Just a short blog today. I found the notes for my speech this morning. A lot of positive things should have been said about Tony (one of the nicest CQN’ers I’ve met, and I’ve lots of great CQN’ers), Jim (more committed to the welfare of others than he would be comfortable you knowing), and David (combines the cynicism you can only get by spending 30 years in the publishing business with an often incomprehensive enthusiasm and positivity). Three people who make things happen.
The CQN Golf Committee have organised nine incredibly taxing CQN Charity Opens, which seems to require an addition to stress, as they clearly thrive on it.
I got my timing all wrong when I set the whisky auction to end at noon yesterday as I was otherwise engaged until late afternoon, when things were getting a bit hectic, but with minutes to go, E (abbreviated) stepped in with what was an opening and winning bid of £550. The money is already with Mary’s Meals. My thanks to E and to A Ceiler Gonof Rust, who donated the prize.
None of us had any experience at organising this kind of event. You think all you need is a mic. and a few speakers! I asked Phil Agnew if he would do the raffle and auction for us. He ended up supplying what would have been thousands of pounds worth of consultancy, which saw us over the line, wouldn’t take a penny for his trouble and provided a print signed by Henrik Larsson from his daughter. They are a family with a long-established link to Mary’s Meals.
The quality and sheer volume of donations for auction and raffle overwhelmed us. We made a call that it was probably wise to limit the number of items we put up last night, and hold some for a later date – all will go towards Mary’s Meals. Thanks to everyone who came forward.
These are just the thanks I didn’t get to last night, more to come.
I’ve no idea how much money you raised yet but I am sure the cash is in to build the second and third school kitchens. Within weeks your buildings will be feeding circa 2700 of the poorest children on the planet. That. Is. Incredible! Well played CQN.
I’m not going to pester you to read the Magazine or buy the Seville book today, but the MyDonate like to Marys’ Meals……
1,667 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- »
After a long time of reflection. It was a good move of Paul67 to suggest that I change my handle to Morrissey the 23rd. The idea of everyone knowing me as Highly Temperamental And Oversexed Huberta is… not too bad.
Morrissey the 23rd viva resolution 12! Yeah that’s what made me post. There were a lot of lurkers myself included, and I’m glad I got that post in not only for myself but for all you other lurkers out there HH
Good Morning & Happy St Patrick’s Day.
If I may — let me tell you a story — & to start with let me ask a serious question.
Do you believe in The Wee People? Leprechauns? Fairy Dust? Kissing the Blarney Stone and the luck of the Irish?
Or even just — fate?
You see — for all that I think I am a logical person there are some things and feelings that I just can’t explain. Certain nights at Celtic Park you get a “feeling”, something that tells you something that you just cannot actually know kind of thing.
Anyway, here is my story…… a very recent story.
Prior to CQ10 I had been exchanging many an e-mail with Paul67 about the event and one strand of conversation was about how the parents of both Oscar and Vanessa were going to be there.
Then, last Thursday I got a message from Paul saying that he had heard from someone who wants to run in the New York Marathon for a Neuroblastoma sufferer, and so could I come up with a suitable candidate.
I went back to Paul and offered two possibilities.
One was a wee boy called Charlie who is aged three — basically Wee Oscar all over again!
The other was Nicola.
Nicola is not three — she is in fact 26 years old.
I slanted my reply pretty heavily in favour of………… Nicola…….. as I reasoned that loads of people will get behind Charlie as he he just such a wee mite…… again just like Oscar —- whilst it was far more likely that Nicola will not appeal so much as she is not a baby.
Surprise Surprise, Charlie won and so someone will run for him in New York in November and that is great.
Yet as I said to Paul something tells me this girl Nicola needs help and I ended my message saying that I would try to find out more about her and ended ” time for a lottery ticket there”.
Well , I bought the lottery ticket and won precisely nothing.
Those of you at CQ10 may recall that I alluded to this girl just after Stevie and Leona Knox were interviewed by Helen (Mynx) — but in the general din and mayhem the message was lost I suspect — in fact I know it was.
So come Saturday after all the CQ10 rushing around had finished my mind turned to 26 year old Nicola and at 13:20pm in the afternoon I e-mailed Paul again about the night before and in passing said I had had a great chat with the Knox’s and the Riddles and ended saying that I would keep an eye on Charlie’s campaign — but that I wanted to find out more about Nicola as I had an idea.
As many of you will now know, I ended up going into the Independent bar on Saturday night where I had the great company of Richie, Mick, Four Green Fields and of course Hamilton Tim ( a gem of a human being by the way ) and the wonderful Mynx.
On the way in I bought another Lotto ticket……….. and yet again won the square route of sod all– c’est la vie.
So, there I am in the pub quaffing a few pints and talking my usual amount of — to be frank — shite ( my mother hates me using that word though it makes her laugh and it is onomatopoeic ) — when Chris or Helen announce that the Knox’s are coming to join us.
If you have never seen Steve and Leona Knox I have to tell you that they are a devastatingly good looking couple — Hollywood good looking.
