LOTHIAN

Moving on to the 80s and we have Fish, yeah Fish, real name Derek Dick. He was the lead singer from Marillion, a rock band that produced best selling albums Misplaced Childhood and Clutching at straws with hits like Lavender, Kayleigh and Incommunicado. They were around for a while, Fish came from and lived in Haddington, still does now, he did return to his home town to play at the refurbished Corn Exchange a few years ago.

Musselburgh man Callum Beattie is the most recent and trending celeb from East Lothian, he is hugely popular and plays many gigs and festivals. His singles include We are Stars, Salamander Street, Can’t kill the Summer and if you looking to grab hold of his latest album which is newly released, search it up, it’s called Vandals.

There are some famous East Lothian ladies, one to note was Agnes Sampson of the North Berwick witch trials who died January 1591 and the other was political activist Catherine Blair. It is claimed that Catherine set up the very first Scottish Women’s Rural Institute, in Longniddry in early 20th century.

So there you go, a few famous East Lothian folks for you.

Dealing with the massive psychological, social and economic consequences of lockdowns is ongoing for us.

Surveys suggest an epidemic of well-being or mental health struggles, many of us can recognise that we don’t feel the same as pre-Covid.

The cost-of-living crisis, the war in the Ukraine, unprecedented levels of stress on our psyches, and our own processing of a strange period of human history, have all contributed to how we are getting through life. Whether we notice it or not we are all dealing with the stresses of this difficult period, with fears of a nuclear war adding to the strain.

One of the sad events of our year was the death of our Head of State, Queen Elizabeth. Her faith was evident in her Christmas broadcasts, and her personal faith can be an inspiration to us all. She gave over 70 years of an unblemished life of public service and regardless of our personal views of the monarchy, we can recognise that she was an outstanding woman. She served us all well as our Head of State.

Queen Elizabeth memorised the book of Psalms in the Bible, it was a great help in giving her fresh hope and comfort during the difficult times of her reign and family life.

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You might try reading them if you’re struggling in any way just now. The Queen exemplified by her life that we can get a fresh hope, a new hope in the midst of troubled times.

Christmas reminds us that when mankind was in a hopeless position, God Himself stepped in. Jesus came down from Heaven, became one of us and he carried the consequences of our weaknesses and failings so we could live with His strengths. Therefore, Christmas is also a reminder that we can find fresh hope - a new hope to face a New Year.

Those of us producing the magazine hope that you are able to be refreshed, find new hope and fresh hope to be ready to go into 2023. We hope you remember that God is a few words away and that He can make a positive difference to you as you journey through this season.

Glenn & Terri-Ann Rogers