Friday March 14. 2008. 7.30 pm. The scene is the Tannahill Centre in Ferguslie Park, the occasion is the retiral 'do' for one of Ferguslie's best loved and respected characters Isa Erroch, 65 Yrs. young, a bitter sweet event as it turned out because Isa loved her job and did not want to retire.
She worked at the library for 25 yrs. starting as a part time worker and through self study and hard work became a full time library assistant and fulcrum of an excellent facility which is so much more than a local library.
She was a familiar site on the estate as she always cycled back and forth to work in her bright cycling gear and crash helmet, a very fit and energetic lady indeed.
Some people in estates like Ferguslie do not see the library as being for them, no-one done more to dispel that idea than Isa, when someone took the reluctant step to enter the place and saw her smiling and waiting to greet them they knew they would be alright, they knew she was a friend.
The education authorities could have made 'a day with Isa' a part of the curriculum for student teachers.
Watching her work with children was an education and a pleasure which no textbook can offer, she was quite simply a natural.
Isa in a meeting with children was a genuine gathering of equals where mutual respect was always evident, a joy to witness.
She made them welcome and helped them to get everything they could from what was on offer and, all done with her trademark smile and good humour, she knew everyone and everyone knew her.
She was a constant in the lives of the people of Ferguslie park and we all owe her a debt of gratitude for her service.
Isa decided to try to work on and was encouraged to do so by everyone who knew her, me included. We all wrote letters of support and argued her case but the powers at the Council turned her down, a strange decision considering a) what she had to offer and b) the general consensus which agrees with people working past retirement.
Anyway lots of her friends and colleagues were there last night to give her a send off and everyone had a great time, it's no more than she deserved as she will be impossible to replace.
We, all of us were lucky to work with her and I hope she enjoys a happy and active retirement.
The smile and the good nature are not gone though as I'm sure we will be running into her when she visits the library as she whizzes back and forth on her bike, good luck to her, the library is going to feel strange without her.
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34 comments:
Red Terry being nice about someone?? And no (real) attempt to score political points??
Well done the Sage of Ferguslie and a long and happy retirement to Isa Erroch.
Now please don't go and spoil things by telling us Isa has signed photos of Kelly, Castro and Dennis Skinner above her bed.
Well done for the championing of our local services, Terry.
I wonder if you would also join me in condemning this Labour government for closing hundreds of Post Offices in the UK and making hundreds of people like Isa redundant.
I would hope that you would also spare a thought for the vulnerable people who are now thrown to the banking wolves.
(Macnasty) 15/03/08
Kelly, Castro and Skinner sounds like a very powerful midfield trio.
I don’t know about her wall photos. But I know she doesn’t like the Council.
(w goodwin) 10:42
Labour didn’t make Isa redundant the SNP council did that.
The Post Offices are losing £2 Million a year they need to be overhauled and a better system put in place, the Status Quo is not an option. Their future is better under Labour.
“vulnerable people who are now thrown to the banking wolves” Almost a nice catchy phrase, what does it mean ? Vulnerable people have always been at the mercy of Capitalism, what’s new ?
I remember my first librarian, a lovely, knowledgeable lady
She gave me a life long love of literature and two invaluable pieces of advice that have guided my life ever since:
"Don't bend pages back and always vote Tory."
A wise woman indeed.
Welcome back Rayleen.
(Macnasty) 16:45
Lovely ? That’s possible but wise, knowledgeable ? Come off it.
anonymous - March 16 5.43pm.
It's you who is disingenuous and,
'w goodwin' who commented that the Labour Govt. made her redundant is the one point scoring, supported by you of course, I merely corrected them.
Your right no-one made her redundant the SNP Council forced her to retire against her will, is that better for you.
(Anonymous) 20:17
I haven’t been inside a Post Office in years because I can access their products from this here machine that’s their problem.
Trying to claim otherwise would be a lie, times change whether we like it or not,
“The only constant is change” (Leon Trotsky) and he knew a thing or two about change.
Do you think it was a tragedy when women lost their jobs in the mines ? Children in factories, I think you are lying to yourself as well as me.
