Crikey - I hadn't made the connection. I've just been reading a bit about it - apparently the Murray brothers were on their way to the now infamous gym when the horrors of that day began. And he and his family had known Hamilton personally.
I should have worked it out. Andy Murray is the same age as my third daughter, all three of whom were attending primary school in the Perthshire village of Dunkeld at the time of the massacre. I recall vividly the moment I heard about it, on my car radio. I've never experienced a more gut-wrenching moment before or since, and my blood ran cold as I heard the line "fatal shooting in Perthshire, at the primary school in Dun...". The utter relief that the next syllable didn't confirm my instant fears was tempered moments later by guilt for being relieved, and absolute horror as the events of that day unfolded.
It's weird that I hadn't made the connection. I'd sent my eldest daughter (24) a text message this morning saying I envied her day ahead, knowing she was guaranteed a joyful day. She's just four weeks into her first permanent job as a science teacher, at Dunblane High School, with still many of the younger siblings and cousins of Hamilton's victims at the school.
I wish them much joy today (she texted me back to say the school had the day off today), and even more tomorrow. They, and Andy Murray, deserve it.
