The Germans were not allowed into our trenches but a German officer asked permis-sion to visit the grave of a brother officer which was situated well within our lines and on the out-skirts of a town now in our possession. Permission was given and the officer was led blindfolded through our lines to the graveside. He stayed here a little while, then the bandage was put over his eyes and he was taken to his own lines. In the afternoon there was a football match played be-yond the trenches, right in full view of the en-emy. The German officers wanted British news-papers, and we gave them a pile of old ones. They kept the truce honourably, and ended the day with German carols. Everyone spent a jolly day under the circumstances. It hardly seems possi-ble for such a thing to happen - deadly enemies to go forth and meet each other with all goodwill and then return to the trenches and shoot the first man who showed himself. I suppose it is one of the mysteries of human nature. May I thank you all again for your kindness. Best of luck for 1915. "

Letters like the above then appeared in many UK

local newspapers, eg the Oban Times, and in Ab-

erdeen.

I wonder how our boys out in Afghanistan will be

spending their Christmas?

Thanks to Bethany for the trips on Fridays to all the great places. Happy Christmas. Lisa

Bugle Press Team

Gerry McKenna, Beth Madden, Ally Mitchel, Sue Richards, Julie Ann Thomason, Cha Maloney, Michael Chalmers, Alison, Irene, Gordon Innes, Alexander Stone, Chris Smith, Steven Gibson, Shaa, Eric Scott, Alan, Matt, Gordon, Les, Graham Adamson, Lisa Sturrock, Bobby McLean, Alastair Kirkhope, Eddie Klimek Irene, Tim Porteus, Euan Graham

c/o Tim Porteus

Bethany Community Education

32 Jane Street

Edinburgh

EH6 5HD

timothyporteus@

bethanychristiantrust.com

The Bethany Press Team

puts together each edition

of The Bugle magazine. We

meet almost every

Wednesday at our Learning

Centre, 65 Bonnington

Road, Leith

Anyone can get involved

with the Press Team. If you

are interested in helping,

call 0131 625 5411

If you have any comments on The Bugle drop us a line at the address at the top, or give us a call and ask for

Tim.

About Bethany Press Team

What is the Bugle?

Welcome to the 17th edition of the Bugle. It is a magazine put

together by people who believe that we all have a right to

have our voice heard. We have editorial meetings most

Wednesdays at 1pm at 65 Bonnington Road.

Where is The Bugle available?

From hostels, drop-ins, libraries, churches, doctor and

dentist waiting rooms… look out for it!

Who are we looking for to write for The Bugle?

Anyone! But especially people who are or have been

homeless. Most members of our Press Team have been, or

are currently homeless.

How does it work?

At our meetings on Wednesdays at 1pm we chat about the

articles and get together to plan the next issue. It’s really

informal, and you can just pop in to see what we do. Don’t

worry if you have no experience, we can help you get started.

If you can’t make our meetings you can still write for the

Bugle by posting or emailing us.

The views expressed in The Bugle are not necessarily those of

Bethany Christian Trust

Bethany Learning Centre,

65 Bonnington Rd

Written and put together

By the Bethany Press Team

FAREWELL TO the OLD YEAR

Farewell old year, with all the faults thou bast,

In sorrow we commit thee to the Past!

Whilst thou art sinking down her deep, dim slope,

We leave thee not in anger, but in hope;

So get thee gone! nor plague nor menace more;

Thy daughter, decked in smiles, is knocking at our

door.

[ last 6 stanzas of a poem by William Billington from Lancashire, writ-

ten in 1880, chosen by Eddie Klimek]