Tag: carfin village

Merry Xmas Coffee

Christmas love and festive cheer

ClarabelleLeave a comment

I’m in my Scottish home village over the festive season and have already noticed some rather beautiful and surprising subtle differences compared to living in central London.

This morning, whilst doing the “milk” run, I popped into Costa Coffee. 

Merry Xmas Coffee 🎄💚

Christmas love and festive cheer was in full flow – my fellow villagers are the nicest people around. My coffee cup lid had a lovely “Merry Xmas” handwritten message on it – such a kind and loving gesture by the cheery staff. Thank YOU – it made my heart smile.

It’s sometimes bitter sweet when I visit here and walk through the village where I spent all of my childhood.

Swing parks are now car parks.

No children playing outside.

Empty football parks, which were always full with kids in my day.

It’s obvious things have changed and I guess we just automatically adapt to the new waves of living and “getting older”.

It makes me really emotional as the wonderful happy memories of my young life here come flooding back. I am grateful and very lucky to have had such an amazing upbringing in this lovely community of Carfin Village.

Please be mindful of how blessed you are to experience the beauty and blessings of life.

As time passes, what once felt “normal” can now be the real precious treasures and sweetest memories of life.

I wish you and your family a magical Christmas.

Thank YOU for being here.

Clarabelle 🎄

Carfin Christmas Magic

A little mission filled with a lot of love

Clarabelle2 Comments

My lovely Mum has recently turned 82 years, and I must say, she is as fit as a fiddle and mentally very strong. Such a blessing, I know.

I found it very sad though, when she told me, the little Village where she lives, stopped putting up an outdoor Christmas tree and festive street lights, a few years back. Unfortunately, spending by the local Council has to be reduced, which I do completely understand, and these little extra special niceties are let go first.

I know my Mum used to love looking out her window and see her little Village in full festive flair – I guess, it really brightened her day.

I had no idea, how special it meant to my Mum and I am sure, other Village residents. I can tell my Mum misses that little piece of Carfin Christmas magic!

Don’t get me wrong, my Mum does have her own Christmas tree to sparkle and enjoy in her own living room. But….I don’t want the story to end there….

I will make it my mission, to one day, self-fund an annual Christmas tree and lights for Carfin Village to enjoy again and again and again!

And if the Council does not allow it, that’s okay, my Mum’s front garden, will be its new home, for all to see and celebrate around.

Maybe I’ve watched too many Hallmark movies haha….but this just feels good and right to me.

It’s a little mission filled with a lot of love.

Christmas love is the greatest gift you can share.

Watch this space….I’ll keep you posted.

Stay special and continue to spread kindness to others.

Love.

Clarabelle

My Childhood in Carfin

Clarabelle11 Comments

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Carfin Past and Present

There is new facebook group that was created last week and it is about the village I grew up in, “Carfin Past and Present”.  What a wonderful idea it was by Maureen Strachan, I feel it really is bringing that community spirit back together again, even though the group members now live in all different parts of the world.  A very special thank you to Maureen for creating the group, what a tremendous idea it was.

Old Photos

So the lovely people who lived in the village of Carfin when I was a child are posting up their old photos and I must say they are absolute crackers (in a good way) and many have brought a tear to my eye.  There was one in particular (below) which I thought I would share with you.

Clarabelle from Carfin
A Young Clarabelle in the red track suit

The photo is from the Carfin Carnival Week sports day in the 1980s.  I looked at myself in this photo and I honestly just wanted to be that child again, because the happy memories I have from my childhood are second to none.

I feel very very blessed to have been brought up in a small village with such beautiful community spirit, where everyone knew your name and looked out for you – I miss that lovely feeling.  This facebook group and the old photos, inspired me to write the poem below, I hope you like it.  Maybe this has given you the idea to start up a similar facebook group or connect with some old friends.  Lots of love to you today, Clarabelle.

My Childhood in Carfin

I look at that child
I want to be her
I forgot her smile
My memory is blur
She looks so sweet
Just happy and content
Laughing with friends
Time well spent

As time goes by
Photos bring tears
Fun loving memories
From Carfin past years
A community with hope
and full of pride
A village of families
Where love did reside

A strength and spirit
very special to us all
My childhood in Carfin
with kick the can and football
We made up the games
for lots of children to play
We sometimes did fight
But were friends the next day

So when I think of this time
More than 30 years ago
I only remember good
and the Carnival talent show
Carfin was the best
I’ll say it till I die
My childhood in Carfin
Happy tears I do cry

By Clarabelle 18 January 2014

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