I picked up Margaret and Catherine from East Kilbride and then we headed to Campbelltown via Helensburgh and then stopping at Arrochar for lunch.

Getting through Glasgow was a bit of a challenge as the traffic was very heavy and we were constantly being caught at red lights. After an hour or so we finally crossed the Clyde and we were on our way.

We stopped here for lunch just as we entered Arrochar, it was a lovely wee place and if you’re in the vicinity I would recommend stopping.

Next stop was Inveraray Castle, we had coffee and cake before we heading off on the final leg to Campbelltown. The rain threatened as we approached the town and so we stopped at Tesco before going to our Airbnb which I may add is very good. I’ll put it link below.

When we arrived in Campbeltown we checked in and then went for a walk around the old town, it was good to stretch my legs after a long day at the wheel and it was great to be back in Campbeltown once more.

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I’ve never seen Paisley so busy for years, I think the last time was when St Mirrren one the league many moons ago.

All things Halloween, Vampires and Ghouls and strange beasties all over the place. Fire eaters and flying dancers suspended from a massive crane. There were amazing drummers too and the crowds were huge.

I haven’t been here for years and so I thought I’d pay a visit. It’s been here since 1454 and I think it’s the oldest university in the UK. Of course there’s not much of the original left, still it’s a mighty impressive building.

I went to the Hunterian Museum and also the Art Gallery which was good.

I only found out about the Govan Stones the other day when I picked up the car and I thought, I think I’ll have a wee look.

Mum is from Govan and I do have a memory of going there with Ma when I was very young going to pick up orange juice at a big building near the docks. The building is still standing, but I’m not sure what it does these days.

Before going to see the stones I went for lunch, lentil soup and a cheese and black pudding roll, bloody marvellous. Filled a space and warned me up because today was rather chilly.

The Govan Stones were discovered in the church grounds and graveyard and some date back to the 8th century and many have Viking influences. I thought when I walked into the church of would be a relief from the cold but it seemed colder in than oot.

I picked up a Corsa hire car this morning, it’ll be easier to get oot and aboot. Having to go to the two funerals would be almost impossible by public transport from Houston. Nice place but it’s a bit cut off.

For those that don’t know it’s a small hatchback and this one is manual. The pedals are small and my shoes keep catching the foot rest next to the clutch. It’s nippy enough, however the visibility is rubbish, the A, B & C pillars are way too big and when you go round a roundabout for instance the A pillar is in to line of sight. But it will do for two weeks.

I tried to connect the Android Auto but it won’t talk to my phone which is a bit of a pain.

Going down to Campbelltown at the weekend, went to Largs yesterday with Christine and we had a good day although the wind would cut you in two. I had black pudding fritters and Christine had Haggis fritters, both delicious. We then went for coffee and Ice cream at Nardini’s.

I like Largs, one day I’ll have to go across to Millport.

Got up at 8am, had a bit of breakfast and took a few panadol for the niggling headache, too much whisky last night on an already dehydrated body.

Mid morning Ken, Linda and myself went for a walk ending up at Bridge of Weir where we had bacon rolls and coffee. The sun was shining and it was bloody marvellous.

The bacon rolls went down a treat.

It took about an hour to get back to the house and then Ken and I headed to have a look at Corseford. We both noticed the same thing, everything looked so small to what we remember. It was great to stroll down memory lane and when we did we bumped into Christine… It’s a small world.

Drove around the area and passed the two gravestones of two dogs that died many moons ago, I crashed into the Afghan Hound’s years ago one night I was out playing in the snow and ice in the car. I made a right arse of the corner and ploughed into the wall.

The sun was shining coming into Glasgow. Looking out the window I couldn’t get over how green everything is. I got through to the baggage carousel fairly quick and waited five minutes and then I saw my bag in amongst the chaos. I’d used the a red strap on the case which makes it a lot easier to spot.

I called Ken on my Australian mobile because I couldn’t log onto the WiFi, thank goodness for global roaming. I nipped across to the BP and within a couple of minutes Ken arrived in his new BMW I4 electric car, very nice.

Ken was heading to the football and so he quickly ran me home and then dropped me back off in Johnstone where I went in search of a sim card. It seems more complicated than the last time I was here. I bought a sim card for £1 and then I have to go and top up the card with credit. I’ll have to do some research on that this evening.

I went and checked my lottery ticket that I bought give years ago and then to my surprise the shop keeper tells me that it needs to be checked within six months and so I guess after five years it was a bit too late. So I bought a new one for tonight’s draw so I might get lucky.

I went to see about the bus home and it looked like it would be an hour before it came and so I decided to walk back, I mean I’ve been sitting on my arse for the past 24 hours.

Five minutes from home and the bus drove by and I was beginning to run out of juice. Got into the house, took my case upstairs and then had a shower which felt bloody marvellous.

So now I’m kind of watching Only Fools and Horses and waiting for Ken and Linda to get back and the jet lag is beginning to catch up with me. Not sure what time zone I’m in at the moment.

I’ve no been here since 1986 and back then it was a tiny wee place and the toilets were no better than a hole in the ground and there wasn’t even any grab handles and if your glutes are no up to scratch and of course you’re completely sober then you have no chance of aiming true and surviving unscathed.

Now, the place is mahoosive and it had taken me nearly an hour to navigate the many corridors and shops to get to me gate and I’m knackered.

Ma een are needing a rest and they are nippin’, I’m hoping that I will get a few hours kip on this next flight and that when I arrive in Glasgow that the rain will have stopped, the sun will be shining and that I will have won the lottery.

All the answers to those questions will be divulged at a later date.

That’s what time I got to the train station. It took me about 10 mins or so to walk to the station from home and thankfully it wasn’t too hot. Mind you I have had the air con on for a few hours to try and stay non sweaty.

