Beethoven is dead, and has been for a while – but what a treat it must have been to be in the audience of the premiere of Symphony No.6, my favourite of his. Perhaps he was conducting – any Beethoven scholars perusing this? – and to hear it performed as the composer wanted would have […]
Despite never mentioning it in his works...
Despite never mentioning it in his works, author Charles Dickens had strong links to Edinburgh – People – Scotsman.com.
The Bells of the Tron Kirk
Today is the shortest day of the year and it is also National Short Story Day. Here is my offering to the gods to ask for the sun to return. A little piece from a hopefully soon-to-be-completed Volume 2 of New Myths and Legends of Edinburgh. You can get it to read on your favourite […]
When Snow Falls at Night
“There’s a hush in the darkness.” I wrote this song a couple of years ago for our Christmas concert in Dumfries. Hope you like it: This was recorded with Mark Toner on guitar and harmony vocals and Jenny Johnson on piano, my learned colleagues of Arbelos. When snow falls at night, There’s a hush in […]
Edinburgh Cannonball Collector to be Mad...
It’s not one of Edinburgh’s most well known jobs, but in light of the funding cuts – thanks Mr Cameron – Edinburgh Council is dropping the post of Edinburgh Cannonball Collector. You’ve never heard of the job? – and for good reason: we don’t really want tourists to know that at 1 o’clock every day they […]
The Islanders
This is my brief review of Christopher Priest’s newest book. It’s on Goodreads, I think, though I’m not sure. Which is probably a correct statement, considering the book. The Islanders by Christopher Priest My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Conan Doyle’s Edinburgh
The Edinburgh West Port Book Festival has started, and I’m looking forward especially to plug my self into a series of podcasts on Conan Doyle’s Edinburgh. As the site says: “Owen Dudley Edwards takes us on a tour of Conan Doyle’s Edinburgh, taking us to some of the places which inspired Sherlock Holmes and his […]
I’m in Fine Company
I couldn’t resist taking this screen capture. Here’s my humble little volume of New Myths of Edinburgh nestling under an Agatha Christie in the Amazon ‘Thrillers Best Sellers’ List. It was a fleeting encounter: we shared glances over a glass of champagne, then I was wrenched away from a world of which I can only […]
The Kindle Fire – Read Your Kindle in th
There is an attachment for the Kindle. It looks a little like a miniature fireplace. There’s a slot at the back for your Kindle and a wee grate at the front. You make up a tiny fire of sawdust and granulated coal (supplied, I think). When you get it going you have a warming red […]
1) It was the best of times
Imagine if, at the start of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens had written: 1) It was the best of times, 2) it was the worst of times, 3) it was the age of wisdom, 4) it was the age of foolishness, 5) it was the epoch of belief, 6) it was the epoch […]