Anyway both arrive and are warmly greeted and both go out of their way to say what a good night they had had the night before.
Drinks all round.
Now I should add that when I gave the names of Charlie and Nicola to Paul I had added that I could approach the Riddles and the Knox’s for advice about who to nominate but added that such an approach might put both couples in a difficult position and that given they had read the book and bought the T shirt so to speak I was reluctant to do that.
However, there in the Independent I decided to get the thoughts of Stevie Knox and started to tell him about Nicola and why I thought someone should do something about helping her.
Unlike a 2 year old or a 3 year old — a 26 year old has had a glimpse of life — more than a glimpse.
By 26 a young woman will probably have fallen in love, maybe lost her heart to someone, or maybe had it broken — though in reality hearts are never broken– merely dented or bruised. She will know what it is like to be kissed, have someone hold her in their arms hold her hand and maybe walked along a beach with someone she loves and all that kind of thing.
Maybe think about a wedding, children, a new job and all the possibilities of a future … the kind of thing that a two year old or a three year old will have no conception of.
And now this Ba****rd disease threatens to steal all that!
Think back to when you were 26…. and all that you were doing, all that you hoped for and dreamed of.
Everything in my instinct told me that this is where Nicola McCurry was in her 26 year old life — but I knew nothing about her other than that she came from Cushendal and that like Vanessa and Oscar she had had Neuroblastoma as a child and believed she had beaten it… and now it was back with devastating effect.
So — I started to explain all that to Stevie Knox in a pub in Queen Street and as I spoke to him all of a sudden a strange look crossed his face and he stopped me in my tracks.
” Nicola McCurry? From Cushendal? — She is my COUSIN”
And so it turns out that the young woman that I had been thinking about is Oscar’s second cousin — a full blood relative of Stephen’s.
Not only that, my thoughts on her needing help were bang on as even the Neuroblastoma Alliance was initially not prepared to support any campaign for her because she is not a child — they only help children– and Stevie Knox himself had had to go to the charity and plead her case — she had had the disease as a child.
So, I have discussed this with Paul and with Stevie, and here I am in the early hours of a St Patrick’s morning typing away and asking a question:
Who is going to shout for Nicola McCurry?
As I type her just giving page shows that she has received not a single red cent — not a penny — not a rupee — towards her fund. Nada– Nil — Zero.
The story continues, Nicola is a twin — she has a sister called Naomi who is a big Celtic fan and who sometimes gets to Celtic Park courtesy of the Glens of Antrim No1 CSC which is based in Cushendall — and Nicola’s boyfriend Paddy is also a big Celtic fan.
Stevie told me that he and Leona have offered help and advice to the family given their experience with Oscar — but it is a different battle for a 26 year old and no one wants to appear to piggy back on Oscar and his battles and campaigns.
Now, we are raising money for kids in Malawi and the money going to Malawi benefits a whole lot of kids rather than just one individual — and so I don’t want to distract anyone from the Malawi project.
But who shouts for Nicola McCurry?
There is no Mary’s Meals organisation for her.
Instead she faces a situation where her life may be saved but only if she raises the money to pay for life saving drugs the price of which are kept ludicrously high to make a huge profit as the drug companies know that desperate parents will cough up — or find a way to cough up.
It is a disgrace and morally indefensible and down the road we have to do something about such creatures.
So Stephen Knox is going to do what he can to help start a campaign in Northern Ireland — and I have contacted a journalist here so that we can maybe get some momentum for Nicola
….. but to start with I need your help in a couple of ways.
First — the journalist says that the story is all about Celtic fans coming to the aid of Nicola … so I am going to make a donation and I will post the link to her page at the bottom of this piece.
But I stress please don’t give if you can’t afford to or if it lessens the Malawi campaign as that campaign is a CQN community thing as opposed to my personal hatred of this disease and those who would deny people available treatment.
However, if you have a son or a daughter of a similar age can you ask them to maybe do something about it — maybe a campaign at their work or student union or wherever?
I don’t know how many women we have on the site but can we get to mums-net and get some publicity there?
If there is anyone who looks in on here from Cushendal — can we get the CSC on to the case? Can we get other CSC’s to do a collection on their bus next Saturday?
Medtim — can you send the message out via the Huddleboard and if Auldheid can you weave your indefatigable magic on Kerrydale Street and elsewhere?
Anything that helps raise a voice for Nicola.
It is St Patrick’s day and someone somewhere needs the luck of the Irish….. and my vote goes to Nicola…… and yes I will be buying a lottery ticket come Tuesday.
And yes I do believe in the luck of the Irish and the wee people…… time to get them on this lass’ side.
Hail Hail and happy St Patrick’s Day
BRTH
Please read
https://www.justgiving.com/NCCAUKNicolasJourney
.
On Route to The Celtic Club to Smash some Guiness Glasses with Smashing Milk Bottles..
Melbourne’s Green and White..
