...“At least this Bugle’s in tune!”...

Christmas time to me is spending time with

my family and friends, I go to my sister and

help her put up the Christmas decorations

and make the house cosy when you come in.

I also put up Christmas decorations in my

house. I might live on my own but I think you

should make an effort as you don‟t know

who will come to visit you and to make them

feel welcome. I also like to buy gifts for my

family and my friends, but I don‟t have to

spend a lot of money as is it the thought

that counts. I like to sit down and think what

I have done and what I have achieved, and

see what more I can achieve. I also like to

sit down and think forward toward a new

year.

Dawn Hogg

Continued on page 2

WRITTEN AND PUT TOGE THER BY THE BETHANY PRESS TEAM

December 2006 Issue 5

Danger in the streets.

Report by Malcolm Kerr

3

Craig Blyth comments

on housing priority

4

Jan McKenzie on the

new Telford Campus

5

Stories from Matthew

House

6

Poems and jokes from

Fife

7

Eddie Klimek gives tips

on coping with anxiety

9

Christmas Crossword 10

Movie reviews from

Minty

11

Faces of The Bugle 12

Included in this issue:

Christ-Time

The babe Jesus,

seems to be hidden from this fallen World

With Santa Claus;

tinsel and trees unfurled.

I pray that this veil will be removed

And may that Jesus will once more be

loved

So let us this Christ time

Join in the chorus and say

That Jesus is welcome to this world.

Gordon Cameron

Christmas: loveliest or loneliest time of the year?

Bah humbug. At Christmas time people imag-

ine it is a happy time of the year when eve-

ryone is having fun.

But not everyone will be having fun like old

folk on their own and kids with no parents.

And as well as Christmas being too commer-

cialised kids are usually demanding from

their mum and dad the latest toy or clothes.

And with the high unemployment in Leith not

every parent can afford that and if they can

they just get themselves deeper into debt.

Sometimes Christmas can be a lonely time

for the old folk and the young too who have

lost a spouse or a husband or fiancé.

So if you‟re thinking about Christmas time

this year spare a thought for those in need,

and if you have a lonely neighbour give

them a call just to wish them a merry Christ-

mas.

Merry Christmas (Bahhhh Humbug)

Yours miserably

Scrooge McCurdie

Tis the season to be jolly… but while some

of our Press Team look forward to

Christmas, others look forward to it being

over…

I do like the build up to Christmas. The decorations and

the smells of the Christmas trees go round my heart. I

look in the shops to see what I can get family and

friends for their Christmas. I know that it costs a lot of

money and they know that I can only afford what I

can. I do like it when it is snowing but when it really lies

deep that‟s when I worry in case I fall or any one falls.

I get excited as I‟m doing the presents then wrapping

them all up and then put them under the tree. After I

have done my Christmas presents I concentrate on the

food shopping I do a shopping list on what food that I

am needing. This year I have a few friends around for

Christmas dinner. I might be going to my family on

Boxing Day to see them all.

I do still get really excited even although I am 39

years old. On Christmas Eve when I go to bed I feel

like a child as I can‟t sleep properly. I lie in bed and

think what I am getting for Christmas. I do feel really

happy on Christmas day and at night until I am on my

own. Then I think about people that are on their own

and they do not have family that come and see them. I

do feel sorry for them and I do say a prayer for them

and for God to look after them all.

I do like New Year‟s Eve and I think about the year

that I have had. What has happened to me and my

friends and family? I get excited as the countdown to

the bells start. For the bells this year I am spending it

with my friends at my place having a small party.

I do love Christmas and New Year I do spend a lot of

money but I do save up for this.

So from me Jan Mckenzie Merry Christmas and a

Happy New Year all the best for 2007.

How do

you feel

about

Christmas?

Issue 5 Page 2

I think Christmas is alright. I‟m not sure what I‟m doing

this year. I might go to my Gran‟s. The best thing about

Christmas is Christmas presents. I don‟t know what I‟ll get

this year, probably money, like I always do.

Peter Ritchie

Christmas is a time of the year that I go to Church, remembering the birth of our

Lord Jesus Christ. He, the King of Kings, was born of the Holy Spirit. I enjoy a

good Christmas dinner and share presents with my wife and family. But we must

remember that Jesus is the greatest gift of all. You will have heard of the word

Emmanuel at this time. It means God is with us. So you see it has nothing to do

with Santa Claus as he did not die for our sins. Jesus was born to die for us.

Gordon Cameron

I like Christmas because I go

see my Mum and Dad and all

Family. I love getting up they

with my Family. This Christmas I

go to my mum and dad and all

Family. Mum and dad and me

(Julie) and Family and Dog will

be there. On Christmas day I

will open my present at my

Mum and Dad house. My fa-

vourite Christmas food is cori-

ander and carrot soup and

chicken and stuffing. I did get

presents for all of my Family

but one more present - Mum go

to see a show. I look for pre-

sents for me now!

