20 March 2026 – From My Diary 1996

The massacre at Dunblane permeated our world. ‘Every pastoral visit begins or ends at Dunblane.’ I wrote on 21 March 1996. ‘Everything else seems trivial by comparison. The only people who weren’t talking about it today were suffering from dementia.’

There were several meetings at the local Primary School where parents wanted to hold a vigil. Some didn’t favour the format. Some didn’t like candles. Others wanted an opportunity to give thanks for what we had. The parents who had taken the initiative wanted a non-religious ceremony.

I met with two ministers from  different denominations. They were consulting each other about a joint future. ‘The idea of expanding this ecumenical fraternal was agreed.’ I wrote. ‘In light of the Dunblane tragedy and the powerful presence of the united church, it would seem imperative to get to know each other better.’

This was one of the most important things which I learned from the massacre at Dunblane. It was important for ministers in neighbouring parishes and in different denominations to get to know each other so that we too could work together in any major crisis.

Schools continued to prepare for the end of term. Primary 6 excelled themselves in the performance of their play marking the events of Holy Week. They had made a particularly effective crown of thorns out of paper and decorated the assembly hall with Easter artwork.

I chaired the Awards Ceremony at Wallace High. The Director of Education gave the address. When I asked him about parents having to fundraise to purchase reading books, he denied it. When I told him about our local Primary, he indicated that it shouldn’t have been necessary!