A Child Abuse Reminder from Banksy at Christmas

Image: BBC

Mega busy in the day job yesterday after my boss landed a heap of trouble on my desk at the last moment. Christmas cheer abounds in the office these days, so much so in fact, that yesterday the company held its annual Christmas lunch in the canteen.

For a subsidised price, we got a three course turkey meal with all the trimmings, and a cracker to pull. One suspects this will be the last of this before the noose gets tighter around the internal catering side of the business in the name of cutting costs. Such a shame; it used to be great here.

Banksy
I love Banksy’s new art installation. He’s installed a vandalised sculpture of a priest in a gallery in Liverpool depicting Cardinal Sin, a bust with its face sawn off and replaced by blank tiles, as a response to the child abuse scandal in the Catholic church.

Banksy said in a statement given to the BBC: “I’m never sure who deserves to be put on a pedestal or crushed under one. I guess you could call [the statue] a Christmas present. At this time of year it’s easy to forget the true meaning of Christianity – the lies, the corruption, the abuse.”

I think it’s important when Christianity is celebrating one of the most important dates in its calendar, that it doesn’t forget the hypocrisy that exists in the Catholic Church and Vatican, by covering up decades of child abuse scandals.

Linwood
Linwood has been named as Scotland’s most dismal town in the annual Carbuncle awards. And it’s no surprise.

I grew up not far from the town, in the relatively palatial surroundings of Bridge of Weir, so I know it very well. Back in the 80s and 90s it was a well known trouble spot; you stayed well clear if you were an unknown face. Nowadays it looks more like a ghost town.

When the Hillman Imp factory closed the slide into decrepitude began, so much so that is said “to have shocked the judges with the state of its decaying town centre”.

A sad indictment indeed, but what is sadder is that nothing has ever been done about it. It’s only claim to fame is being mentioned in The Proclaimers song, A Letter From America, which rumour has it, was written by a Linwood man who stowed away on a ship for America just to get to away from the place!

More Front Covers
One of the books I have coming out next year, which isn’t part of the 3 Ebook Deal, is a crime novella I have completed called GREENER IS THE GRASS. It’ll be out in time for the summer, and last night I received some drafted proofs of front covers to choose from.

I received five different covers and they are all superb. So much so, in fact, I’m finding it very difficult to narrow them down. One of them does rise higher then the rest, but the others are so good I’m finding it hard to choose. I’ll have to gather some opinions…

Friday Vid
This week’s Friday Vid is living proof that the mega band Madness, still have the reputation as being the madmen of pop music. On a recent tour, here is exclusive footage of them trashing a hotel room (Video courtesy of Chris Foreman of Madness). If you can’t see the video, click here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTUD6RKhCo0

The 3 Ebook Deal and Free Poetry
Visit my website at www.colingalbraith.co.uk and either sign up to the mailing list or ‘LIKE’ my Facebook page, as it will mean you’ll be entitled to a free copy of each of my next three novels. Get in quick though, as the window to register closes at 23:59pm 31st December!

Alternatively, just scan the QR code to the right or text 3BOOKS to 88802 or failing that, you can go direct to the 3 Ebook Deal web page!

The window to sign up for the 3 Ebook Deal will close on 31st December, 2011 at 23:59 so make sure you get in there today! It only takes a couple of minutes to sign up to qualify for 3 hot thriller novels to be released in 2012!

You’ll also find some great deals over at my poetry place www.chasstramash.com: all poetry ebooks are available for free download, 86p on the Kindle, and £3 (25% off!) for print copies.
Peace and out!