Julie Cranston

At this time of the year most of us are thinking about

Christmas and New Year. Why do we celebrate at this

time of year? Because it is to celebrate the birthday of a

baby two thousand and six years ago. A baby called

Jesus. But at this time not all people want to or are able

to get into the spirit of Christmas. Why can‟t people,

some people, able to enjoy this time of year? There are

a multitude of reasons. Depression is one of the most

common causes and one of the most unnoticed in society

and amongst the family and friends of the depressed

person.

At times people suffering from depression do not know

that they are suffering from this illness or will not admit

or show it. Depression can make you very isolated from

the real world. To explain this I will try to let you know

what sometimes goes through a person‟s mind when they

are depressed. A person feels anything they do is not

appreciated so it‟s not worth doing so you become lax

and lazy. You don‟t want to go out with family or friends,

so you sit in the house, constantly thinking about what-

ever it may be that is making you depressed. A de-

pressed prson will probably put on a show of being al-

right with friends and family. But all the time they are

with people the things that are causing them to be de-

pressed will go through their minds twenty four hours a

day and there is no rest from these thoughts. Depression

is a small but very significant part of a person not being

able to join in or celebrate Christmas.

Bill Young

I left there; there was a

brawl in the pub with two

folk. Went to a friend‟s.

She wasn‟t taking no for an

answer. She phoned Porto-

bello. A PC came out.

Were you in hospital?

No. They X-rayed me. It

was quiet. It happed about

7.45pm. The nurses said I

was extremely lucky. They

took X-rays of my head

and arm. I had arms up

protecting myself. They

were after money for

drugs.

How long were you in

hospital?

Two hours. They said the X-

rays came back fine. They

said to take a paraceta-

mol. Go home. Good night!

Would you like something

done?

The PC said it gets handed

to CID. But I never heard

from them. I left a message

with staff at Portobello

Police.

Did you complain to the

Council about the street

lights?

Talking to the Council is

like talking to a brick wall.

We have ASBO wardens

about. But they do nothing.

Is it a place with drugs all

the time?

All the time. Kids run

around on mopeds, drink-

ing.

Do you see people taking

drugs?

They do it in the area

A Bethany learner tells

his story to Malcolm Kerr.

What happened?

Last week I was going to a

friend‟s house to watch

football and heard a guy

walking behind me. I didn‟t

think anything about it

Where was it?

Lochend. That‟s a bad

area. There are no lights.

How many were there?

Just one. He said someone

was shouting on me. I

turned around, saw 2 guys

a fair distance away. Was

about to turn back when

he floored me with a

punch. He kicked me in the

head 4 times on the

ground.

What was he after?

Money.

Did you get the Police

involved?

Yes… I got up and ran

towards a pub and the

guy behind the bar said

come in to get cleaned up.

His wife or lassie who

worked in the bar phoned

the police.

Danger in the streets

Reporter: Malcolm Kerr

Sam On the way to school each

morning I would stop off

at Swanpool Beach.

There I would meet Sam.

We would throw a ball to

each other & talk. It was

innocent & simple fun.

I first met this old man

when, one weekend, I was

playing on the sand with

“Pokey”, my dog. I

looked up toward the cliff

path which connected the

two beaches of Swanpool

& Gylingvase, & saw this

very old looking bearded

man, with a pronounced

limp, hobbling down the

rocky path. I ran over to

ask him if he needed any

help, & he gratefully

leaned on my small frame

as we both tentatively

reached the beach from

the path.

Apart from Sams limp, his

left arm was paralysed.

We talked about how hot

it was that Summer of 68,

about the Old Peoples

Home he lived in on top of

the hill, & of Cornish

“Pixies”, Elves & what the

animals talked about

when there were no hu-

mans around.

Eventually, Sam & I would

meet up almost every

morning on the beach,

weekends & weekdays;

Sam would throw this rub-

ber ball to me, & I would

throw it back, though with

only one good arm & “jam

jar” spectacles, Sam rarely

caught my pitch, no matter

how gently I bowled it to

him. Pokey would some-

times leap up & catch the

ball mid flight, then obedi-

ently return it to Sam or

me at my command. Pokey

liked Sam too.

Then one day, the “Grown-

ups” got suspicious. Ru-

mours abounded regard-

ing Sams “Motives for

playing with a child & his

dog on the beach”.

I was ordered to go

straight to school during

the week, & not to ever

again, go to the beach

alone. Sam was sent

away.

He was my friend & I cried

for a week.

I often wonder what be-

came of him.

where I stay.

Have you heard of pen-

sioners being beaten up?

In the Evening News the

next day there was an

article about an old

woman in Madeira Street

being beaten up.

Writer: Keith Janes

Issue 5 Page 3

share a common bond and

that is that there should be

NO prioritisation because

we ALL need help and a

home.

I know that there are a lot

of homeless people in Edin-

burgh and I do appreciate

that there is a massive logis-

tical problem in re-housing

everybody especially peo-

ple with severe problems be

it mental or self induced, but

surely why can‟t the Council

house people who WANT to

be helped, not people who

will only stay in accommo-

dation for a couple of

months and fall back into

the Hostel-hopping circuit

again.

