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Lessons from guitars, motorcycles and the truth about wristwatches… Listen, I’m no Sturgeonista, but could the claims by Scotland’s former First Minister that she didn’t know about the multifarious and massively expensive purchases her husband made…be pretty much true? Two very well-paid individuals with no joint account, living often-divergent lives? I mean, marriages can hide…
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A weekend of moveable feasts… Next to me was Kim Carnes’ goddaughter. She wasn’t called Bette and her eyes, though perfectly nice, seemed normal enough. We didn’t exchange our names, just almost every other biographical detail, as she and her husband were from California and avoiding conversation with Californians while sitting so close is impossible.…
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Transports of joy. Saying goodbye to two wheels You can listen to the whole of what follows by clicking on the audio file above. I think I was only allowed to have that Vespa 150 GL at the age of 15 because it didn’t run. It had no logbook, no MOT, a rusty frame, and…
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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…
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Njuggle It’s up to you, said the horse Hoarsely You can stop me anytime you want Just dig in your heels And say the magic word You know the magic word Don’t you? Unity on Mull, 1941 I remember There was no look in her eye But how she danced Quicksteps, a Highland Schottische But…
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The holiday cottage we rent out is the oldest habitable house in Shetland and the most radioactive (radon gas from the granite it huddles in) but at least the rats can’t handle the bequerels. Ovo Energy want to install a ‘smart’ electricity meter “between 12 and 4” so I’m there with Hugo the Italian Bloodhound,…
