"Just bees, and things and flowers" Like a lot of formerly news-hungry journalists these days I can hardly bear to open the many journals I subscribe to. But today I read last week's FT Life of a Song. And Roy Ayers Sunshine blew Trump thunderstorms away. At the end of the piece, filled with enticing links and references, the author, Arwa Haider, invites readers to share … [Read more...] about Forget Trump: ‘Everybody loves the sunshine’
‘Give them hope’ – four (or more) poems for the budget
'And remember to give them hope.'Looking back, the words seem to echo. On 19 December 2023, Rachel Reeves was speaking from the pulpit at the memorial service of Alastair Darling in an overflowing St Mary’s Cathedral, the Episcopal one at Edinburgh’s West End.Then shadow chancellor, she paid tribute to the much-respected man she described as her mentor, most … [Read more...] about ‘Give them hope’ – four (or more) poems for the budget
How to garden in a changing climate?
Autumn on the horizon. Will we know the difference?It has felt like October for much of the summer this year. But today a mischievous sun peeks through fluffy clouds (such flirts!) and in the garden I find a buzz of pollinators partying among the plants. Great opportunists. True survivors. Perhaps they can help me plot a course for 2025.How to plan for our new climate … [Read more...] about How to garden in a changing climate?
Look this way: the glass is half full
A proper winter morning for a change. I’m birdwatching by the window with a cooling coffee. There’s a cluster of blue tits on the birch tree feeder, chaffinches catching crumbs on the ground. One robin, two blackbirds, three red squirrels frisky in the snow. Sights for sore eyes and sad hearts this grim December when there’s precious little seasonal comfort and joy. But look, … [Read more...] about Look this way: the glass is half full
Cut to the bone. Is this what Scotland’s culture is worth?
Culture is our identity; it’s how we see ourselves, how we see our place in the world and how we relate to others. It’s the stories of life in Scotland, and it underpins mental well-being – both collectively and individually – in many different ways. The silences that echoed across 2020 as live music vanished from our lives serve as a firm reminder of this. Unless … [Read more...] about Cut to the bone. Is this what Scotland’s culture is worth?