Dear reader, for the day that’s in it, I hope you’re where you need to be right now and that you are safe and well.
Frankly, it has been an awful year, and we still are under the threat of Covid19.
This virus has no pity, and it doesn’t recognise the holiday period.
For me, this time of the year is all about family.
Last night Number One Daughter bounced into this little house in Dún na nGall.
This morning the soundtrack of the home place has been dominated by her laughter.
Before she left Dublin, her negative Covid19 test arrived just in time, as she only wanted to bring pressies to her aul mum and dad.
Baby Doctor is on her way to us today, and we will all be on the couch to Skype the Big Fella tomorrow.
He’s across the Pond, and it seems a long time since we were all together for Christmas Day.
For the avoidance of doubt, emergency supplies of Tayto and other goodies from home were recently airfreighted across the Atlantic to himself.
If the Pandemic has stopped you visiting those who care about, then there will be better days ahead.
The days are now getting incrementally longer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the light gives me hope.
Stay well.
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Dont know if anyone else notices but Phil just cant bring himself to say merry Christmas like the rest of the lefty God haters who would rather everyone used happy holidays or seasons greetings and such, the dislike of anything Christian seeps through between the lines when reading Phil’s comments, and other who post on here.
Remember the reason for the season, who we are and what got us to where we are.
Hope all of the Celtic family had a Merry and holy Christmas and have a prosperous and healthy new year,and the Bhoy do the magic Ten
Hail Hail and God bless
Merry Xmas, my Scottish relatives who live in an ex council house tell me it’s freezing there now and -5C at night. They have single glazing. The SNP green housing loan doesn’t cover double glazing upgrade but in England the green housing grant does.
The GRANT in England and Wales is non repayable and a giveaway. In Scotland the LOAN is to be paid back over ten years or on selling house, but not for double glazing anyway (loft insulation, new boiler, cavity wall insulation, solar panels,…). In Canada it’s a lot colder but we have well built homes for it.
I don’t understand the snp rage at the UK-EU deal either. Are the SNP split personality? They rage against the EU best deal but want to join the EU?
So the EU are bad guys re the UK deal but good guys for Scotland joining EUROPE? Who’s kidding who here?
The UK has a trade deal with Canada and 58 other countries now. Plus the EU. So an Indy Scotland would give up all those 58 trade deals to give trade sovereignty back to the EU? Crazy! Scotland is now independent of the EU but can trade freely with it. Best of all worlds.
Come on CELTIC in 2021. Rack up the points one game at a time and secure the TEN IN A ROW.
I watched the game yesterday via Zoom with my Grandson…He lives near the FOY Stadium in Hamilton.
I remarked on the weather conditions being displayed on the screen…
He said… “Granddad …It’s actually worse than what you are seeing…it’s horrendous.”
So my congratulations to both sets of players for battling through…and yesterday’s performance suggested to me that the green shoots of recovery are beginning to appear….Here’s hoping they continue to flourish.
For the first time in a long time Big Eddie showed us the classy player he is…I thought he was outstanding.
Hail hail.
Seasons greetings to you and yours, Phil. May I use your columns to say a few words about George Blake, who died in Russia, today, aged 98. His incredible story as a Soviet spy is told in the book ‘The Greatest Traitor.”
Unlike Philby, George Blake was not a denizen of clubland. Nor did he attend an elite public school, and was, in fact, born in Holland, where his name was Behar, later anglicised to Blake. Also, unlike Philby, he was not ‘tipped off’ about his immanent arrest in time to hightail it to Russia. No, when confronted by his inquisitors, Blake readily admitted to his ‘treason’, explaining that it was while he was a captive in the Korean War, and witnessed the incessant bombing and killing of innocent Korean villagers, that he decided he was ‘on the wrong side’. and offered to spy for the Russians. His strong Christian beliefs also played a part in his decision.
Perhaps his greatest coup was in regard to the much vaunted ‘Berlin Tunnel’, a wheeze dreamt up by the CIA’s William King Harvey. As the name suggests the Berlin Tunnel ran underground from west to east, and was meant to allow eavesdropping on Soviet designs on Western Europe. But who do you suppose was taking the minutes of the meetings leading up to the digging of the tunnel? None other than George Blake. The Soviets knew about the tunnel before a sod was broken. In fact their biggest problem was how not to alert the CIA (and us) about their knowledge of the tunnel. Indeed, we now know they used their communications network as per usual as they had no designs at all on Western Europe.
When George Blake was arrested, then tried, he was sentenced to an incredible 42 years in prison. Even hardened old lags were outraged at the severity of the sentence. And there was one among their number, an Irishman by the name of Sean Burke, who decided to help Blake escape. He did so by purchasing dozens of super-large knitting needles and a rope, and constructed a rope ladder that allowed Blake to go over the wall and resurface in East Berlin.
What was also interesting about Blake’s story, is that he gave us a very different version of Philby and Donald McLean’s lives in Russia. While we were told that this pair regretted their actions and pined for life in Blighty , it transpired that both men led productive lives in the USSR. Only Burgess could never fit in and drank himself to death.
I kid you not, the section of the book that deals with Blake’s time behind bars reads like an Ealing comedy. There is also a BBC interview with Blake (in Russia) which may still be available . A very interesting man indeed——-and one who insisted that his ‘treason’ never led to loss of life.
A very thought provoking post…thank you…I’ve always said that the UK is the worst in the world when it comes to security…This episode in our history proves it.
And I agree with the sentiment ” expressed” in your moniker…He was indeed.
Well well. Every day is a school day. I DIDN’T know ANY of that.
As a famous, and side splittingly funny, Irish comedian used to say, “May your God go with you.”
Nollaig Chridheil dhuibh uile.
A time for football rivalries to cease and for all to come together. Merry Christmas from a regular Jambo poster.
Nice post 🍀 Shèng dàn kuài lè from China (Christmas happy)
Merry Xmas all , hope it is a good one . Looking forward to more informative blogs from you next year Phil . On Christmas morning 415 years ago the red coats burned down a church in my part of OFFALY killing 105 people
Phil…May you …your family…and all your readers have a wonderful Christmas…and a healthy…peaceful…and Happy New Year.
And may the Boys of Glasgow Celtic do a Lazarus…and bring home the 10.
Hail hail
Phil to you and family, Have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2021.
Hail Hail 🍀🍀🍀🍀
John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
May God bless you and your family Phil 🙏🏼
Merry Christmas to you all and with hope for a very ,very prosperous New Year
Happy Christmas to everyone but especially to you Phil. Many thanks for your informative posts. Keep up the great work. Hail hail.
Merry Christmas to you and yours Phil. Here’s to a better 2021.
Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur Phil
Merry Christmas Phil and Family and all the best for 2021🍀
With the year we’ve all had we need these holidays to bolster spirits.
Take care and keep safe One and All💚☮️
Here’s wishing all (Including the hun) a merry Christmas and a happy New year. I hope 2021 brings all you wish for.
I wish all a Merry Christmas but the hun can feck aff for a happy new year.
My wish is for the finest team in Scotland to show up in 2021 and bring nothing but pain to the KKKlan.
Have a good one folks
A most Unchristian attitude you have there sir……………Ach feck it!! You’re right!!!