Let's not forget...

I was in the Town House in Hamilton this evening,  at the invitation of the local Unison and EIS branches  as well as the South Lanarkshire Library service who had  jointly arranged an evening to celebrate the locally linked writer Robin Jenkins.   I have been involved for some time  in trying to bring him back into public view , and gave a lecture on that theme in Glasgow University  last November.   

This evening's gathering arose from that event and it was very well attended with a huge of interest in Jenkins and his massive output  which consists of at least 30 novels as well as two excellent volumes of short stories.  

Given the gloom about public services that seems to be all around at present, it was a hugely encouraging evening,  a reminder of the very best of Scotland and the passion for learning  and community improvement that still exists in our country. 

When leaving, to start my journey to Inverness for a meeting tomorrow I stopped to take a picture of this very fine statue of Robert Burns  which stands in the Town House Library entrance hall.     I have put the detail of the statute in my extra photos, along with a picture of the little brochure that the Library Service produced for this evenings lecture and discussion. 

Libraries perform a hugely important service so it should be noted that South Lanarkshire are considering closing yup to 7 of them as a result of current austerity.   

No writer would want that to happen, forgotten or globally celebrated.