A remarkable Largs pensioner had a series of ‘miraculous’ healings in one day in 2010, and has recently cured himself of another medical condition.

James McGowan Scully, is 82, and lives in Seamore Street, and during his long career was a jack of all trades, but is also a recovered alcoholic, and has managed to overcome all number of ailments during recent years.

He joined the army just after the war and was a full corporal but left and worked all over the UK in bars, but soon hit the bottle and even ended up in jail, after a series of drink related offences.

James, now a great grandfather, had to go to Littlemore in Oxford to a special clinic in his bid to beat the booze, when he was in his 40s.

However, in more recent years, James has had some remarkable health ‘miracles’, and has managed to cure himself of a number of different medical problems, seemingly by the power of positive thinking and spiritualism.

In fact, he has written a book about his experiences, called ‘A Walk of Conscience’ which is available on Amazon as an ebook, and as a printed book.

“It is not something I am too keen to promote,” he admitted when speaking to the ‘News’, “but I have had some remarkable experiences, and as a recovered alcoholic, I am hoping to use my experience to help others. I have seen more judges than some lawyers have over the years, and I go and help at various groups including Alcoholic Anonymous, and help people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I address judges on behalf of problem offenders, and then support them on their rehabilitation.” Incredibly, several years ago, James had a number of major health scares which were seemingly cured on the same morning that the Pope was inducting Cardinal John Newman as a priest. He was listening to the radio in his Largs home, and realised that Cardinal Newman was to become priest for Littlemore - the very place where he went to this special clinic years ago - and suddenly he felt lifted, as if all the problems he had been experienced deserted him.

“I am not religious though!” said James, “but I am a great believer in positive thinking, and I do believe in God and Jesus, and I always thought it was remarkable. I will always remember the day as 19 September 2010.” A charmer and a raconteur, the Largs man is a great character, and is continuing to give advice and help others. But it wasn’t always that way.

“I was suffering from blindness in 2010. I had experienced a number of problems after I was badly beaten up by the police many years ago in Rhyl for refusing to give them my name. I had told them that I had done nothing wrong and if they wanted my name, they could go and see my boss. They lifted me arm in arm and knocked me unconscious off one of the old oak tables in the police office.” Fast forward many years later from his days as a barman, and during that miracle morning in 2010, James had got up in his Largs home, and had just put the radio on. He explained: “I was going to the bathroom, and I heard that Pope Benedict was blessing Cardinial Newman - and suddenly, at that very moment, I could see.” James had suffered from psoriasis, angina, bleeding Hemorrhoids, polyp (abnormal growth of tissue ) amongst other ailments, and suddenly it all just lifted, and yet again, recently this summer, James was advised by doctors that he had palsy, a form or paralysis which kept his eye shut.

Depsite a number of medical checks, doctors told James that he was in good health, apart from salt levels which were above average, but not high enough to have caused any major concerns - The medics couldn’t fine a cause for the palsy.

However, James, who has lived in Largs for eight years, has made it his goal to cut salt completely out of his diet in a bid to restore his vision, and sure sheer determination, and a will to overcome the odds, just several weeks later, he managed to cure himself.

“Everything with any salt content had to go as well as butter and sugar, and I had to have vegetable oil and new potatoes if I was having fish and chips.” And incredibly, the octogenarian has recently joined the gym at the Vikingar! to keep himself fighting fit. He laughed: “After I was given an induction, and tried out all the different machines at the gym, the instructor said to me that I had taken to the machines quicker than many of the younger people. Folk are amazed at how fast I run when I get started on the treadmill.” Over the years, James has completed a 200 mile Walk of Conscience to the David Livingston Centre in Blantyre, one mile away from where he was born, to help Somalians, and raise awareness of poverty in Africa, and has also campaigned for justice for elderly pensioners. There is no doubt about it that James has gone through some hard times over the years, but he now has a life well lived, and is determined to teach others and bring them back from the abyss, like he has done himself.

* 80% proceeds from ‘A Walk of Conscience’ go to Teen Challenge Strathclyde to improve the lives of the homeless and marginalised within Scotland, and Guide Dogs Scotland. It can also be found in Amazon under this title, or its original title “A sense of justice”.