It was a cold frosty morning on the 10th of January when I headed up through Belfast to catch the 07:30 hrs sailing to Scotland. Upon leaving Stranraer at around 10:30 am, I headed north towards Glasgow and it was not long before I encountered heavy snow which made the progress very slow. Glasgow was reached by mid-afternoon and a well earned cuppa obtained at the “Garage Club”. The night was spent at the home of my friend, Douglas Wright during which his wife Kate provided a lovely 3 course meal and refreshments.
As i was preparing to leave to travel to Castlebrae the following morning, Dougz announced a surprise…….he was going to Castlebrae for a week also!
We left Glasgow and proceeded towards Auchterarder only to encounter heavy snow, but thankfully the main road towards Perth was still passable with care and we arrived just before lunch. Upon being shown to our rooms we got reunited with some of the staff who have worked there and over the last number of years since the home opened, and have become close friends to both Dougz and myself. These staff go beyond the call of duty to ensure that all of the patients in their care are well catered for at all times, and receive the medical care they require during their visit. It was not long before we felt right at home!
Auchterarder had been subjected to some of the worst snowfalls of the year and approximately 8-10 inches of the stuff was lying underfoot. The pavements of the town were iced up and walking about was treacherous. Driving along the minor roads was out of the question, in brief we were snowed in most of the week and it was not until Friday past that things started to improve.
Despite the conditions the fool hardy decision was made to travel up to Aviemore on Sunday for some sightseeing. As we made our way North accompanied by a friend, bright sunshine lit up the mountain tops in the distance and we were subjected to a glorious day, well that was until we started heading home, during which we encountered freezing fog and snow showers for most of the journey but thankfully we made it safely back at around 9pm.
Monday morning brought yet more sleet and showers which for a time started to melt the snow before freezing over and turning some of the roads into ice rinks, but we made it to the main road and the start of our journey home. After leaving Dougz off at his home there was time for a cuppa at the garage club before heading for the 17:30 sailing to Belfast. I arrived safely home at around 21:30 hrs.
Once again the staff at the treatment centre have tried their very best to mend both mind and body and I would wish to thank them publically for all their efforts over the last number of years. Such dedication to duty and their endless quest for results and improvement is very difficult to find in today's world.
The treatment centre is run as a charity and all donations are helpful. Full details can be found at: http://www.thepolicetreatmentcentres.org if you wish to find out more.
