Among the many pleasures of life in Dumfries and Galloway is its thriving music scene, the product of a rich and varied community of singers, players and composers. It’s a place that fosters collaboration and, with that, experimentation across styles and musical genres. In recent times it has also produced creative partnerships with poets andContinue reading “Where the music takes me – an interview with Stuart Macpherson”
Category Archives: Folklore
Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 11: Further Revelations
Andrew, Michael and Anne-Marie are taken on an extraordinary day out by DC Harris. The amateur sleuths are getting a measure of fame and recognition for their efforts, whilst the accused are now behind bars and expected to put in a guilty plea. Esme and Michael’s divorce is also passing through the legal process, but relationsContinue reading “Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 11: Further Revelations”
Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 9: Closing In
News breaks of two further robberies, this time in Kircudbright, apparently back in July. Harris shows Andrew a series of images of two campervanners and sailors, taken over the last few months. It’s now clear these are the thieves, but the police are nowhere nearer to catching them. Michael, Esme and the girls seem toContinue reading “Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 9: Closing In”
Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 8: Lammas
Andrew stirs DC Harris to make contact following a letter about the art robberies, in the Dumfries Weekly. They are now cautious allies in sharing information and hunches, not least the possibility of a double strike occurring in the near future at Kirkcudbright. Anne-Marie, and her mother, along with Caitlin experience the curiosities of theContinue reading “Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 8: Lammas”
The Camassia: from Pacific North West to Scottish South West
As a student of anthropology in the early 1970s, I still remember some classes we had on the phenomenon known as Potlatch. Part of the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific North West, it relates to large gatherings in which alongside story telling and feasting, a special emphasis is placed on the conspicuousContinue reading “The Camassia: from Pacific North West to Scottish South West”
What’s in a place-name? An interview with Colin Mackenzie
This latest interview in my series about creative and inspiring people living in Dumfries and Galloway, is someone I have never met. Indeed, when I contacted him earlier this year, he informed me that he was about to leave his home region and relocate to Orkney. So I’m looking forward to meeting with him inContinue reading “What’s in a place-name? An interview with Colin Mackenzie”
Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 4: The Devil’s Stone
Andrew is drawn further into the mystery of the art robbery. He receives a visit from Detective Constable Logan Harris of CID, warning him of the dangers of amateur sleuthing, but undeterred, continues with his enquiries. Meanwhile Anne-Marie, busy with her new composition and a prestigious upcoming concert, thinks she has spotted the perps andContinue reading “Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 4: The Devil’s Stone”
Frog seasons
The tell tale signs began to emerge a few weeks ago. Shifting a pile of newly delivered logs, a couple of semi-comatose puddocks required relocation to a safe damp spot. Then one wet late evening as I left the house for a dog walk, an inquisitive member of the family Ranidae, hopped straight towards meContinue reading “Frog seasons”
Heading Home: a miscellany of writings
In late 2020, on saying goodbye to four decades of work in academia, I resolved to devote time to something that had been bubbling up in my thinking for quite a while: the desire to continue writing, but to do so in a more creative and inventive manner. True, I’d recently written a biography whichContinue reading “Heading Home: a miscellany of writings”
Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 2: Candlemas
Andrew, Michael and Anne-Marie meet up by chance after attending an event in the village Hub. They go on to share an impromptu meal in Kirkgate’s Lowther Arms and start to learn about each other’s circumstances, passions and struggles. The meal is a success and at the end of the evening, Andrew tells them aboutContinue reading “Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 2: Candlemas”
Quotidian 