Christmas shopping...

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” — Nelson Mandela

On this day, Nelson Mandela passed away. Glasgow has long had a special relationship with this great man.He was given the freedom of the city in 1981 and, in 1986, St George's Place, a historic area right in the city centre, was renamed Nelson Mandela Place. From then on, all mail to the South African consulate which was located there had to be addressed to Nelson Mandela Place. I wish I had been a fly on the wall when the SouthAfrican officials first found out about that turn of events!

I wasn't in Glasgow today, so I'm afraid my photo doesn't link to the text very well, but I took this shot on my way to visit Mum. I think it's fair to say that Coatbridge is not generally noted for its scenic qualities, but I thought this shot of the Main Street with its Christmas decorations and tree actually looked quite nice. The opportunity to Blip Coatbridge in a positive light was too good to miss..!