“As I sign off to join in the festivities, all that’s left to say is Happy New Year! Wishing Blantyre Project’s 14,000 readers all over the world the best of health, good fortune and happiness in 2020. Here’s hoping it’s YOUR best year ever.
Let’s recap on 2019 for a moment….with some highlights!
- Over 750 uniquely, researched history articles were added to Blantyre Project website in 2019
- 2,452 new photos were added in 2019!
- The Archive surpassed 13,000 Blantyre photos making it now the largest collection of local history in Lanarkshire in any one place!
- Some serious amount of writing done, all into book drafts.
- Contributing towards ASDA’s history boards, facing out on the tills, getting Blantyre history out there!
- Filmed for the renovated David Livingstone Centre’s new legacy room and contributed content towards the forthcoming exhibition.
- Several excellent presentations to various clubs, organisations and schools.
So what about 2020?
It’s safe to say Blantyre Project is still my passion! I’ll be posting as always every day without fail in scheduled posts, continuing to bring you as many brand new ‘old Blantyre’ photos as possible.
I’m thrilled to say 2020 will see several amazing new Blantyre books of utmost quality being brought to the history shelves, a couple of books nearing completion already. 2020 will be a great year for new books, I promise you that.
I’ve landed a new, demanding (but exciting) job starting in February, which will require my focus. Despite this, in my spare time in evenings, I’ll be continuing with Blantyre Telegraph and as always helping to organise outdoor events with wonderful friends and colleagues at Blantyre Community Committee. I’ve reluctantly decided not to host Blantyre Oscars in 2020, giving myself time off from that very demanding endeavour to focus on completing my book drafts. Blantyre Oscars, however, being so popular WILL be back in 2021.
I won’t be working away from home in future thankfully, which means I now have time in evenings back in Blantyre again and able to attend more events/meetings for community endeavours. Never one to let things stagnate, I’ve decided to step away from 2 existing community groups, which are running fine without my input and looking forward to shortly joining 2 new community groups, where I think I can help and make a difference to improving Blantyre.
Offline, I’ve booked a holiday abroad to spend time with family, with 10 of us heading to the sun later in the year. At weekends, I’ll be immersing myself into a large building project which needs attention next to my home. As you see, I’ve a busy year mapped out with firm plans. All I need is to find the time!
I’ll be bringing you all more, interesting and accurate Blantyre history every day of the year, as time permits.
Finally, I hope you all continue to enjoy this website, it’s daily stories, photos and events. For now though, it’s party time, my glass is half full and family beckon me to closedown the computer.
Thanks for your continued support. Happy New Year to you and yours!”
Paul Veverka
Thank you Paul for the hundreds of posts, opening up the mail in the morning would not be the same without a ‘Blantyre’ posting. I will at some time be sending some photo’s re ‘Croftfoot’ furnishings. Just a nudge, I turn 80 in March, do you think I
will be lucky enough to read the history of Croftfoot? in your own time Paul, meanwhile I would like to wish your family and yourself and very Happy New Year and keep posting!!!
A very happy new year to all in Blantyre, here in New Zealand we celebrated the new year 8 and a half hours ago and have woken to a new dawn on the first of January 2020. Where did that decade go? We have farewelled all those who passed during the earthquakes here and those who subsequently passed as a result of those devastating times, the more recent tragedies of the shootings in christchurch claiming so many lives and just weeks before Christmas the tragedy on our White Island volcanic eruption, so far with 17 lives lost. The Pike river mine disaster here in the south island was a reminder of Blantyres own tragic and massive loss of life in that terrible event “doon the mine”, I can’t wait to come back home to “Blantyre, or Blan’ir” and see the changes especially David Livingstone Memorial and other upgrades to buildings.
Hearty congratulations for all your hard work Paul, in keeping Blantyre alive and so meaningful. And a “guid new year tae yin and a'” right enough.
Thanks Linda. Happy New Year to you too and thanks for the kind comments. I hope you continue to enjoy the website and please do look me up when you’re back to Blantyre!