So, in closing, all I will say is

that I will now go out and

commit a horrible crime and

serve time in prison, then, I

will become an alcoholic

and drug addict then

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, I‟ll

get a flat.

sarcastically replied,

Approximately 4 weeks

ago I moved into Bethany

House, which is a

“resettlement hostel” for the

homeless, which has now

given me the time and

space to review my current

situation and “get my life

back in order”.

The message I am trying to

convey to you is that we

should ALL be classed as

“priority” because through

one way or another many

of us have found ourselves

homeless.

My reason for being home-

less is that through sheer

great timing I lost my job

and my marriage collapsed

in the space of a weekend

(which just happened to fall

on my birthday), yes I did

turn to drink, however that

was for the duration of the

following week only , but

that is no excuse for me be-

ing where I am today say

the Council.

Since I have been here I

have met many characters,

some good some bad, but I

have found that we all

moment I had no clue as to

what was happening, no-

body had explained to me

about the prioritisation of

the homeless people in

Edinburgh. I did actually

find myself feeling a little

frightened and apprehen-

sive.

Any way about 15 minutes

later I was called into a

booth and only then was it

explained to me about

what priority and non-

priority status was, I was

told that I had been found

to be non-priority because

I did not meet all the crite-

ria required.

“What do you mean?” I

asked, almost dreading

the answer, “well, you

have declared yourself

intentionally homeless,

have no penal servitude,

no drug or alcohol related

problems and are fit

enough to work”. (Some

cities would welcome peo-

ple like this with open

arms.)

Totally gob smacked, I

asked what I had to do, so

they told me that they

would put me up in a local

bed and breakfast for

approximately 4 weeks,

and gave me a few pam-

phlets of local letting

agencies and told to look

for property on the Edin-

dex scheme, “how kind” I

In the last issue of The

Bugle we discussed the

controversial issue of

housing priority. In this

issue, we continue the

discussion with a per-

sonal story revealing

why “housing priority”

causes problems.

When I left this beautiful

city almost 15 years ago I

never imagined the prob-

lems I would encounter

returning back.

I came back from Stoke

on Trent in Staffordshire

approximately 15 weeks

ago and right then I found

I was in trouble.

Firstly, I had to go to the

local Council in Waterloo

Place to register as home-

less, now you may call me

naive, but what I found

left me absolutely as-

tounded.

I had to go through what

can only be described as

a personality and emo-

tional dissection, (our

friends in the local Council

offices must have studied

techniques used by the

Spanish inquisition to get

a job).

After finally giving them

all the details they re-

quired I was asked to

wait in reception till they

had made a decision,

“what kind of decision?” I

asked, “To see if you will

be placed as priority or

non-priority” was the re-

ply.

Now if you can imagine

the scenario, here am I,

tired (travelling all night),

hungry and no one to turn

to, and at that precise

Issue 5 Page 4

Housing priority is unfair

Sid the Virus, by Jimmy McCurdie

Sid the virus loves this time of the year

When you catch a cold and begin to sneeze

He loves to give you a sore throat

And keep you ill in bed

He loves to make you feel bad

And wish you were dead

He thinks it‟s funny

When your nose is all blocked and runny

He loves to make you cough and sneeze

Cry and wheeze

And to make you feel rotten for a week or two.

He loves to give you the cold and the flu

But you can beat him and get him back

Mix some honey and lemon brew.

Reporter: Craig Blyth

“We should ALL be

classed as “priority”

because through one

way or another many

of us have found our-

selves homeless.”

Issue 4 Page 5

The different courses are coloured

coded in amber, red, purple and

another colour which I can‟t remem-

ber. It‟s hard to remember where

you are going for the first few days

but its ok after a while.

I found it hard to remember where

to go for classes but now I‟m not too

bad. The student services are as

you come into the college, first aid

room is on the ground floor and so

is the student union. The reception is

as you come into college also. The

hairdressing is on the ground floor.

There is easy access to the toilets on

each floor and there is lifts to each

floor also.

The staff are friendly they make

you feel welcome there is also secu-

rity staff that walk around the col-

lege every day. There is a car park

for staff and students and they put

up a sign if the car park is full. You

have to apply for a car park permit

now this came into force on the 1st

of October 2006

The library, study centre and the

food hall are big and well catered

for students, staff and visitors.

They also have a place where

people that have a religion can

go and pray but you would

have to look into that more. The

college does cater for disabled

people in wheelchairs and peo-

ple that have disabilities.

I started college in the 1st week

of September 2006 the class

has got 13 people in it, which I

am glad of. This I quite like be-

cause I suffer from some health

problems and I find it hard to

talk to people and mix with

others. I now find it easy to talk

to others and mix with others at

college. I‟m making new friends

every day that I am in college.

My course that I am doing is

part time so I am doing this over

2 yrs. It‟s advice, guidance and

counsel. I am in college 3 days

a week this suits me fine.

To apply or look into courses

you can phone up Telford col-

lege on 0131 559 4000 or go

onto their website at www.ed-

coll.ac.uk. Or you could pop into

Bethany Community education

room at 18 Jane Street on a

Tuesday morning to find out

more.

I would recommend college to

any one of any age, colour, sex

and disability to go to college.

