I’m old enough to have enjoyed Balamory as a dad, but too young to have appreciated the merits of the Bay City Rollers in the mid-70s. The Spiderman Musical OST was more my thing at 10. I only mention the Rollers as they were the only thing memorable about the Stronlossit in Roybridge, just south… Continue reading SHANG-A-LANG
Month: July 2021
THE WORLD DESCENDS ON GLENCOE
Mrs RM said she was bored of pubs. “I’m bored of pubs” she said. But, as we headed for Glencoe, an hour from Oban, it struck me that apart from admiring the scenery (difficult when you’re on your phone) or walking the hills (unappealing if it’s raining) there’s only really pubs and tea shops to… Continue reading THE WORLD DESCENDS ON GLENCOE
A TASTE OF OBAN
In the late ’90s a short-lived monthly glossy called “Taste” emerged, packed with articles on alcohol, drinking and pub crawls. I guess it aimed at the sort of territory “Ferment” covers, except that it made pub-going sound more fun than sipping from cans in your underpants. A typical article would see a mixed group of… Continue reading A TASTE OF OBAN
THE MISHNISH
“Where’s my Scottish pub !” you ask, tiring now of all this relentless natural beauty. HERE is your pub, the only one I saw in Tobermory with the Macdonald Arms seemingly closed. So let’s do the famous yellow one (someone painted it black a while ago and got lynched). The Mishnish seemed to have noise… Continue reading THE MISHNISH
WHAT’S THE STORY IN TOBERMORY
I was a Balamory dad. When I went part time in the early 2000s to take James and Matthew to pubs, it was Balamory and those Thomas the Tank Engine videos voiced by Ringo Starr (the best post-Beatles output IMHO) that we watched together. And I could leave the boys in front of the telly… Continue reading WHAT’S THE STORY IN TOBERMORY
SOMETHING TO MULL OVER
After that minor diversion caused by the need to be topical, I return to the epic Scottish trip at the end of June and remind you of the route, reaching 510 miles as we pulled into the car park at Oban ferry terminal at 07:45. Luckily, the previous night’s seafood extravaganza had left us unscathed… Continue reading SOMETHING TO MULL OVER
MORE GREAT SHEFFIELD PUBS TO AVOID THE FOOTBALL IN
A short diversion from the never-ending Scottish catch-up to be topical. “Oh look, there’s still tickets for the theatre at the Crucible tonight ! Shall we go ?” “Oh yes, perfect for avoiding the football on telly“. So THAT’S why there’s tickets left. A night out at the theatre, preceded by tea in a chain… Continue reading MORE GREAT SHEFFIELD PUBS TO AVOID THE FOOTBALL IN
LANGOUSTINES
Enough of that Scottish scenery, shows us some crustaceans, you cry. Possibly. Ellenbaich‘s days producing slate are long gone, it’s tours and long lunches now. And garden ornaments. We’d booked tea (or is it High Tea ?) for 17:30. I know, I hate myself. Looking across the stillness, I wondered how many other folk would… Continue reading LANGOUSTINES
SLATES
Well, this was idyllic. Camping on the slate islands in the Firth of Lorn, imagining I’m in the video for a Wings Christmas Number 1. The best photo comes from Wiki, courtesy of Michael Watson, who must be VERY tall to have got this shot; We opted to pay a tenner to park in Seafari… Continue reading SLATES
THE BRIDGE OVER THE ATLANTIC
Here’s some views for you, then. A bridge over the Atlantic, apparently, and a canon primed (?) to attack deliveries of craft beer. Oh, and a lovely garden in which to enjoy the mist descending. This is Clachan Seil, one of the most romantic sounding settings for a GBG entry which hove into view just… Continue reading THE BRIDGE OVER THE ATLANTIC
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