Book Update
2nd draft of book at 10,000 words completed. A brief extract (850 words) can be found in the June 1st issue of the Tain and District Post for any one local who wants a quick look. Characters mentioned so far - Ted MacDougal (a triple hat trick in 1971...
snow in may
May 3rd. It's snowing outside! Book update - 2nd draft - 7000 words. Looking good. Read More...
Scottish Highlands - 2013
Good result for Inverness Caley Thistle today. Well done, Terry Butcher. I was there! Book is coming on well - a good description of the Scottish Highlands in the 21st Century - politics, music, football, significant characters.......and plenty more....
canal work,the book update, gardens (of course) and music (inevitably)
Drilling, digging, probing and filling - canal work today. Not in someone's garden, but in my mouth! Root canal work at the dentist. Aaargh. An update on the book : I have articles (about 50,000 words), I have a diary dating back to January 2007 Read...
on holiday
Just finished "the autobiography of Roy Keane's dog" book, it's called 'Triggs'. Highly recomended. I wonder what Roy Keane thought about this book? What are your thoughts, Roy? I await an "autobiography of Mick Channon's...
basseroles (Mrs Basserole), casseroles, bellows and.....
"........some days ‘several days’ hit you at once and everything becomes a muckle and a trackle full of Basseroles, casseroles, bellows and John Wayne fellows ..."Book about 38,000 words just now. Read More...
Some characters and locations in the new book revealed
List of Characters and Locations mentioned in the first 7000 words of the new book can be found HERE Read More...
A book full of character and locations
List of people and places featuring in book (7000 words so far) to be on web later..... Link to web page to follow. Clearing ivy this am. Read More...
cracked the format...
Cracked the format. 2200 word count. Two dogs - whyte and mackay - asleep on the sofa. Cold night, frosty, so start work at 11am tomorrow. Read More...
weather predictions and book progress
The big freeze is expected in the next few days. Snow also. I suspect we shall miss the snow. Plenty of garden work to get on with - have to see what the weather brings. Book progress: 1776 words to date. Still tinkering with the format. Must get that...
It has begun
Intro of new book completed. Mention of Stephen Fry, Chris Mullins and Roy Keane's dog on first page. This book is going to write itself! Word Count: 850 (it's a start) Read More...
A general winter rambling
A week ago - Ben Folds Five in concert in Glasgow. Last weekend - stayed near Arisaig with views of Eigg, Rum and Skye through the window - fantastic. Home now - comfy sofa. Gardening continues at a sedate pace - too cold to start before 10 am at the...
gardening in winter can be problematic
"...... gardening in winter can be problematic. One advantage, however, is that I go to the football on a more regular basis. I was at the Caley Thistle/Ross County derby game recently and, of course, bought myself a pie which in essence is cardboard...
New book, Chris Mullin, Ian Rankin, Buddleia
Interesting couple of developments re new book . One - don't bother to approach folk for contributions and bio pieces, it takes too long, just do it anyway and give folks the opportunity to contribute once completed if they so wish, but within a tight...
'Mitox', rain, interviews, a new article and the pleasures of winter.
The new petrol hedge cutter (Mitox) is performing well under difficult conditions. The last three or four days have seen persistent rain so I am well and truly drenched. Passed up the offer of a 'non-political' interview (for the new book) with...
Conked hedge cutter, leathery pies, football and .......
The petrol hedge cutter conked out. Not a good time of year for that sort of thing. So I bought a new one yesterday. The salesperson in the hedge cutter shop was very salesman-like, although he was onto a winner with me as I needed a hedge cutter quick...
Possibly the windiest and wettest day of the year in the Highlands to be out and about gardening. Not pleasant. Serves as a sharp reminder that winter is not far away. On the book front - both Cromarty and Invergordon are under research by me at the present...
Latest developments
Wick meets Venice, then appears on excellent Canadian Garden Website : Must get that bio updated. Book update: new development. It is now to have three sections. The articles, the biographies etc of the people in the articles, and the story of the book...
Wasps, football in Bethlehem, and the 'B'
An explosion of wasp activity in the area. Not pleasant. Son has article in the October edition of the 442 Football Magazine - football in Bethlehem. Well done. The 'B' in Bfest stands for the name of the bar associated with the Bfest promoter...
The new Article on the web
Bfest music festival and Wick feature in the new article. Link below: http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/Features/Wick-the-Venice-of-the-north-surely-not-04092012.htm I also discovered today what the 'B' in Bfest stands for. I was intrigued....
New Article to 'hit' the newspaper on Wednesday
Latest article - about the BFest music festival in Wick last month - in the Caithness Courier this Wednesday. Read More...
end of August
It's the end of august - it's been a busy month. Music currently listening to in the van - Wilco and The Jam. Live music recently experienced - Jools Holland and his Rythm and Blues Orchestra. The Clash/Ruby Turner and some other excellent musicians...
Book Update and similar stuff
Currently in the process of writing a short newspaper article about the BFest in Wick for the newspapers of the north (Caithness and Sutherland). They have expressed an interest in printing it, so I had better get on and finish it. A more up to date and...
Music Festival in Wick
Just returned from the BFest Music festival in Wick (Caithness). The Proclaimers were headlining. The Imagineers were also very impressive. More to follow about this. Read More...
Gardeners World is boring
After years of gardening - and working as a gardener - I have to admit - finally - that the Gardener's World program on television is probably one of the most boring television programs ever to be been made in the history of broadcasting.Time for...
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