The day the Glasgow police saluted Mandela

There will be thousands upon thousands of stories about Mandela today. Rightly, they will and should focus on the political legacy. But so many people mourning today will have forgotten the politics and the struggle, barely heard of them, or like Cameron, conveniently forgotten their university group's vile attacks on him.

But let me share something personal about the man. It was 1993, Glasgow, pissing rain. Thousands welcomed Nelson Mandela to Glasgow. A chance meeting with Lothian Region convener Keith Geddes and UNISON/NALGO general secretary Alan Jinkinson led to me being in the line-up to meet Mandela. I was in a red nylon hoodie and soaked to the skin.

The price of humanity and public service

#clutha When the helicopter came down on the pub in Glasgow I was about 800 yards away. I heard nothing. I saw nothing. But a few minutes later on the train the tweets started coming through. A sad end to a wonderful meal with treasured long-time comrades.

Such as is life these days, the conventional media were playing catch up with people on the ground who were already tweeting. It didn't take a genius to realise that, at the very least, hopes for those in the police helicopter must be dim. What must their families have been going through? What about the friends and relatives that knew their folk would be in that pub? The people celebrating a well-earned Friday. The locals in their usual seats.