All my adult life, I’ve loved British folk music. As a teenager, I loved the robust choruses of the MacAlmans and the Corries. I rapidly fell for the fantasy of Steeleye Span, re-imagining the old ballads to a driving rock … Continue reading →
So here’s my prediction. In time – not quite sure how long, maybe twenty years, maybe fifty – human civilisation will transition to more localised, less monetary, economies, with a minimal, high-level international connection. How much international connection we retain, … Continue reading →
I have been looking back through some of my past scribblings this Christmas. I wrote the following poem some time in the late 1980s/early 1990s, when my children were young. It’s never been published or performed, no-one’s ever read it … Continue reading →
So the view from Rosehaugh today is beautiful. The sun is shining, and the loch reflects a patchwork of white clouds and blue sky. There was a flock of gulls wheeling about high over the water, screeching and bickering, as … Continue reading →
There are two things you traditionally do not talk about in polite company. Religion and politics. I’m finding that a bit of a struggle at the moment, because as I said in an earlier blog post, these are two big … Continue reading →
The second draft of Leaving On The Tide (Book 4 of the Shaihen Heritage series) is complete. It’s out with a small team of beta readers for a verdict – if they think it’s worth it, I’ll start on the … Continue reading →
If we are to heal the wounds of Brexit and change society for the better we need to start by preparing the soil. Only then can we expect healthy shoots to flourish and prosper. Citizen Empowerment For too long, power … Continue reading →
Those who know me will be very well aware that I am deeply opposed to Britain leaving the EU. I have sleepless nights worrying about the impending catastrophe about to hit my country – especially at the point where we … Continue reading →
I read an amusing quote on Facebook the other day, apparently from Somerset Maugham. When it comes to writing a novel, he said, there are three rules. Unfortunately, no-one knows what they are. I’m sure people write for all sorts … Continue reading →
Folksongs don’t always get the facts right. In folksongs, the rain always falls softly and the rambling sailor goes whistling on his way without a care in the world. The truth that music tells is an emotional one. The middle … Continue reading →