Let’s see what time I get to the airport!

The train journey was relatively painless, although there were too many school kids on the train which I did not expect. They were a bit noisy, but it seemed as if they were doing freestyle rap and some of it was quite good if not a little rude for a few in the carriage.

I changed trains at Roma Street and then the airport train arrived a few minutes later. The walk from the platform to the terminal is about three minutes and then I was in the Emirates check in queue.

5.30pm

A young Chinese girl checked me in and it turns out she is from Kunshan, which is a short distance from Suzhou where I lived for four years. She asked me if I could speak Chinese and I did my usual phrases that I know off by heart.

After security I headed to the Coffee Club to have a toastie and a coffee as I’m Hank Marvin.

Flights at 9pm

The walk from Coffee Club to gate 73 is quite a hike, I’m glad I didn’t have me gammy leg, although this time it’s me gammy wrist. I’ve got a compression bandage on my left wrist but every so often I move it and there’s a shooting pain. It’s strange because I can still do push ups and pull ups without any problems. Old age is not as good as advertised.

So I’m flying peasant class and I have a window seat and at the moment I have two wishes, no fat people or children beside me. I’ll let you know soon enough.

8.45pm

On my seat, 46K and the good news is that I’m not beside a fat person or a child, in fact I can’t see any kids yet but I have one old dear and a Vegetarian, although I’m hoping the Muslim tribe don’t come and sit three rows up or that will be sad indeed.

And just then they appear, so this could be bad news. Yes it’s bad news they are across the aisle and up one. I just hope that keep those kids under control.

Fuck!!

I’ve never been on an A380 before and it’s been years since I’ve been on A Jumbo style jet. Years ago I’d been on 747’s and they were big and then everybody seemed to downsize and so now I am on the biggest flying machine to date. There seems to be plenty of room, however the window is miles from the edge of the chairs..I’m going to have to stretch when I decide to have a snooze.

At 8.58pm we leave the terminal and the pilot had just told us that our flying time is just under 14 hours, I’m thinking I need some booze to make it through the night.

9:20pm we finally took off, twenty minutes to taxi to the runway. I was watching the view from the tail camera as we manoeuvred into position and then finally for take off.

You really feel the weight of this big beast, but the surprising thing is that it’s really quiet in the cabin, I think this is the quietest plane over been on. The sad thing though is that I can hear those fuckin kids. ☹️

10:30pm

Dinner was served, and it was delicious. We had braised beef with mashed potato and green beans. There was fruit and mango cheesecake.

After dinner I watched a bit of TV but I was really just channel surfing and then I thought I go for a slash and try to snooze. I put in the ear plugs and headed off to the land of nod but didn’t stay there for too long mainly due to the turbulence but really because I’m in peasant class.

I also woke up because, the vegetarian next to me was writhing as if possessed but it could of been to do with me snoring I guess…

I’d come to and my mouth was like an Arabs sandal all the way back to my tonsils if I still had them but I’d left them back in 74 at the Yorkhill Children’s Hospital.

9:43am, not local time but Australia time.

We’ve had breakfast and on the final stage of our flight. I guess my broken sleep was quite effective because we have 90 mins to go till we reach Dubai. The queue for the loo’s are beginning to form. The women will hog the toilets and put on new faces while the rest of the men will sit cross legged waiting their turn.

I to need to go and I’m one of those men sitting cross legged.

10:00am I decided that it was better to fight my way out from the window seat and get comfortable. My seat is near the bottom of the stairs that go to the second deck and at the bottom of those stairs there are six toilets which I guess they need on a plane this size.

It’s such a large plane and it feels so solid. Even when we were flying through the turbulence the sheer weight of the beast flattened out the ride. My only complaint about this big beastie is that you can not reach the side of the plane to rest your head because it’s too far away.

Mind you the entertainment on board is the best I have seen on a flight. The choice of music especially if impressive, it’s almost as if they have had a look at my collection.

We have been chasing the sun all night and still not caught it, however it will catch up with us shortly after we arrive in Dubai.

5:10am local time, about 11:10 in Australia and we have arrived. First port of call, a cafe.

Coffee is a double expresso with a bit of water and I feel that it needs to be a triple, but my taste buds are fairly average this morning.

So I’m in Dubai for two hours and then onto Glasgow for about an eight hour flight.

Oh the coffee was 9.50 aud 😕

My garden is looking better, the retaining wall has been rebuilt and I’ve even planted a few plants. The toll taken on my body has been somewhat surprising. My hands and especially my left wrist have been left with a few strains and I am currently wearing a compression bandage on my wrist to help with the potential RSI. But I’m working my way through the list of jobs that need to be done before the year is out.

Got a message last week to let me know that my cousin Anne had passed away, I didn’t realise that she was sick and I’m still not sure what happened. A few days later I find out that my cousin Mairi has been moved to a hospice and she passed away on Saturday. it certainly sharpens your focus when death arrives at someone’s door.

So I will be returning to Glasgow on Friday to say my goodbye’s. I’m sure their will be many tears in the een, however it is also a great opportunity to catch up with the rest of the family and to see friends that I haven’t seen for years.

Flights are booked. Flying in an A380 for the first time, mind you I will be in peasant class unless someone takes pity on me and gives me a seat upstairs. The flights are so expensive at the moment. Peasant class is around $3000 and the most expensive flight was $17,000 for 1st. If I win the lottery I shall go for the upgrade.

It’s beginning to warm up this week and I’ve had the air conditioning on today as well as yesterday. The sky is so blue and the sunlight would cut through like a laser beam, great for the solar but not good for the body. The UV is extreme and so getting away from it for a few weeks will be good. I’ll have to pack the winter woollies as I believe the words used when talking to friends was “Baltic”