I‟m there to get more qualifica-

tions‟ and a better education

behind me.

New Campus at Telford Edinburgh Telford College is based

at 350 West Granton Road Edin-

burgh it‟s beside the old British Gas

Works. You can get the 14, 16 or

32 bus from Leith to the college.

The college is now all combined into

1. There were 4 or 5 campus over

Edinburgh. The food hall has differ-

ent food in it. There is Chinese food,

chippy food, and ordinary food.

There are also vending machines

that people can get juice, sweets,

crisps, coffee and soups from. If you

go to the food hall there are 3 dif-

ferent prices, 1 for students, 1 for

staff and 1 for visitors.

“I would recommend college to anyone of any age, col-our, sex and disability.”

Reporter: Jan McKenzie

Insecurity to Immaturity Lyrics by Jimmy McCurdie

Intro

I met you on the street

You looked down and dead-beat

You were out of your mind on drink

and drugs and you tried to greet me.

Verse 1

You looked so thin

I knew you were on heroin

And I wish there was something

I could do

You stopped me

and asked me for some money

But I knew it would just go

on drink and drugs.

I wanted to cry within.

Bridge

Insecurity to immaturity

Spending all your social security

Down at the brewery.

Verse 2

I knew you had spent all your money

and were feeling insecure,

But I wish you could come to your

senses and have some maturity,

You spent all your social security and

you were crying for another fix.

You began to cry,

But I knew if you didn‟t do something

you would die.

Chorus

All your insecurities

I wish you would have some maturity

You spent all your social security

Down at the brewery,

But you knew drugs were only for

mugs.

Verse 3

You began to cry

You wanted another fix.

I saw you one day and you looked fine

But in your hand

You had a cheap bottle of wine

I hoped one day you would come to

your senses and let down all your

insecure defences,

And let us give you a hand.

Issue 5 Page 6

Cyrenians is a course for homeless and people from West

Lothian that come from all over to do activities. There are

loads of different kinds of activities like drama, dj and

sometimes go to the gym. It is a guy called Tommy Steele

that runs it. There is Ian, Peter, Kelly, Sarah, Tammi, Eliza-

beth, Westy, Vicky, Kirsty, Jason, Paul, Andy and Alan that

all go. If you go you get lunch paid for you and you either

get a lift or bus tickets to get there and back. I think it is

brilliant because it gets you out the house and it‟s a laugh.

I got into Matthew House through Open Door in Craig-

shill but before they put me in there I had to go to Cow-

gate. I would not recommend it to anyone because I

never got a wink of sleep because of Polish people

shouting all night and the amount of homeless that kept

on coming to the door. I also had to lay down on a thin

foam mat that was uncomfy. I have slept in worse than

that but for a hostel it was quite bad. So I was glad to

have got into Matthew House because it let me get onto

my feet again.

Ian Angus writes about moving into “the wee hoose” (Matthew House) and the Cyrenians course

he has been doing...

My name is George. I live in Bethany House. Destitution and homelessness can hap-pen to anyone. I was made homeless in September

2006.

I was driven out of my home by constant harassment for about 2 and a half years by a local gang of kids in the Wallsend estate in Newcastle. I was burgled within 2 weeks of moving in. I spent a lot of money and time on my bungalow, as I thought I would be there for

good.

I bought garden sheds and built high walls to deter the burglars. I took pride in my garden, I bought hanging baskets and flower pots, without trying to be boast-ful, I had the best floral dis-

plays every year.

I really thought the harass-ment would stop, given time, but it got worse. My hang-ing baskets were pulled down, plant pots smashed, they even demolished the

wall I built to keep them out. My windows were con-stantly smashed and I had to give up my car which was a target for the van-dals. I needed my car for

work, so I lost my job.

On one occasion I was un-der siege for 2 hours, was stoned, assaulted and ver-bally abused, the police could not come immediately as they were busy on other

incidents.

Despite the fact the Council, Police and magistrates were involved with the youths, who were brought to justice on numerous occa-sions, the incidents contin-ued, so, eventually, on the advice of the police I moved out and abandoned my worldly goods as my health and life was in dan-

ger.

I was in a dilemma as I had no family to turn to. I was the 3rd tenant to be driven

out in the last 10 years.

I moved to Edinburgh and

was worried about living on the streets, I would not have survived, I am 59 and have health problems. I was seri-ously considering committing a crime, like smashing a shop window, and asking the judge to incarcerate me. At least in prison I would be guaranteed food, heating and shelter, but I was rec-ommended to Bethany House by the Salvation Army, fortunately they had

a vacancy.

Several decades before the emergence of places like Bethany House it was com-mon place for the homeless to commit minor crimes to enable them to be jailed and looked after, and it was more expensive than keeping them in designated hostels such as Bethany House. It was a never-ending cycle of crime, police involvement, law courts and prison, so places like Beth-

any House are essential.

