We really are behind schedule with One Last Spin. The lockdown situation has made it unsafe to film the second part of the documentary. This involves drama sequences and no way can distancing be achieved. We’ve even considered hiring in an animator to create these sequences. Animation, though, remains very much a fall-back in the event that lockdown constraints apply throughout the year.

With promising easing policies from governments on both sides of the border, we are hoping very much to bring in actors and shoot the sequences on location. Intended release of the film is the later part of 2021. It will be online. It will be entered for film festivals. And as soon as conditions allow, we want to take it out into community settings for screenings and discussion.

However, since we were last in touch, we received an award from Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Healthy Minds Anti-Stigma initiative, and we are producing a website to be delivered in March. At the centre of this is a very powerful filmed interview with Marion Paterson, our Director. This has been produced professionally to an extremely high standard of quality, and Martin’s words cover so much in such a very engaging way. We were able to produce this while observing strict protocols for safety during the pandemic.

After the filming during which Martin stresses the need to find good things to do in recovery – or discovery as he prefers to call it – Martin gave us a blast on his sax which he’s recently started learning to play. He’s always loved the saxaphone. He owned one for three days in his gambling time before pawning it for cash to play the machines.

We are hoping Gambling Watch Scotland will grow ove rthe year and we greatly look forward to finding a home for One Last Spin when it’s completed.