(Anonymous) 20:17
I haven’t been inside a Post Office in years because I can access their products from this here machine that’s their problem.
You change your tune to suit your disgraceful partisan attitude. Was it the miners fault when they got closed down because no-one wanted their coal? Etc etc.
Trying to claim otherwise would be a lie,
No, trying to claim that the money is a waste is a lie. Many people have no pc's or even access or understanding of one, like the pensioners you claim to love so much, until of course they become a burden on some Labour policy disgrace like this one.
times change whether we like it or not,
“The only constant is change” (Leon Trotsky) and he knew a thing or two about change.
Only if we let it, and your party seems oh so bent on change.
Do you think it was a tragedy when women lost their jobs in the mines ? Children in factories, I think you are lying to yourself as well as me.
Well well, you seem to be proving your own argument. So Thatcher was right to claose the mines then eh? But that was different because she wasn't Labour wasn't it?
You are a true disgrace to every tenet of what it means to be socialist.
being a shop steward in a York main mail hub for over 20 years it is an affront to say the post office and royal mail is safe in this bunch of criminals hands. we have lost tens of thousands of jobs for nothing. people still want post offices and they mps spend more on thier perks than they lose at the post offcie and ou say we are safe.
i am reluctantly canceling my many decades long membership of labour because it isn't the party i joined. if you had any decency you would do the dame and stop talkign rubbish.
What reasons did the council give for turning down her request?
I know of a similar case in my area (different council) which is currently ongoing and the council have not been able to put forward anything like a credible reason. My best guess is that making someone retire is cheaper and easier than making someone else redundant.
(Anonymous) 16/03/08
‘Thatcher’s treatment of the miners is the same as closing some of the Post Offices’ just as well you’re not partisan then eh ?
Lying to people by saying that nothing must ever close makes you and people like you a hindrances to the Socialist cause.
You simply don’t have the stomach for it.
(Anonymous) 12:34
When you retreat into semantics you are losing.
1/ The facts are, I didn’t make this article political 2/ The SNP council forced her to retire against her wishes.
(Raymond) 14:53
That’s an interesting take on it. Suffice to say we all thought she had a good case but they still turned her down.
Kelly 4.30
"lying to people, saying that nothing must ever close makes (you) a hindrance to the socialist cause."
So, Kelly is prepared to accept that sometimes things have to close, with consequent redundancies.This is the same Kelly who offerred Renfrew council workers jobs for life.
Kelly, you're a either a raving lunatic or a raving hypocrite. The jury is still out.
Blogger Cllr Terry Kelly said...
(Anonymous) 16/03/08
‘Thatcher’s treatment of the miners is the same as closing some of the Post Offices’ just as well you’re not partisan then eh ?
I pointed out facts, what is partisan in that? You are running from the truth, which is that YOU are another Thatcher lover.
Lying to people by saying that nothing must ever close makes you and people like you a hindrances to the Socialist cause.
So you agree with Thatcher closing the mines and steel works?
You can't have it both ways, and I am a far better, disciplined and honest socialist than you.
You simply don’t have the stomach for it.
On the contrary, I argue against Thatcher and the Tories Brown and Bliar and their puppet New labour, while YOU support them.
You are no socialist, you are a Tory.
Terry,
You really do dig yourself into a pit, don’t you?
It is true that the government has said that it was bailing out Post Offices to the tune of £3M-a-week. (It certainly made it hard for them by obeying EU orders and taking some well-established trade away from them)
But it is also true that they have bailed out a certain bank by giving them £24bn of taxpayer’s money. Is this your version of Socialism?
It is also true that some of the Post Offices being closed are profitable whilst others that are making a loss are being allowed to stay open. More of Nu-Labour’s levelling the playing field I suspect.
Sorry about the working class cliché, I was just trying to appeal to the Wolfie Smith in you. But having observed your strange view of Socialism I realise I’ve made a mistake.
I have now come around to the point of view of anonymous; I’ve told my union to stop taking my money and giving it to this vile bunch of thugs we now have in government. Bring back Labour!