I would like to thank the Christian staff at Bethany

House for their Christian love and compassion, they have treated me as an equal and not looked down on me as some establishments and individuals do on the homeless. I would also like to point out that the Christian love and sup-port I have received in Bethany House has rubbed off on me. After what happened to me it would be so easy for me to be bitter and plot revenge on my perpe-trators, but I have for-given them, and my bit-terness has melted. Bit-terness is like a cancer it eats away at you. With-out the help and support of Bethany House things would have been so different, as I could have ended up in prison and they also helped me find a flat which I

will soon be moving into.

George MacFarlane

Homeless because of Harassment

Issue 4 Page 7

Thank you Bethany Christian Trust

Bethany, you helped me one year

ago, do you remember me?

You helped me to get my life back,

I‟ll never forget you,

You helped me see my destiny.

I was going through a terrible time

with lots of abuse,

Trying to tell someone was of no use

Until I was told by a friend,

one of many

I could talk and confide

in a support worker from Bethany.

It‟s the best thing I did,

it turned out very well

I want to say thanks to all

A very Merry Christmas,

A happy Noel!

Mo Hodgson

Gerry McKenna:

Marriage is like a hot bath: it starts

off pretty hot, then it goes lukewarm.

My mother sent me to the shops for a half loaf and I came back with a greyhound. My mother said, “what‟s this?” and I said, “it‟s two different

breeds”.

get to the nearest shops.

I‟ve met a lot of people

since moving to Edinburgh

and most of the people are

nice and polite. The staff at

Bethany House are all

amazing and are always

there to help if you need it.

Here are some of the staff

and what I think about

them.

Danny - Danny is my sup-

port worker at Bethany

House and he is a really

amazing guy to talk to.

USA Mark - A really cool

guy to talk to and is always

looking to help you at all

times.

Marzena - My lovely

Polish friend. A very col-

ourful woman whose

cooking is absolutely

amazing. I find Mar-

zena‟s accent lovely to

listen to as I love to learn

foreign languages.

Jenny - A lovely woman

who is always looking to

help and support you.

Renata - Great to talk to

and very very helpful.

That‟s only some of the

staff as I can‟t really think

of anything to write

about the rest of them!

Matthew meets Bethany

Fresh 2

I‟m back in Fresh

Spending some cash

On a mochachino

And le beuf de hach.

I get a friendly smile from the staff

Whenever I‟m here

Which cheers me up

If even for a mere

Minute or two

In the day

Isn‟t nothing special

But keeps me on my way.

Steven Gibson

Christmas

Wishing you all the best

For Christmas and New Year

I hope you have a great time

With lots of cheer

I‟m sure Santa will be good to you

Underneath that Christmas tree

With lots of presents

And this card from me.

Steven Gibson

A woman‟s work is never done because her husband never starts

it.

Gerry learned these last rhymes

from his mum...

Mashed up tatties, beef and

steak; had a wee bit current cake.

Ma wee man‟s a minor,

He works in Aberhill,

He gets his pey on Saturday,

And he buys a half a jill,

He goes to church on a Sunday,

And he aye comes in late,

Takes the buttons off his shirt

And puts them in the plate.

The Bugle collects stories from

Dunfermline Toastie Club and Leven Drop-In. Why not come

along and contribute yourself? Featuring Fife

they were a little bit rough

and that they were the kind

of places that you would

get your head kicked in.

When I moved in I didn‟t

really think it was as bad

as I thought it would be.

The location of the hostel is

a lot different from Mat-

thew House as Bethany

House is located right in the

centre of Leith and Mat-

thew House is in the middle

of nowhere in a field.

We are also a lot closer to

the shops as it only takes

about 2 minutes to walk to

the shops whereas at Mat-

thew House you had to

walk for 20-30 minutes to

When I was leaving Mat-

thew House I was nervous

about moving into such a

big area that I didn‟t

really know about. Every-

thing was just so different

to the place where I had

been beforehand.

When I moved into Beth-

any House I took a look

around and the atmos-

phere was so much differ-

ent to Matthew House as

there is a lot more people

staying in Bethany House.

Before I moved to Edin-

burgh I was told by lots of

different people that I did

not want to stay in any of

the Edinburgh hostels as

Ala

n C

ori

o

Issue 5 Page 8

My Friend Where can I start? There

is a lot of experience I

have had. I think the last

one was losing my friend

through drugs and alco-

hol.

That was my first depres-

sion, seeing that. I was at

school with this boy, we

played football together.

I was the best-man at his

wedding. When I saw

him, that is when it got to

is still alive, but once he

started drugs he stopped

going to work and things

like that. He met the wrong

person, which he or she

gave him drugs and alcohol

and it shows you how you

could be addicted to both.

Basically he lost everything,

through a stupid thing.

me. I was really angry

with him. He had a good

wife, kids and everything.

He had a good home and

a job.

The last time I seen him he

was in a wheelchair, which

was through drugs. I hadn‟t

spoken to him in about 6

months. Between these six

months he lost his wife, his

children, his job, everything.

He lost everything. His wife

Cross Rhythms Concert On Friday 17th Novem-

ber I was invited to at-

tend the Cross Rhythms

concert being held at

Abbey Hill church in Leith,

to help raise money for

the Bethany Centre. I live

in the Bethany Hostel,

also in Leith, although not

being either religious or

a Christian, I attended

the concert because one

of our residents from the

hostel was one of the

artists performing.

