MY GLASGOW 2014 JOURNEY - Part 3: Life as a Clyde-sider

My volunteering as a Clyde-sider was spent on Tayside
at the Apex Hotel which is near the Tay Road Bridge in Dundee.
Around 400 athletes were based there during the Commonwealth
Games.

In my previous blog post, I explored how I managed to land the opportunity of becoming a Clyde-sider volunteer for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. In the third of my series of reflections, I look back at my time volunteering on Tayside.

As far as where I was based was concerned, I didn't care as long I was playing some role even if it was making a cup of tea or coffee then so what? It doesn't bother me. But I got a more prominent role than that which was very good.

After I accepted the role of Clyde-sider, I started attending a series of training sessions. I remember two of them as far as my memory is concerned - the problem is I have got a memory which is the size of a fish and no disrespect to sea animals or fish, because they're lovely but my memory is terrible at times. I remember two training sessions in particular that I took part in...in fact no make that three, because I remember the third one now.

The two I firstly remembered was the one at Hampden which was more of the specific training in transportation, which everyone involved from transportation got involved in for the whole of the Commonwealth Games and all of the venues and it was a limited number of us, I think around fifty of us, in this one big room at Hampden. So I'm not sure if they had other training sessions on - I think they did from what I remember when I booked the sessions on the volunteer portal.

The other one I remember was up at the Apex Hotel in Dundee, where I was based. We (myself and my colleagues who became friends of mine as our time volunteering went on) met our bosses who were fantastic people, absolutely fantastic people and really, really good people and I got a really good sense that we were going to be a great team and that we were going to be a very cohesive team and a strong, closely knitted team.

The third session that I've just remembered and I cannot believe it didn't come up in my memory first of all was the orientation training up at the Emirates Arena in Dalmarnock (I'm going back the way time wise as it was one of the first sessions I went to). I remember seeing Clyde (the Glasgow 2014 mascot) running around the place amusing everybody. And I remember Romeo as well, also known as David Farrell who now presents on STV Glasgow and who used to do a programme called In:Demand on Radio Clyde which used to be broadcast on all of the Bauer stations (across Scotland) so you're talking about Radio Forth, Radio Tay, Radio Northsound and all that. Romeo was his nickname and David Farrell was the MC/compére for the event and his chat was absolutely brilliant and the banter was absolutely enjoyable and everybody was having a good time.

There was about a few thousand of us and we weren't all in transportation Clyde-sider volunteers, there was quite a lot of us in different roles so we had people working in the media centre, people volunteering at the venues, some volunteering in Edinburgh, some volunteering in Dundee and up at Barry Buddon at well (as the shooting event was taking place there). We met all the main staff who gave us a good talk (we didn't meet them in person, we just saw them in the middle of the arena talking to us).

So moving on to the time that I actually volunteered properly as a Clyde-sider, I remember having a mixture of shifts which varied from me starting as early as 6:30am to as late as 9:00pm. I never did any nightshifts as such. I had shifts that were either morning (finishing at lunchtime normally) or afternoon/evening. I really had a good mixture of them and I was responsible for transport. I didn't drive, but I was more responsible for the logistics of the transportation at the Apex Hotel in Dundee where half the athletes were staying for the shooting (at Barry Buddon).

We had regular buses travelling between the Apex Hotel and Barry Buddon so that the athletes could commute between the two venues. And we also had what was called inter-city buses so they would stop between Dundee and Glasgow and go up to Carnoustie as well and during the later part of my volunteering, they would also go to Barry Buddon as well. There was a lot of flexibility in choice for the athletes to choose which transportation they wanted to take according to their needs.

And we also had special cars as well - we had a fleet of cars that were regularly utilised during the Commonwealth Games. We had special drivers, who were Clyde-siders as well, and they drove the athletes around and if say one of the scheduled buses was not appropriate or suitable for someone to move around between the different venues during Glasgow 2014 then we could potentially book them a car or reasonable transportation facilities in order to facilitate their needs.

I also did other tasks such as displaying timetables and making sure the right information was on display and was being fed to the athletes and everyone else involved in the Commonwealth Games and also to answer enquiries. We had our own transportation desk at the Apex Hotel which was great, because it was just the one stop that anybody could make within the Apex Hotel to actually ask us about any transportation needs or anything like that.

And that was really it. It was quite a relaxed role that I had, but it was a very important one as well. We had to get things right and we had to make sure the the buses left on time and keep transportation moving which was important.

