"A very fine muster indeed of the local Civil Defence personnel took part in the special services in the Cathedral on Sunday afternoon. There was no striking procession through the streets, but the various units paraded under their leaders in Church Street, and from there marched smartly down to the Cathedral.

"The forgathering of the personnel in their different uniforms - those without uniform had distinguishing arm-bands - and multicoloured steel helmets with almost all the letters of the alphabet presented on them, was watched with the keenest interest by the families and friends of those on parade.

"Police and special constables led off, followed by the control centre staff, wardens, and all the various services, rescue and decontamination squads, first-aid staff, members of the N.F.S. and Fire Guards. The ladies were strongly represented in the cavalcade, and the younger element, boys and girls, had their place too.

"The Civil Defence contingent occupied the greater part of the nave of the Cathedral, the Lord Provost, Magistrates and members of the Council who were present (Councillor Scott wore his uniform as H.O. of the Royal Observer Corps), were accommodated in the chancel. The rest of the church was well filled.

"In the stimulating service Rev. Jas. Anderson had the support of Rev. C. R. Walker, Rev. G. T. Brown, and Rev. Stephen Frew. In welcoming the contingent Mr Anderson struck the keynote of the service. In that place where for centuries men had come to worship God, he said, they had gathered to give Him thanks for their deliverance from some of the perils which had beset them in their time, and to pray for strength to continue to Victory.

"Rev. Mr Brown read the fourth chapter of Nehemiah with its rousing example for the present day; and Rev. Mr Frew led in prayer of intercession. The praise included the hymns 'City of God' and verses of 'Behold! the mountain of the Lord.'

"Rev. Mr Anderson gave both a challenge and encouragement in his theme, 'The Valley of Vision,' from Isaiah xxii. The valley of war, he said, was wide and deep and dark, but it was also the valley of vision.

"He went on to show in what ways it might be so. In Psalm xlviii, the writer found proof of the doings of God; in this country we had come through a similar deliverance. More-over we possessed our own minds and bodies, we were not being used by a conquering race for its own ends. Our prayers were the prayers of free men, not the curses of captives.

"The hopes of millions now in bitter bondage were centred on us. Let us go forward upheld by their faith and vision. In this vanney too, there was the vision of a great army of men and women purified by suffering and dedicating their lives to nobler purposes.

"Not all, certainly; many still took pleasure where they could find it, but in the enslaved cities, in the prison camps, in the bombed town, people of every rank, creed, colour, tongue, were fired with a great determination to make the world a place where tyrants would bite the dust and brotherhood prevail.

"Amidst the noise and din of the armament factories, and the bursting of shells, Mr Anderson concluded, there was the danger that a small voice would not be heard, a voice crying 'Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help....but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek they this Lord.' It would be a tragedy if we came out of the Valley of War without the Vision of God.

"The offering was taken for the Air Raid Distress Fund. The sum of £10 is being forwarded."

The Bells rang on Sunday reported local news:

"On Sunday before morning service the citizens heard the sound of the church-going bell for the first time since June 1940. The heavy clangour from the Cathedral belfry and the lighter chimes of St Columba's did not suggest any untimely jubilation, but to most people they did give an added significance to a day whose mood was more solemn than joyous."

Poppy Day in Brechin raised £188 for the Earl Haig fund breaking the previous record reported local news:

"Brechin is to be congratulated on another grand response to the 'Poppy Day' appeal for the Earl Haig Fun last Saturday. Last year's record collection of £180 was exceeded by over £8, the total proceeds amounting to £188 8s 3d. In 1940 the figure was £113, and in 1939 £107, so that public generosity in the last two years has taken a big leap up.

"The greatest credit is due to the organisers, Lord Provost Ogilvie and Mr and Mrs D. Jack, who spared no trouble to make 'Poppy Day' more successful than ever for the sake of those gallant men and women who need and are going to need all of the help that can be given them; and to the band of collectors who made their rounds so conscientiously. They must be more than gratified as the result.

"It will be seen from the details given below that everywhere the response was wholehearted. It is interesting to note, however, that both the door-to-door collections and the collections at the Works and at the Mart show small decreases over last year. The door-to-door collection is down by £1 10s, that at the Works by nearly £5, and at the Mart by £2.

"The collection at the schools and at Aldbar and Trinity on the other hand were up. It was the increase of over £6 in the sale of poppies in the shops and for wreaths, and the increase of nearly £4 in the sale of the 'Red Poppy' (a best seller this year), which helped to give the 1942 'Poppy Day' its lead over last year."