Monthly Archives: September 2016

We Value Your Business –

And Your Trading Safety on the Internet

Very recently a 60-year-old woman in Dumfries and Galloway was conned out of £30,000 just a week after a similar scam netted £10,000 for the fraudsters when a 71 year old was scammed by someone claiming to be from BT. The second scam in Stranraer was from a caller who said he was contacting  the lady about problems with her internet...

Holy Toledo Batman –

 Can I Dress as Charmeleon from Pokémon?

As those of you who are regular readers of the Musings know I am an avid Sci-Fi fan and although I don’t take this as an excuse at the drop of a hat to dress up as a Storm Trooper from Star Wars, I prefer light sabers myself, I do understand those who want to dress up as their favourite character and hang out at Glasgow’s fifth annual...

Time’s Arrow and Stirling’s Bowling Green Restored –

Hoping to Find Evidence of Cromwell’s Siege

A green that was part of a garden designed in 1713 for Cowane’s Hospital in Stirling and which is the oldest surviving bowling green in Scotland is to be restored to how it was more than 300 years ago. Cowane’s Hospital is an A listed property quite near to Stirling Castle and it was originally an almshouse...

The Great Fire of Glasgow –

Mackintosh’s Immense Creation Set for Re-Birth

If you saw the great fire of Glasgow in 2014 you’ll know that the national treasure that was the Glasgow School of Art went up in smoke when a carelessly left light set fire to the building which was just about totally destroyed.  After which there was a dreadful hoo-ha about whether to rebuild this, the work of Scotland’s...

Whut! Sunburned Dolphins and Scotland to Host Alternative Olympic Games –

Global Warming Headlines Gift Olympics to Scotland

‘Whut! I cannot believe it!’ In the words of Victor Meldrew it seems that the world has gone mad. Now I knew of a young dolphin that they called “Spirtle was in trouble,” no doubt because it had to go to ‘hos-spirtle,’ he he he. When the little thing was stranded out of water...

Andy Murray Needs a Rest –

He said it Himself

I was off on Saturday to a friend’s fiftieth birthday and twenty- fifth wedding anniversary, but I couldn’t go until I had factored in the Davis Cup semi final with Argentina in Glasgow. As you probably know I am a huge Murray fan and I was agog, yes truly agog, to see the matches especially after Andy lost to Juan Martin Del Potro on Friday. This was a...

“Freedom an' whisky gang thegither! Take aff your dram!” Robert Burns –

Whisky Sales on the Up After 3 Year Decline

But First a Toast to Go with the Dram.

Lord keep our pots distilling weel
Lord send the excise man to the de’il
Lord bless our couthy meal
Amen

The water of life is on the rise again after a short period of slowing in international sales. An incredible 533 million bottles were shipped...

Not Many Things Hold a Candle to These –

New to Us and Made in Scotland

If you’ve been keeping up with the series Victoria on ITV you’ll know that in Buckingham Palace the used candle business is a vital perk to the butler Penge, played beautifully by Adrian Schiller, and part of the intrigues upstairs and downstairs that keep us all fascinated. Meanwhile the lovely Jenna Coleman, AKA QueenVictoria...

Not Balsam for the Soul –

Nastiest Weed Since Japanese Knotweed Invades Royal Dee

The banks of the royal river the River Dee are today a battleground as an alien invader is wresting great swathes of land from the indigenous locals. And it is mostly the fault of Storm Frank which struck last December and caused chaos on Royal Deeside. As well as the enormous flood damage to houses and businesses the...

Bake Off Is Offski –

The Show That Launched a Million Brownies Leaves BBC

Mel and Sue aren’t going for the dough and Paul and Mary haven’t risen yet. A fact which leaves Great British Bake Off fans desperate to know what the future holds now Channel 4 has prised the show off the BBC.  We are all holding our breaths, but baking fans in Scotland had their very own Cake Fest to celebrate the magic of...