I was full of trepidation

because, maybe I was

being naïve, but I thought

that it was going to be a

night of “glory hallelu-

jahs” but boy how wrong

was I?

First up was Andy Wilson,

a talented singer/

songwriter from Fife who

gave us a few nice mel-

low numbers & finished

with a strange little ditty

called “Bungee Girl”!!

Then we had another

mellow session from yet

another singer/

songwriter, David Toner,

from Fife (there must be

something in the water),

his style was more of a

personal nature than

Andy Wilson‟s, but still

enjoyable. Next up we

had our very own Eddie

“slow hands” Klimek who

started with a bluesy tune

followed up by a surpris-

ingly nice little medieval

lute and finishing with a

gospel song, lovely stuff.

Now, I am far from being

an opera fan, my taste is

more of the independent

rock music scene, but next

up we were treated to a

beautiful opera set from

Bruce Davis, one of our

American cousins who now

lives locally, with his wife

accompanying him on the

piano. His rendition of the

song “Maria” from West

Side Story was both haunt-

ing and captivating, this

man has one set of power-

ful lungs. We then stopped

for a 15-minute coffee

break in which time I was

asking myself why I was

enjoying this concert. MY

ANSWER WAS TO COME

AFTER THE BREAK. First

up after the break was a

young man from Dundee

called Xander Duffy

(remember the name) Xan-

der nearly missed the the

concert because of traffic

problems, I am glad he

made it. His set comprised

of 4 astonishingly personal

songs, which he sung with

such raw energy and pas-

sion, he had the whole hall

enthralled, this guy held

nothing back, OUT-

STANDING. We were then

treated to the vocally

gifted Mark Calder and his

band, who gave us a bit of

Rock n Roll style gospel,

Reporter: Craig Blyth

I was full of trepida-tion because, maybe I was being naive, but I thought that it was going to be a night of “glory halle-lujah’s” but boy how wrong was I?

got my foot tapping. Lastly

we had Steph Mac, who

gave us some songs he had

written while going through

re-hab at the Bethany Cen-

tre, his first song he had

composed recently and

which he dedicated to his

fiancée (sweet), then 2 terri-

fic little ditties and ended

up with a song the band

had only learned that day.

Very impressive. All in all,

the entire concert was terri-

fic entertainment; every act

was different in their own

way but very enjoyable.

Even though, as I have said

before, I am not religious I

will attend more of these

concerts when they come up

again and I would urge all

readers to do the same.

Malcolm Kerr

What is it?

What is love

Who can say

Is it just a game

That people play

Is it something more

Than a mere kiss

Is it something

That if lost is missed

Could it be a form

Of security

Could it be deep down

Deep inside of me

If I move

Or go away

Will it come

Or maybe stay

Did it first come

From God above

Can you tell me

What is love?

Keith Janes

Ma

lco

lm K

err

Issue 4 Page 9

Some years ago I was un-

der a lot of pressure

through work (excessive

overtime), a shaky mar-

riage (excessive bevvy –

like Oor Wullie, I liked a

good bucket), and exhaus-

tion (excessive late night

folking and guitar play-

ing). The sum total was that

I experienced anxiety and

depression, but at the time

I wouldn‟t admit it, and

was too proud to face it.

Eventually I did seek medi-

cal advice, went onto mild

anti-depressants then later

went for counselling – for

both alcohol dependency

and marriage guidance. I

didn‟t discuss my condition

with friends or family –

that would be an indication

of failure or inadequacy

(so I thought) – and so,

carried on through a legal

separation from my wife,

met a new partner (thru‟

the internet) who came up

from Bristol to join me; that

was a shaky period which

resulted in her finding a

place of her own; then re-

dundancy from Edinburgh

Council (after 25 years‟

service); debt problems –

loads of harassing phone

calls at all hours; then fi-

nally eviction.

Anxious? – Me? Naw! Most

days were a daze of

bevvy or dope, so

“tomorrow will take care o‟

itsel“ That was then, this is

now.

So here I am, one and a

half years older, wiser and

uglier; I am a committed

Christian, albeit still a be-

ginner, but with my sights

on being a black belt! I

drink once per fortnight

only (when I get paid) as a

wee treat, have got my

sense of humour back and

in general am very content

with life. So what

changed?

Lots of things. The past 18

months of homelessness has

been a period of re-

evaluation and taking

stock of what I‟ve got left.

Now that I‟m sober, I‟ve

rediscovered my old en-

thusiasm for guitar, re-

searching music and in-

stead of the old hermit

existence I‟ve got back

into the social flow. Three

months in Cunningham

House then one year in

Bethany meant that I‟ve

been in a safe, secure and

Christian environment, af-

fording me the time and

space to reflect on my fu-

ture direction, and de-

velop my faith.

No more anxiety or de-

pression, but enthusiasm, a

definite purpose and am-

bition to make the most of

what‟s available, without

feeling bitter about the

past, or trying to put the

blame onto others. So how

did it come about?