Might No be as Guid as CQTEN but there will be more at Our CQTWO..【ツ】
Feck Me I’m Irish..
Summa of Irish4aDayCSC
BRTH
Are you still on?
I’ve been trying to donate but can’t find out how?
Doctor Whatfor
Donate button or bar at the top of the page
birth
Ok. Found it. cheers. Good work by the way.
Doctor Whatfor
Cheers & Thanks
Nicola now has 4 donations totalling £210.
From little acorns ect
Did you know you can also donate by text message? Please text NCMC87 and your amount between £1 – 10 to 70070 a maximum of 3 text donations can be made in anyone day up to to the maximum amount of £30.00 thank you.
Good morning from a clear and sunny Red Sea coast (Sorry Jobo – stealing your thunder :) )
Happy St Patrick’s Day to all who post or visit this great place in Celtic
Have a great day
sTICks
I still hate this flight…
Surfers Paradise jumping to a huge St Patrick’s Day street party merging 2 pubs with outside seating on large pedestrian area. Very hot and sunny blue skies and green white and gold and ice-cold Guinness and green beer and snacks and music and singing and dancing galore. Magic!!!
Top of the morning from a calm and still South Staffordshire.
Off to Manchester for an early meeting.
I hope and just know that our Liverpool cousins have left the city in the same state they found it in at lunchtime yesterday.Unlike our ugly city neighbours didn’t do in 2008.
Brendan Rodgers……you are the MAN.
YNWA
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26606943
Ultras at AC Milan waiting on the team
Green Brigade are choir bhoys
Good Morning Timland.
A very happy St Patrick’s day, I trust the sheepies love in
is over, well done to all the posters who pointed out the
disgusting song sheet they brought with them in the SC
tie…….away to work after a week off,moving to another
dept for 3 months,seems I will be working with a rabid
hun who likes to inTIMidate…..his wings will be getting
clipped early doors,have a great St pats.
Kevj……get yerself unflounced.
Happy 15th Birthday and St Patricks day to my big son….
Off to mass to thank God for all, the blonde one is up and going too. .. bit early for her…
Ayrshire is Green and White
Good morning friends and a Big Happy St Patrick’s day from a dull, grey and drizzly East Kilbride. Cannie beat a wee quick 7.00am mass to start the working week…
Happy St Patrick’s day!
Happy St Patrick’s day from polluted gay Paree, where I am sure there a still a lot of smiling Irish folk since Saturday’s 6 nation’s win.
All we need now is the wee Rovers to do the bizz tonight.
Gardez la Foi.
Good morning and a Happy Saint Patrick’s day to one and all.
Please read BRTH’S post at 01:51
https://www.justgiving.com/NCCAUKNicolasJourney
BRTH @ 01:51 deserves to be read by everyone.
https://www.justgiving.com/NCCAUKNicolasJourney
Happy St Patrick’s Day CQN
Erin go Bragh
Morning all. Poor weather down here again. Carol on the BBC reckons this week will be increasingly unsettled. She’s Scottish too. Surely she’s aware that it hasn’t been anything but unsettled hereabouts.
Happy St Patrick’s Day to the Irish supporters.
Micktt, happy hoopy birthday to your bhoy.
Great to hook up with you on Friday. See you at the Winklepicker Hootenanny.
HH
Happy St Patrick’s day everyone.
BRHT comment hadn’t gone unnoticed on the night….knew you would get there when the time was right…..good to see such quick response to your passionate prose.
HH
Happy St Patricks day everyone.
Having a family do today and I will be cooking a fairly large lump of bacon with cabbage and spuds.
I would suggest that BRTH’s article be reprinted throughout the day, in case anyone misses it.
Happy St Patrick’s day one and all
Was fantastic meeting so many of you on Friday night!
ACGR thank you! It had its first outing on Saturday love it! Great work TET!
TImsinOhio and TTT thanks again
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
I reckon a podium chaser can copy and paste it appropriately!
Happy St Patrick’s Day,all.
Off to sample some Leprechaun Juice.
Hoopy Birthday MickTT, have a good one mhate.
Happy St Patricks Day to all.
May the road rise to meet your feet.
Morning all happy St Patricks day and good luck to the Coatbridge XI tonight
MICKTT
Happy Birthday to Jacob.
That must have taken some dedicated marital duties around June 1998. Congratulations on sticking to the task!
sixtaeseven
07:17 on 17 March, 2014
Will not be allowed……the mib will have been well briefed..
Happy birdie to you, Happy birdie to you
Happy birdie MickTT, happy birdie to you
Morning Bhoys…..Unbelievable compassion on CQN, I salute you all.
Truly wonderful just reading the positivity, proud of my fellow CQN bloggers.
HH
Happy St Patricks day one and all in the Celtic Worldwide Family and beyond..
Happy St Patricks day to all my friends on CQN, that’s every single one of you plus the lurkers innaw!
HH
Connaire sorry about Friday night, for me it was a last minute thing and I would have loved your company and Celtic stories over the evening, next time hopefully!
V