Now this should be fun. I saw Gary Moore and his band several times when I was a teenager in London - but haven't been to one of his gi...

Oxford University Press have regular sales with many of their books flogged at 75% off. Since being pointed in their direction a few years a...

What do you do when, despite the fact that you have lived in Scotland all your adult life and have produced children who are self-consciousl...

Some idiot (ie. me) decided that it would be splendid idea to have an externally vented extractor fan in the kitchen. The cooker is on an ex...

It's about time I got into some of my Christmas presents. This one, for example, has been sitting waiting to be opened for far too lon...

I am frankly appalled at the things which amuse me. Thanks to Potts for the clip and doonhamergeordie for instructions on embedding it!

So near yet so far. The snow is still hanging beautifully on the surrounding hills, but its attempts to 'paint the town white' as it...

I've just finished reading this collection of essays and short history of the so-called "Toronto" phenomena , the wave of ex...

Young Norris (aged 4) has enjoyed visits to two hospitals today, one planned, one unplanned! First of this morning we took him to Ninewells ...

Today has been... "eventful". We had a plumber doing a really small job in the kitchen, simply dropping some pipe runs a few inche...

Four-year-old Norris had the bright idea of constructing an indoor waterfall yesterday. A delightful (and truly realistsic) interior water f...

It happens every year, in the middle of dark winter days, unable to get to the hills, someone buys me a mountain book for Christmas. It'...

The New Year has brought with it the first sight of snow we've had since last Easter. The hills above the town are now suitably white, a...

Calm has returned to the house after a somewhat frenetic few weeks. In the last month, both sets of parents/in-laws have stayed, friends fro...

on a cold and frosty morning...........

College holidays are a great time for getting into reading all the books, not on the reading list, which I have been wanting to get into all...

I have a new toy to play with, a nice little web cam! It matches one we have given to my mum for her birthday so that she can chat to all he...

Well it's been a good day or two being the father of number two son, aka "Norris". Although, as previously blogged, his last e...

Re: 1st picture. On balance it may not be worth risking drowning in order to clear up after your dog.... It's still raining heavily and ...

Bridges and flood defences getting put through their paces

We often go for walks on the island, on the grass through the trees! The last blurred picture is of a large round bale of straw rushing down...

Not the best day they've had at the allotments!

Yesterday, young Norris starred as Joseph in the nursery nativity play, the highlight of which was his lovely solo rendition of 'away in...

More torential rain today meant that the River Earn was once again out of its banks and flooding the fields. Driving back today from Dunning...

Work continues in the kitchen, the old floor being ripped up and excavated, and then the surface prepared for new tiles to be laid tomorrow...

The shock news is that it now looks as if I may have passed my exam! The confusion is because I missed a term of study (spring 06) during wh...

I'm feeling very sorry for myself this morning after getting my exam result. It is by far the worst result I have ever had in higher edu...

Norris is getting ready to appear in the Nursery nativity play tomorrow as Joseph - a role which demands a singing solo. Sadly, his preparat...

It has been brought to my attention that when I refer to my good lady on this blog as, "the wife" she finds this offensive, disres...

Growing up in London I was given a mental image of Scotland as a freezing cold, windy, wet place. This morning all my expectations have been...

Last night, wife and I went to Psycho Pete and Joan's engagement party. Here's a picture of the man himself showing the world exactl...

Here's a great link for anyone who likes live music, "Wolfgang''s Vault" . It has a few hundred live gigs from loads ...

For ages we have had the inconvenience of a step running accross our kitchen floor, making it dangerous to have chairs/stools in the kitchen...

I sat down with the wife this evening to watch a film. Her choice. It was called "The Lake House" and starred Keanu Reaves and Sa...

Yes, I am reeling from an exam in which I didn't perform well! Although the paper was fair enough, and in line both with the content of ...