Dark Star

When I were a lad...

All that down there was woollen mill. My mum and countless other family and friends trooped in and out there around the clock and over the years until the place closed down in 1999. No-one was knitting anymore.

I was reminded of this as I spoke to Mrs. McNabb at lunchtime today. Whilst everyone around about was on computers Facebooking and Twittering and doing studenty type things she was sat happily in the sunshine with her knitting needles clicking away, watching out the windows over the site of the long gone sheds.

Despite being a big employer for the area as the woollen mill was I'm not sure that Tesco will, even if it does have the longevity of Patons and Baldwins, bring the same sense of philanthropy to the local area. If it weren't for the mill Alloa wouldn't have had it's Town Hall, it's library, it's (now closed) swimming pool, it's gymnasium, its sport's pavilion, it's schools and no doubt other co-funded properties and organisations throughout the Wee County.

Every Little Helps doesn't quite cut it when compared to that lot.