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Hello, Elle!
Bridge is open to all, just now.
Restrictions are,
Wind speed,
45 mph, no double deck buses or high sided vehicles.
60 mph, only cars and single deck buses allowed, no other vehicles. No bikes or pedestrians.
80 mph, nothing allowed to cross.
To go up to Perth to cross (river is very much narrower there) would add 45 miles to your journey. So, as you can imagine, the bridge being closed is a bit of a bummer.
The refugees are going to the Isle of Bute.
I do not know the arrangements for them there, but the local newspaper has been encouraging the locals to make them very welcome.
I am not watching the football!
Just the welcome etc that the French team get, and the anthem. Then a few minutes of the game.
The result is unimportant.
Amazon's Deals start tomorrow until Black Friday.
Hatpin prices have been slashed!

Mmmmm - Bute might be a bit of a culture shock for Syrians!

My wife (the fern expert) is keen to visit the fernery at Ascog on Bute.

Yes, I do not know why Bute was chosen, but that's where they are going.
Certainly different from Syria!

I've just been reliably informed (by the fern expert) that Bute has a falling population, so there are spare houses and school places.

What they will do there, though...................

Hi, Rusty!
I have just been reading up about the Syrians and the Isle of Bute......it sounds as though the local residents are keen to welcome their new (Syrian) neighbours and willing to do all they can to make them feel at home.
Apart from planning welcoming food parcels, the residents of Bute are setting up a skills bank consisting of volunteers to help the Syrian refugees cope with the cultural and social challenges that they will meet.

And on December13th., the community will all come together at a film night in the cinema for a special screening of "It’s a Wonderful Life" - James Stewart in Frank Capra’s 1946 classic tale of community compassion and human redemption.
The cinema has provided its premises, and the owner of Bute Brewery, will provide mulled wine. It’s already a sell-out, and the money raised by this event will go to help provide the new Syrian neighbours with any other material basics they might need.

What an excellent, and thoughtfully charitable idea!
I hope it is a success!
(Shame on those Glaswegians at the airport!)

I didn't know that the Amazon Black Friday deals start tomorrow - thank you for telling me - I shall investigate ....!

What a very moving Marseillaise ! It always makes me shed a tear anyway, but this was something else - 90 000 people singing as one man .... Thank you England !

It's good that everyone is standing together. United we stand.......
This fight against terrorism needs to be everyone's fight.

Hello, Elle and Chris.
I am very pleased to hear the good folk of the Isle of Bute are making the Syrian folk welcome. I hope it all turns out very positively.
It is certainly a smashing film. Do Syrians drink wine?
Hope that is not a faux pas by the good folk of Bute!
It will be a huge challenge for the Syrians, what with Scottish weather, and language, schooling, etc.
But it has to be done!
I watched the anthems etc at Wembley.
Done very well, I thought.
On a more sombre note, two stadiums have been evacuated in Hanover, and explosives found.
A dangerous world!

Hello, Pigale!
I agree, the Marseillaise was stirring and the crowd were with the French to a man/woman! Great to see and hear.
Yes, well done, England!

Hi, Rusty!
I think Barney may be arriving.... the wind has become very fierce - there is a howling gale blowing, with trees swaying and creaking. We have a huge copper beech in the garden that is giving us some concern - it is rather too close to the house for comfort.
What is it like with you now?
Tomorrow I am going to another school Open Day. I shall need to make a very early start - I must catch a train about 8.30 am in order to be there for the beginning of the school tour.
I hope that this school proves to be as impressive as the last. Fingers crossed!
We have discovered two Amazon vouchers that we had forgotten we had! "Spending money" for the Black Friday Sales?
Will you be able to buy your Hammerite paint on special offer, do you think?
I shall certainly look up the book offers.
Regerttably, I wasn't able to record the film I wanted to watch - it should have been showing on Film 4 ( we should get that on Freeview according to the TV guide) but it was not to be....a notice came up saying "Channel scrambled or unavailable...."
Not - to -worry, I guess I can buy the DVD .
Time for a coffee, while I attempt to finish off the Times 15 x15 ...I've got stuck in a corner!