The best thing about being a Clyde-sider was making new friends and just knowing that my role was valued and that my input was valued in terms of helping out with the delivery of Glasgow 2014.

In loving memory of Madiba

Glasgow was the first city in the world to honour
the former President of South Africa

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Around 24 hours ago, he left this world leaving an impact on it which, in future, will be impossible to match.

Many people from all walks of life have paid tribute to the former President of South Africa. Never again will we ever see a politician or a figure of public life ever make as significant a difference to the world than him. I could go on and lavish my cynical opinion about the state of politics today but, in my opinion, that would not be respectful towards a man who's life was all about dignity, humility and making a difference through constructive solutions.

As a Scotsman, I totally recognise the strong links and affection that my home country has towards Mr Mandela. Glasgow was the first city in the world to give him the freedom of their own city (St George's Place in 1986 was renamed to Nelson Mandela Place in Scotland's biggest city). Aberdeen followed with a similar honour and Dundee also granted the former South African President with a similar honour also. Edinburgh had a room named in his honour inside the City Chambers.

Nelson Mandela shares many of the qualities of us Scots. Compassion, kindness and a sense of tranquility. I was hardly five years old when Nelson came to Glasgow in 1993, but I can tell you that it felt like he was really one of our own. I would even go further and regard him as an honorary Scotsman.

The uncompromising love shown to Madiba tonight in Glasgow, London and Soweto (and no doubt in many other parts of the planet) was heart melting. It is really sad that he has left this world for good. But let's also be honest, he really did live his life.

His legacy should teach us all that there is no time in this life to procrastinate and play yourself down, regardless of what you do. Life is so short, so never underestimate yourself and always maintain a sense of humility. Yet at the same time, fulfil your potential and always achieve success.

Nelson Mandela, thank you for being such a heart warming influence on this world. May God bless you.

A week in the STV newsroom

listen to ‘STV News’ on Audioboo

Sitting in the STV News studio in Aberdeen.

Last week, I was absolutely privileged to make full use of the opportunity I was given to sample life in the newsrooms of STV in the north of Scotland. Normally, placements are allocated to journalism undergraduates or postgraduates and to other students who study a media based course. But my case was an unusual one. Already qualified as a pharmacist, why would I even bother taking a week of my time to sample life in a completely different working environment?

It is no secret to anyone that media has played a major part of my life since I was young. I have much experience of it, particularly in radio but also with experience on camera and in print. But until last week, I didn't experience the reality of working in a dynamic newsroom. It is a place bursting with energy, most of the time. And naturally, I fell in love with it.

My week saw me spend time in the Dundee and Aberdeen newsrooms. STV is now Scotland's main national commercial broadcaster, serving most of Scotland. It is split into two different regional stations - STV Central and STV North (formerly known as Scottish and Grampian Television, respectively). My week saw me spend time working within the broadcaster in the latter of the two regions.

In the early part of my week, I mainly learned about the planning and production of a typical news package - consisting of activities such as writing a suitable script for a news report, capturing appropriate footage, the art of interviewing and most important of all, telling the story as it is and enlightening the viewer.

Standing outside the STV News studio in Dundee.

In Dundee, I mainly shadowed Alan Jenkins who is one of STV's newest talents. On Monday, we spent time in Perth covering a story about a historic log boat being moved to a museum in Glasgow. But the following day, the news day went much slower than normal but I still spent some time in Arbroath covering the story about a missing Royal Marine.

From Wednesday onwards to the end of the week, I spent my time in Aberdeen's newsroom. This was the moment for me to consolidate all the knowledge I had gained about production and news reporting at STV and use that in combination with my existing media skills in order to establish my credentials.

Thursday saw Aberdeen FC's manager, Craig Brown, announce his retirement from football manager. The story broke at approximately 10am on Thursday and I seized the initiative.

I studied the official press release from the club released that morning and researched about the outgoing manager and his history in football, before going on to write up a script for a news package I was going to go on to produce. Jumping into the reporter's van with well known STV Sports Editor, Tyrone Smith, we headed to a scheduled press conference at Pittodrie and there I was finding myself taking my own notes, without being prompted, whilst Brown spoke to us all in the media. One can ask what on earth was I doing for all those years studying for a science degree?

Then I took my opportunity to do a piece to camera for my news package. I was very lucky to have Tyrone providing me excellent advice and a taste of the experience he has picked up over the years reporting on breaking sports stories in the north of Scotland. Fellow journalists, Steven McMenemy and Steven Brown, also played a major role in supporting me with regards to editing By the end of the week, I completed my first ever news package in just under a minute and twenty seconds.

