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Back home and unwell, pondering the future, and talking all things peaty with Drew Ratter in the new Passing Place podcast The new Passing Place podcast (or, if you will peatcast) with Drew Ratter is here, for those interested in the brown (black and blue) stuff, carbon credits, preserved bodies and crofting. The Spotify link…

The giant Viking wind farm has begun operating in Shetland. Not everyone is happy. And where is the money going? When I first moved to Shetland in 1986, there was one big experimental wind generator at Voe, towering above our house. I never saw its blades turn from the day I moved until its demolition.…

Nottingham or Shottingham? James Graham’s Sherwood or Tom Cox’s 1983, with optional cats and golf? The new series of Sherwood is so bleak and brutal  I keep expecting Halldor Laxness or some even more obscure Scandic doom-monger to get a screen credit, along with Tobe Hooper. Coming soon: The Independent Skegness Lawnmower Massacre. And It’s…

Wham ne’er a town surpasses… Heading by clattering electric train from the gloriously restored (after a fire) Troon Station to the (finally and just barely open again) Ayr equivalent, I was tracking my teenage self’s search for godly guitar glory. I took this route to my first ever public performance, bellowing gospel songs, strumming a…

No Beatcroft Social, but some short chunks of audio and a Spotify playlist Apologies… First, apologies – there’s no Beatcroft Social this week, either on 60 North Radio or on Mixcloud. I do have a new two-hour playlist on Spotify which you’re welcome to peruse and bend your ears towards, should you feel the need.…

Some verse and links to the four-wheeled Beatcroft Social radio show First, apologies to all those who couldn’t play last week’s Beatcroft Social Beatles show on Mixcloud. I miscalculated the licence parameters for playing the same artist multiple times – three tracks is the maximum permitted by Mixclooud and I thought it was four. I…

It’s been a long and winding road…to this particular Beat(les)croft Social Normally I’d tell any recipient of this newsletter that if they were looking for The Beatcroft Social radio show they should skip to the end for the playlist and streaming links. But please, for once read the following text first. Hey, it’s about a…

Includes the Beatcroft Social playlist and streaming links To listen to my weekly Beatcroft Social show 60 North Radio, 7-9pm on Fridays, click here and then on the 60 North archive (same page). From 9.00pm on Fridays it’s also on my Mixcloud page here. For the full playlist, including the Social Soul Selection, go to…

It was June 1966, the second last day of term before the summer holidays… If you’re looking for the weekly Beatcroft Social show, it goes 7-9pm on Friday on 60 North Radio and after that (from 9.00pm onwards) can be streamed on Mixcloud here. What follows is part of the first chapter of a book…

Links to stream the latest Beatcroft Social and more The latest two-hour Beatcroft Social radio show from 60 North Radio can be heard live 7-9pm every Friday by clicking here. The Mixcloud stream is available for whatever digital eternity may exist after 9.00pm on Fridays here. Scroll down for this week’s full playlist. Published on…