Part 1. In November, 1981 I went to Los Angeles and didn’t come home for a year. Ok, that was the intention. I’d been working for a few years, was bored, involved in a relationship that really wasn’t right (nothing to do with sheep, honest) and I’d always wanted to travel a bit. Unfortunately, the – Read More-
My birthday today. Another fucking birthday. Jesus, seems like only a year since my last one. I mean; getting to 60 was an achievement of courage and endeavour pretty much unmatched by anyone else ever. But 61? Sixty-one?? How does that happen? One minute I’m a young turk (well I thought so) and the next – Read More-
The leader of the Liberal Democrat Party resigned yesterday in a ‘shock announcement’ that at least 27 people worldwide may possibly have heard. And at least 9 of those said ‘who?’. Tim Farron has found it increasingly difficult to reconcile being a political party leader, even of that little lot, with his ‘Christian beliefs’. Which, – Read More-
Ok, so you arrive in Inverness, or near Inverness, and you have, basically, one afternoon to play. And Inverness, the ‘capital of the Highlands’ that it unquestionably is, with no competition whatsoever as its a city, its big, has lots of traffic and people and buildings, and everywhere else up here is a tiny village – Read More-
On Saturday night we came back from dinner and turned on the tv. For the last 6 minutes of the England vs Scotland world cup qualifier. Mel insisted. England 1-0 up, all comfortable, what could possibly go wrong? Scotland scored from a free-kick. Major bummer. Gordon Strachan leaping round like a mad thing. Two minutes – Read More-
The great thing about Scotland is that there are toilets everywhere. Nice ones. Toilet paper. Soap. Paper towels. Driers that work. Clean places where one can… toil, in all kinds of out-the-way places. And if you basically start at ‘middle-of-fucking-nowhere’, then ‘out-of-the-way’ is pretty much a given. Oh, and it is beautiful. Eye-wateringly beautiful. Yesterday – Read More-
The thing you notice about Scotland is water. Ok, we’re on a coast road so ya kind’a expect. But Scotland’s water is not just about the sea. You come inland and there are lochs, lakes, meres, ponds, more lochs, simply everywhere. And its generally raining quite a bit too. Safe to say, water is rarely – Read More-
Did I mention, I’m in Scotland. So beautiful up here. But as is often the case when on holiday, its a completely different world. Yesterday morning f’rinstance, we had the tv on to see the (un-)result. And they don’t have BBC up here, they have BBC-Scotland. And they were talking about a different election. They – Read More-
David Cameron? Nob! Theresa May? Nob! Irony notwithstanding in her case. Because in my post-feminist, inclusive PC world, anyone can be a ‘nob’. Dickheads, morons and stupid tarts with fuck-me shoes!!! I am THAT reconstructed. David Cameron wins an election with the biggest majority since the BBC invented special effects on election nights. They had – Read More-
When you hear the word ‘Scotland’ what springs to mind? Haggis? Nicola Sturgeon? Kenny Dalgleish? Lochs? Salmon? Goalkeeping errors? Fried Mars Bars? Whisky? Because being up here in the very very Highlands, the most northerly bit of mainland Scottishland, you get three things coming across very strongly. Bleak, Beautiful and sheep. You can drive here – Read More-