If proof was needed that there’s good in the world, it’s there in the overwhelming volume of food and clothes that have been donated to Ukrainians fleeing their country.
Libraries and shops across Tayside and Fife have had to ask donors to stop for now, as they struggle to transport the vast amounts collected.
So the question a lot of us are asking is – what else can we do?
It’s easy to feel helpless under the drip-feed of news from Ukraine.
But some of those fleeing will – at some point – arrive in cities and towns in the UK (if the government ever sorts out the visa debacle) and that could include Dundee.
And that’s when our kindness and generosity will really be needed.
We don’t have to wait until then, of course.
Businessman Jim Duffy has offered rooms in his five-bed Perth Road home to Ukrainian refugees.
He is also calling on Dundee City Council and community groups to organise a register of people who can house Ukrainians fleeing war.
It’s a brilliant gesture. How many other spare rooms must be going around Dundee and what a thing to be able to do for a person in need?
Not everyone has the room, or the ability to share their home with stranger, of course. And not everyone has lots of extra cash sloshing around – but here’s a thought.
Why don’t we start a charity or crowdfunding page that pays rent for Ukrainian refugees for the first six months of arrival?
We can’t all help Ukrainian refugees, but many of us can
If we all give what we can we could pay for roofs over heads when they are needed most.
It doesn’t need to be a financial contribution either. Bedding, clothes and food donations will all be needed too.
Of course not everyone agrees. I spoke to a woman who stopped to chat about something I wrote a few weeks ago, in Tesco Riverside.
“I have a heart,” she said. “But my son’s just lost his job. Dundee has its problems. We can’t help everyone.”
I understand and I sympathise. But some of us are in a position to help.
Just ask yourself – what if it was us? What if that was my son, daughter, mother, husband or wife?
I’m determined to do more this time. Not just to write about it and pontificate, but to do.
Giving a little might not change the world or what’s happening in a country at war.
But it could change the lives of any desperate, devastated souls choosing Dundee as home.
Maybe you can have too much of a good thing
Leeds – what a city. It’s the latest stopover on my Homes Under The Hammer schedule (a two bed terrace and two semis if you’re interested) and it was quite thrilling.
England’s third largest city has a population of almost 800,000 and a grandeur comparable to London.
Go you! 🎨 https://t.co/0CZEue4t5P
— Martel Maxwell (@MartelMaxwell) February 28, 2022
The buildings are beautiful, the architecture stunning. And the choice of shops and restaurants was dizzying.
Don’t get me wrong. Dundee is doing well when it comes to food offerings – better than I can ever remember.
But to walk along a street and see sushi, Indian tapas, Ethiopian, Chinese street food, Five Guys for burgers and Pizza Express was too much for me, and I spent half an hour walking up and down deciding which to choose.
Mowgli it was for Indian tapas (I’ve eaten at the one in Liverpool and knew the food was delicious).
The waiter even asked if I’d like to sit in a swing while I dined. Heck yes.
For pudding, I crossed the road to a Hotel Chocolat giant store with cafe. If you’ve not tried the chocolates, do.
The hot chocolate was so good I wondered how it could even exist.
Bang went the diet. Again.
On second thoughts, maybe it’s no bad thing if we don’t have quite as many options in Dundee. I’d be the size of Fintry.
Programme makers played a Blinder
After many delays, was the return of Peaky Blinders to BBC1 worth the wait?
You betcha.
The script, acting, music, scenery, mood, artistry, everything combines to create a masterpiece on screen.
The first episode’s tribute to the late Helen McCrory, who played Polly, was as fitting as it was emotional.
She won’t half be missed from the series, but somehow it feels as if she’s still a part of every twist and turn.
I never want Peaky Blinders to end.
