My Blog

Category: Family

  • AAT 1

    The inaugural AAT was held on Sunday, I am not putting the full description here because it will just draw traffic from search bots.  Suffice to say, it was won handsomely by Emily Sanderson,  with a gallant runner up in Julia Sanderson.  Diana, Caroline and Nigel took the Mary & Paul rôles (harsh but fair,…

  • Olds and news

    Continuing our explorations of the nearby walks and towns in Fife, we went back to Craigencault Ecology  Farm and then down to Kinghorn.

  • National Poetry Day

    Rosemary and I exchanged poems yesterday, both by Norman MacCaig. Blue tit on a string of peanuts A cubic inch of some stars weighs a hundred tons – Blue tit, who could measure the power of your tiny spark of energy?  Your hair-thin legs (one north-east, one due west) support a scrap of volcano, four…

  • Lily Beag

    We were at Lily’s 3rd birthday bash yesterday, with another beautiful cake and two very excited children who were nevertheless on their best behaviour.   It’s not easy to take pictures on such a high octane occasion but there are some for the record below.

  • Not as far as you think

    To Glasgow, on a £1 ticket, courtesy of my Club 50 railcard.  I did not walk all that far, but was amply rewarded with some fine architectural gems.                                                      …

  • Helical

    A glorious early autumn day, after a walk on Aberdour beach we called in by the Kelpies, got the only free car park space (thank you to Grandma Lil, who exerts her influence from upstairs at times like these). Despite the pylons and power lines, there are an infinite number of photo opportunities, although it…

  • Beggar’s mantle

    If you haven’t already gathered, we live in the Kingdom of Fife, which King James VI described as “beggar’s mantle fringed wi’ gowd”, a reference to the fishing and trading villages of the coast.  Whilst it’s a handy and memorable phrase, especially in terms of the economics prevalent at the time, it has been superseded.  Not…

  • Naming the Day

    Some photos from the Naming Day ceremony for Genevieve Louisa Richardson.

  • Borders, Without

    Visiting Wakefield, we were reminded of so many absent friends during a happy family party.                 Picture is of Paul’s father in 2011 with his painting of the dreadful Eyemouth fishing disaster,  which happened on 14th October 1881.

  • Reception on board Britannia

    Last night I was honoured to attend the reception hosted by the Consul General of Russia in Scotland, Andrey Pritsepov, on board the Royal Yacht Britannia, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first Arctic Convoy, Dervish.   Surviving veterans and recipients of the Ushakov medal, Russia’s highest naval award, were guests of honour. I have…