Two ways. First, by open-

ing up up to others and

sharing common experi-

ences. In the hostel circuit I

rub shoulders with all sorts,

some doing better – or

worse – than me. Second,

by surrendering my pride,

relinquishing unrealistic am-

bitions and becoming honest

with myself; realising that

even after 18 months I can

survive (as in my old stu-

dent days) in my wee room

with my guitar, a radio and

a shedload o‟ books on the-

ology and bible study! In

short, I sought for, and

made a link to our Lord.

“So then, Eddie, what‟s the

antidote to anxiety and/or

depression?” I hear you cry.

Two ways, trust me. Number

one, on the physical and

mental plane – go see your

doctor, get the appropriate

medication for your condi-

tion but at the same time,

go talk to a counsellor.

Number two, on the spiritual

level – cast your burdens on

the Lord. Either way, it‟s the

same process. Trust me.

“Do not be anxious about

anything, but in everything,

by prayer and petition, with

thanksgiving, present your

requests to God. And the

peace of God, which tran-

scends all understanding, will

guard your hearts and your

minds in Christ Jesus.”

[Phil.4:6.7] (NIV)

This quotation from Philippi-

ans is a promise from God.

How do we put it into prac-

tice – how do we find calm

amid the storm? The follow-

ing actions work on both

planes mentioned above,

whether going to a doctor

or communing with our Lord.

Tell God what you need,

be specific and voice your

concerns “…..pray in the

Spirit on all occasions with

all kinds of prayers and re-

quests.” [Eph 6:18]

Rely on him – acknowledge

your need of his help “….let

us hold firmly to the faith

we profess. For we do not

have a high priest who is

unable to sympathise with

our weaknesses, but…one

who has been tempted in

every way, just as we

are.” [Heb 4:14-16]

Unburden yourself – ex-

press true thoughts and

feelings to Him “..Cast all

your anxiety on him be-

cause he cares for

you” [1Peter 5:7]

Submit to God – seek for-

giveness, being willing to

obey His will “Humble

yourselves, therefore, under

God’s mighty hand, that he

may lift you up in due

time” [1Peter 5:6]

Thank Him – give him

praise, glory and thanks

for everything “always

giving thanks to God the

Father for everything, in

the name of our Lord, Jesus

Christ” [ Eph 5:20]

If we put this T.R.U.S.T. into

practice we will experi-

ence Christ‟s peace, giving

us quiet confidence to dis-

pel depression and anxi-

ety. Trust me – it works!

Now where was I……oh,

aye. “Christmas is coming,

the geese are getting fat;

don‟t be a clown by feel-

ing down, God is where

it‟s at!”

And finally,

- There are 3 kinds of

people – those who can

count, and those who can‟t.

- Whenever I feel blue, I

just start breathing again.

Have a good one!

Antidote for Anxiety

Reporter: Eddie Klimek

I experienced

anxiety and

depression, but at

the time I wouldn’t

admit it, and was too

proud to face it.

Issue 5 Page 10

Christmas Quiz-time

When I was at Action for

Employment (A4E) I had

to do a work placement.

A member of staff Anna

helped me to choose a

place to do my work ex-

perience. I chose Home-

base for six weeks. The

things I did were garden-

ing, watering the plants,

taping up the burst bags,

Happy-days at Homebase! sweeping up the grounds

and fixing up the shelves.

When I was in the main

building I would do stock-

taking, pack shelves, help

customers, do returns, and

help in the warehouse. I

loved walking in at

9:00am in the morning

and winding up Danielle,

as she started at 7:00am.

When I walked past her I

would say to her, “Cheer up

hen it‟s only 9:00am and

you don‟t finish „til 4:00pm!”

I enjoyed helping the cus-

tomers and having a laugh

with them, they would make

my day. If a customer came

up to me in the lighting sec-

tion needing something, I

would say “If you would just

like to follow me.” You

always ask the customer,

“Is there anything else I

can help you with?”

Reporter: John Cook

1 t

r 2

e 12

3

13 14

4

y s 5

8 15

a 6

r t

i

16 n

7

e

9 10

11

12

ACROSS

1. Xmas bird

2. Covered in icing

3. We decorate this

4. Hope your Christ-mas is quiet and

still

5. Socks at Christ-

mas

6. Birth of Jesus

7. Only begotten

Son

8. In the sky and

leading to Jesus

9. Goes with ivy

10. Christmas song

11. Meat in a pie?

12. Christmas kisses

DOWN

2. Pull them at Xmas

3. Christmas sing-

along

5. Down the chimney

12. After dinner

13. Kid‟s present

14…. Robin flew

away

15. All that glitters is not gold!

Gordon Kerr

Gordon Cameron

Issue 4 Page 11

Minty’s Movie Madness Flushed Away Plot: From the makers of Wallace and Gromit. The pampered life of Kensington-dwelling pet mouse Roddy (voiced by Hugh Jackman) goes literally down the toilet when a sewer rat (voiced by Shane Richie) invades his home and flushes

him down the loo.

Verdict: Loads of toilet hu-mour, this is one for the kids.

