My Blog

Category: Arts

  • GBBW

    Great British Bird Watch.  Is it wrong to prepare the battle ground with every type of bird food at one’s disposal?   We’ll soon find out, I shall update with this year’s total. Please don’t tell me anything about the #T2 film until I have seen it. House sparrow 5 Blackbird 2 Woodpigeon 2 Magpie 1…

  • Seeing the wood

    We found some quietude yesterday by heading for the busiest part, Edinburgh’s Christmas markets etc have been super busy due to the reasonably fair weather, security staff are ensuring that only a limited amount of folk gain access.   However, as Paul had appointments booked with his groom squad, we went in anyway.  Upstairs at…

  • 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,…

  • Hallowe’en

    Hallowe’en, the poem by Violet Jacob, set to music by Jim Reid, sung by Sheena Wellington and Karine Polwart.   If there is a sadder and yet more beautiful song about this time of year, I’ve yet to hear it.

  • Art + Birds

    This week I have been fortunate to see some new exhibitions, which have reminded me of some other favourites.  In Stirling at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum I found the most gorgeous watercolours by Darren Woodhead, his commissions from his tenure as artist in residence with the IFLI are truly epic depictions of the…

  • Oaky doke

    We went to the Botanic Lights installation last night, in Edinburgh, no doubt Paul’s camera will have been the winner in tricky lighting conditions, and do take lots of warm clothes, including gloves, if you are going yourselves.  We enjoyed this very much and it was grand to see so many children there.   Last…

  • Overlooked

    After a fascinating tour backstage at the Royal Lyceum Theatre yesterday, we took a short walk to the Scottish National Galleries of Modern Art (One and Two) , there to see the Surrealism exhibition. I think I need to do a lot more research on the Dada movement to be able to understand it better,…

  • 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…

  • En Train

    After a lovely Saturday – caught up with old chum over brunch and then went to see the frankly divine Karine Polwart in her Edinburgh Festival debut, Wind Resistance –  I would say go go go but it’s selt oot  – we hied off to the Borders from Edinburgh  on the new (to us) railway,…

  • Idle hands

    I am going to stick my neck out here, for once.  Why on earth would anyone set themselves up as a sign writer when they cannot spell?  I can only think of three reasons. 1).  They don’t care. 2).  They don’t know. 3). They are blissfully unaware that it matters and everyone else is too…