Pitchside at Pittodrie, reporting on Craig Brown's retirement.

And finally, the other major highlight of the week took place on the Thursday of the week when I became an STV newsreader. It wasn't the first time I got to take part in a scenario where I had to read the autocue and look straight into the camera and radiate my charisma across the studio. You may already have noticed on my YouTube channel a video of me reading Sky Sports News at the O2 in London.

But this was different. In London, I was in a mobile studio in North Greenwich. This time, in Aberdeen, I was in a real studio. I was wired up, microphone attached and enlightened by the script I had to study before entering the newsroom. I was the equivalent of an airline pilot. Or so it felt that way anyway. And I was looked after and guided brilliantly by the gallery and by one of STV News' most well known broadcasters, Andrea Brymer. I also met Norman MacLeod who was also equally as generous with his advice and support.

I've heard much talk over the years from journalists about how difficult it can be having to keep yourself together whilst receiving instructions and trying to concentrate on reading the bulletin at the same time but I have to be honest and say that I didn't experience as much difficulty. Although concentration must be kept at maximum levels so that you don't go off tangent and keep yourself composed, especially if anything may go wrong.

I dreamt of this moment since I was a young boy.

I absolutely loved the experience of reading the news in the studio. It was a thrilling experience and the adrenaline rush you get from it is very enjoyable. And it is even more enjoyable when things go right and you passionately feel you have enlightened your viewers. Although my bulletin did not go out live on air, it was recorded and I will provide you with some footage in the very near future.

I think frankly a week was nowhere near enough time for to experience life at STV. It went too quickly. I simply had such a brilliant time and I pay tribute to every single member of the team at STV North for their kindness, support and for making me feel part of the team - including all of the broadcast journalists I met in Dundee and Aberdeen, the whole camera crew across Dundee and Aberdeen's newsrooms (particularly Bob, Jenny and Al) and all of the technical team at the gallery in Aberdeen who guided me through whilst I was in the studio (particularly Ruaridh (hope I've spelt your name right!) when I was presenting) and who collated my performances (a special mention to Ian, Ian and Donny for this in particular and also to Hazel for enlightening me about the gallery). Whether I've mentioned you or not, you all know who you are and are equally as worthy of a sincere thank you!

And I pay particular tribute to Donald John MacDonald and David McKeith for their confidence in my ability to prove myself at STV.

And I don't blame the many people there who asked me what on earth I was up to spending my time at a television station, despite the fact I'm qualified as a pharmacist. In fact, I'm an unusual case. The first pharmacist in Scottish broadcasting history to make the jump to broadcast journalism? Why not?

For now though, I'm not keeping all my eggs in one basket.

Scotland are the Hogmanay world champions

Scotland's world famous capital, Edinburgh, from Calton Hill

Scotland was, is and always will be, with the grace of God, the greatest nation in the world when it comes to bringing in the New Year. And you'd have to be very churlish to dispute with that.

While Edinburgh will understandably be top of the global league when it comes to ringing in the bells, lets not just not forget, but celebrate the contribution that every village, town and other city brings to Scotland's stunning success at this time of the year.

I've just come back from Scotland's newest city, Perth. The atmosphere in town was one of excitement. With the bagpipes dominating the city in combination with the Scottish sunshine and the inevitable soaking up of the beautiful and tranquil views of the crisp of Scotland's longest river, who couldn't feel a sense of excitement about tonight? You'd have to be a bitter and stubborn individual not to feel anything.

Scotland's newest city, Perth, earlier today

Hogmanay is Scots for the final day of the year. It is a time of happiness, hope and forward looking reflection to the future. And even if you aren't in Scotland tonight, regardless of who you are or where you are from, Scotland will never be far away from you. Auld Lang Syne, quite probably Robert Burns' most famous poem ever, will be recited in every last home, street and party. The poem is symbolic about everything that is good about New Year, Scotland and the Scottish people.

Tonight tens of thousands of people around the world will be firing up a stunning atmosphere in the Scottish capital and thousands more will be lining the streets of Glasgow and Aberdeen with more celebrations taking place all over the nation. And it would be very terrible of me not to mention the traditional and much loved fireball ceremony in Stonehaven.

I couldn't be ever more grateful for being Scottish. Its one of the most beautiful blessings in my life.

Bliadhna Mhath Ùr!