***

Casino Royale Plot: Newly promoted to the 00 section, James Bond (Daniel

Craig) thwarts a scheme of shady financier le Chiffre

(played brilliantly by Mads Mikkelsen). Le Chiffre stages a

high stakes poker tournament in Montenegro, hoping to re-

coup his lost money, and „M‟ (Dame Judi Dench) has Bond

enter the game intent on bankrupting his opponent. He is

teamed with Vesper Lynd (Green), a treasury official who

holds the purse strings on Bonds table stakes.

Verdict: Brilliant *****

doted on Joseph, their an-

ger grew with each day,

but what made them really

mad, was when Jacob gave

Joseph a dazzling coat of

many colours.

What did you think of the

show?

It was good and I had fun.

What was your favourite

bit?

Joseph bit (H from steps)

What were the costumes

like?

Ok and good.

Where is the show on

now?

It finished on 21/10/06.

The Snowman is at Edin-

What is story about?

Jacob had twelve sons. The

second youngest, Joseph,

was his favourite, the son of

Rachel. Joseph was good

and kind, helping his father

and family by being a

good shepherd in the

fields. His brothers resented

the way in which Jacob

Where did you go to see

“Joseph”?

At Edinburgh Festival Thea-

tre.

Who was in it?

Joseph (Ian H Watkins),

Jacob/Potiphar (Henry

Metcalfe), Narrator

(Hannah Grover), Pharaoh/

Gad (Marlon Moore),

Asher, Simeon ,Benjamin,

Zebulun ,Levi ,Issachar ,

(John Melvin , Anthony

Wren ,Phil Cross ,Kiean

Jae ,Chris Wood ,Guy Bar-

zily)

Joseph Enjoyed burgh Festival Theatre on

13 December 2006 to 30

December 2006. Then Scot-

tish Ballet - Cinderella 2nd -

31st January.

More about “H”:

H took time in 2004 to per-

form in 'Joseph and the

amazing technicolor dream-

coat' and 'Dick Whittington'

at Christmas. H's TV show, 'H

Side Story', followed his

progress in a drama school.

H Real name: Ian Watkins

Age: 30

Date of birth: 8th May

1976

Where from: Rhondda Val-

ley, South Wales

His First Love-Musical thea-

tre

H was in a band call steps.

In this group then was Lisa

Scott-Lee, Lee Latchford-

Evans and Faye Tozer

Claire Richards. He did a

duet with Claire Richards.

His TV series, H-side Story 6

parts coming soon.

“It was good and I

had fun.”

Reporter: Julie Cranston

Bethany Press Team

Paul Aspinall; Craig Blyth; Gordon Cameron; Martin Can-non; Alan Corio; Julie Cranston; John Cook; Mo Hodgson; Dawn Hogg; Steven Gibson; Keith Janes; Gordon Kerr; Malcolm Kerr; Kate Kerrigan; Eddie Klimek; Bruce Lyon; Jimmy McCurdie; Gerry McKenna; Jan McKenzie; Minty; Jess Philbrick; Tim Porteus; Derek Slater; Janet Sutherland; Rob Winton; Bill

Young.

c/o Tim Porteus

Bethany Community Education

32 Jane Street

Edinburgh

EH6 5HD

timothyporteus@

bethanychristiantrust.com

The Bethany Press Team puts

together each edition of The

Bugle magazine. We meet

almost every Monday from

10:00am-12:30pm at 18 Jane

Street, Leith.

Anyone can get involved with

the Press Team. If you are in-

terested in helping, call 0131

625 5411

If you have any comments on

The Bugle drop us a line at the

address at the top, or give us

a call and ask for Tim.

About Bethany

Press Team

W R I T T E N A N D P U T T O G E T H E R B Y T H E B E T H A N Y P R E S S T E A M

What is the Bugle?

Well the dictionary says that it is a musical instrument like a

small trumpet. Our Bugle is a bi-monthly magazine. The maga-

zine is in its infancy. As beginners we at The Bugle are first

learning our trade as reporters, editors or just plain gofers. In

time we hope The Bugle will become a much read and much

sought after local magazine that people will enjoy and discuss

until the next issue.

Where is The Bugle available?

From hostels, drop-ins, libraries, churches, doctor and dentist

waiting rooms… look out for it!

Who are we looking for to write for The Bugle?

Anyone! But especially people who are or have been homeless.

Most members of our Press Team have been, or are currently

homeless.

Why get involved?

We offer lots of support to help you if you are not sure about

your reading or writing. You can meet new people, we have

good fun together, and you will learn lots of new skills that are

needed in putting The Bugle together.

The views expressed in The Bugle are not

necessarily those of Bethany Christian Trust.

Learning Centre,

Bethany Hall.

Martin

Ste

ven

G

ord

on

Julie

John

Bru

ce

Jimm

y

Jan

Daw

n

Bill

Kat

Jess

Min

ty

Cra

ig

Malco

lm

Tim

Edd

ie Y

ulia

Ala

n K

eith

Gord

on

This Bugle has been printed with funding from

OneCity Trust

WANTED!

Have you seen this man?