March 2026
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…and ending up all-inclusive under a volcano All-inclusive. Except it isn’t. The wine, for example. At the buffet lunches and dinners, it comes on tap – low alcohol (‘spring harvest’) red, white or rosé, along with weak but refreshing beer on draft. You can get a glass of ‘house Cava’ but a bottle will cost…
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An assured campaign so far by SNP candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad may indicate the end for Liberal Democrat rule in the isles. On the other hand… The initials are unfortunate, to say the least. HMG: His Majesty’s Government. Hannah Mary Goodlad. The two are clearly not one and the same, as Hannah Mary’s campaign…
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As the Scottish rugby team’s day of reckoning arrived, my thoughts turned to our nation’s sporting anthem, Flower of Scotland. I decided I would write a replacement. As you can hear, things went somewhat awry… I heard Roy Williamson’s masterpiece – and it is – for the first time in 1974, at the Corries gig…
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In my Pentecostal days I was a connoisseur of tongues The muttering and spluttering Whispered hissing Glutinous rolling And harsh declamations Baptised, I thought In the Holy Spirit After much experimental mumbling I prayed for Gaelic But all that came was something Vaguely Italian Until I realised it was that bit on Abbey Road Where…
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Edinburgh sober Was never an option Up an eternity of steps Jinglin’ Geordies, Halfway House Evening News or Scotsman That Gormenghast of stone and paper Tottering on the rumbling presses Typewriter graveyards The rotting files of memory Deadlined and alone of an afternoon Always he would call me Sidney James Van Rijn Tiny and ruthless…
