I’d like to say ‘Merry Christmas’ and thank you to all 14,000 people subscribed to this popular page who follow Blantyre Project posts so avidly here each day.
As always, I’ve learned plenty this last year reading your comments and appreciate all your input. I can confidently say, I enjoy posting in Blantyre Project very much and remain extremely motivated with hundreds of previously unseen photos still to show and of course new daily stories about our history.
I’ve now spent a fifth of my life faithfully writing up each day (without exception) about Blantyre and even some of these notes are from scribbles I made as far back as the 1980’s! I’m extremely proud of that commitment and effort and hope you’re enjoying it too. The fact its raised money for the community for 174 good causes, is just the “icing on the cake!”
During those last 10 years, everything I’ve ever written or researched and many of your comments have been integrated into a series of Blantyre Encyclopaedias, which will be unleashed to the world in brick size volumes in 2021! Leaving no stone unturned and containing millions of words, it will be my legacy…a life work, charting as much of Blantyre’s history that I could possibly find or hear about.
Before that though, there are several books planned for 2020, which are “oven ready” (that’s the phrase being used now isn’t it?!) and I’m looking forward to involvement with the re-opening of the David Livingstone Centre. Posts will continue every single day, though a new demanding daytime job, means, I may have to post once a day or so, to allow time after work, in evenings for research.
What a reach this page continues to have. Who would have thought this little town could attract SO much attention not just in Lanarkshire, but from further afield and from ex-pats all over the world!?
From Blantyre Project, (that’s me…Paul Veverka), no matter where you are in the world, I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas. Peace, warmth and happiness to you all over the festive season.
And to you and yours Paul a very merry Christmas and all good things for the coming year. What a mammoth undertaking you have taken on and so deserving to be very proud of all that you have accomplished. When next back home, and if the good lord spares us, could I have an audience with you at your office? I would love to shake your hand, say thankyou in person. Thanks again for your unselfish passion and dedication to put humble old Blantyre on the world stage! Kindest regards Linda New Zealand
Paul – Happy Christmas to you and especially your wife and daughter from Blantyre descendants in New York City and out here on Long Island, New York. Success and good health in 2020. Regards, Mike (Girvin and Cairns) McGovern.