On his bike for Tommy on Tour!

Hiya,

One of the nicest things about 'Tommy on Tour' has been the way I've got to know loads of people in my own neighbourhood. There's a lot of talk in the newspapers about people not knowing their neighbours any more, not recognising people in their own street. Well, it used to be true for me, but not any more. I feel like I know so many people in my wee part of the world and it's mostly because so many of them have got behind me and supported me in my campaign.

One of those people is Colin Singh. He's from the local hardware shop near me on Paisley Rd West. They were one of the first places to put a 'Tommy on Tour' poster up and, if you look back at my earlier blog posts, they treated us to samosas when I started the walk in June.

Colin, my mum & me outside the hardware shop.

Anyway, Colin did the Pedal for Scotland bike ride earlier this month in aid of Alzheimer Scotland and he's raised a lot of money. Thanks, Colin! He's not stopping there, either - he says there's more fundraising on the way!

It can be easy to feel like a stranger in your own community. But it doesn't have to be like that. Chat to people, get to know your local shops and businesses. Honestly, there's some wonderful people around.

Cheers,

Tommy

September already - where does the time go?

Hiya,

I can't believe it's September. Sorry for not posting much on the blog, I'll have to fire my secretary ;-). Truth is, I'm keeping really busy. Tommy on Tour might not be on the front pages (well, not right now), but it's definitely still moving forwards.

I've got involved in a few different projects that are looking for carers' opinions about support for people with dementia and their carers. I might not get to meet as many people as when I went to the carers' centres (and I miss that), but it's been great to share what I've learned with some people making big decisions that'll affect carers like me. It's not just my own experience - I've learned so much from so many people these past few months.

We're still on track for the big letter handover. I'm hoping it'll be in early November, but as soon as I know for definite I'll be posting it on the blog. Thank you so much to everyone who's sent a letter or an email. Every single one of them will be handed over to Nicola Sturgeon. That's a promise from Tommy. For those of you who've not had a chance to write something yet, or don't know how to say it, there's still time. I'm still collecting letters and emails.

This has been a huge part of my life. When I look back at 2011, I can't quite believe how much has happened. It's changed me, I can tell you that. I'm not the same man I was way back at the start of this. I hope I've managed to make a wee bit of a difference - only time will tell.

Cheers,

Tommy