BTW, if a well-attended Post Office were being closed in your area, would you fight for it or would you say as you do here, "tough".
(Macnasty) 17/03/08
Our policy of no compulsory redundancies for the Council was a good one, we estimated that we could carry it out and we did, what’s wrong with that ? I don’t remember extending it to every job though.
I would be happy to accept the challenge of finding work for people after Trident, after the Monarchy, after clearing out the dead wood from the Military, The City of London etc. etc.
(w goodwin)
If you paid more attention you would be aware that I’m opposed to the EU, and against giving money to Northern Rock.
If there was a Post Office due to close in your area which was seeing customers at the rate of 16 a week would you fight to save it, or look at closure ?
Terry
My apologies if I have been unaware of your opposition to the EU and the bailing out of Northern Rock. I deserve my slap on the wrist but, you, exhibiting such reasonable sense and defying your government is, to say the least, unusual.
Now, you have just answered a question with a question. For the record I would fight for a local Post Office to recoup its original standing and services. Of course, there is a limit.
But I will ask the question again. Why are profitable Post Offices being closed down by the government and unprofitable ones left open?
(w goodwin) 17:40
It’s a long while since I read the document, I would recommend that you read it.
I can only assume that money is not the sole criteria.
“You defying your government is, to say the least, unusual”
You clearly no nothing about me or the Labour Party.
'I’m opposed to the EU'
Forgive me I'm new here and didn't know. I was starting to think I was the only anti-EU lefty on the planet.
Don't you think part of the problem in this country is that we on the left have mostly sat back and let the the right do the talking on anti-EU issues?
There is a good left wing argument to be made against the EU, I think it's about time we started making it.
(Raymond) 19/03/08
I agree but it’s a long, long shot to try to get rid of it now.
Hello everybody and thank you all of you who took the time to read this blog and add comments.
I am Andrew Erroch, one of Isa's 4 sons and I can confirm that she is happy now. She was very glad to see all the people who turned up at her party last Friday evening and it was a good night.
My Mum has been taken on by another company, to assist children with special needs. As you have read, she is very good with kids and they get on well with her. So, you see? She is still very much employable after all and she will continue to work until she decides to stop, which will be quite some time to come, knowing her.
Regards
(Andrew Erroch) 19:22
Andrew, thank you for commenting I am absolutely delighted to hear that your mum has been ‘head hunted’ not really surprising when you think about it, someone in Renfrewshire Council should have been ‘head hunted’ as well but, not in the same way.
Pass on my congrats. And best wishes to her, she will be a great asset to the children she will now be working with.
Hello Terry!
I certainly will pass on your regards, but she will see this herself anyway. It was she who passed the link to this blog onto me and she has been keeping an eye on it.
Cheers!
Working with special needs kids at 65?
Must have been quite a remarkable lady right enough. I know I could not do that.
(Andrew Erroch) 19/03/08
Thank you for that Andrew, I regret that some people have turned it into a political football, I apologise for that I shouldn’t have allowed that to happen but it’s stopped now.
Don't worry about it Terry. Unfortunately, there will always be those in this world who will turn things around to suit their own purposes.
I know that and I am sure my Mum does too.
She was very pleased to read the complimentary comments about her.
Andrew Erroch:
Andrew,best wishes to your Mum for a long and happy future doing what she clearly loves.
If she has given only one child a love of reading and books, then I really don't care if she has signed photos' of Kelly, Castro and Skinner on her wall, or even leads communal singing of the Red Flag - she is a class act.
(Macnasty) 20/03/08
Andrew if you are reading this, I’m sorry about this guy, I’ve dealt with him many times and I don’t trust him.
I feel obliged to say that I have never once mentioned politics to your mother in all the conversations I have had with her. It’s a pity about this guy, he has named himself well.
Kelly @ 10pm
I expect Mr Erroch to take my comments as they were intended, lighthearted, and a tribute to his Mum, but you, Kelly, what an utterly stupid man you are.
You and Scottish Labour deserve each other.
(Macnasty) 17:00
I have explained my position to Mr. Erroch and I’m happy to leave it at that, others who read this will make up their own minds about you.
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