It being a beautiful, sunny morning, and having no requirement or expectation that I be anywhere in particular, I took myself off on a longish (~6 miles) walk with the aim of snapping a few buildings that were significant in my Mum's story.  The building in the picture above, now a restaurant (or at least past of it) was once Woodside Senior Secondary School in Glasgow.  It was here that Miss Thomson taught English, and Mr Lochie (sp?) probably taught Maths.  Here that my Mum wrestled with science, took Lower German and Higher French.  Here that she had cello lessons and made friends with girls she kept in touch with almost all of her adult life.  Here that she was always awarded 50% for art exams despite being unable to draw - but it would the only subject she would have failed, so they gave her the pass mark anyway!  Here that she would get up to mischief (how did she produce such a rule follower daughter? maybe precisely because of this!) and transition from childhood to adulthood.

I made sure that I passed the former church building (now a Hindu centre) where she had gone to Sunday School and where, years later, her parents had been caretakers (and we once or twice visited them in their small flat with a door that opened into the upstairs balcony of the church!).

There was also her former primary school, which only closed a couple of years ago.  Now it is totally hidden behind scaffolding as it is converted into student accommodation.

The old hymn speaks of "change and decay", which I've always heard as complementary... that each or both is observed, that change is somehow linked to decay.  I'm not so sure that's true, or that I've heard it correctly.  Change of use is not the same as decay.  Decay may arise when no change is forthcoming.  Perhaps the hymn is a reminder that each of these may, and often do, occur... all around me is change, all around me is decay, but somewhere, in the midst of it all, God is constant.

My walk took me in the direction of, so I thought, a cafe that I thought I'd give a try... I had a wry smile when I reached it only to discover that it is now a wedding dress shop.  Everything changes, nothing lasts forever... except the constancy of God.

Another interesting walk, and a few more snaps that I may use as memory prompts... and certainly stuff to ponder.