Tuesday morning scenes from a quiet town by the North Sea.

A heatwave down south in London. Their third this year. Up here the mercury is expected to hit (briefly) a heady 16C.

The village hall has been quiet since Scotland dropped out of the World Cup. This morning it's a hive of cheerful activity. The local teenagers are getting everything ready for the excitement of the Norway v England game. A freshly ironed white floor to ceiling  'projection' sheet is being hung from the rafters by the kitchen door. The tournament has, until very recently, been a master class in civic mindedness and good sportsmanship.

A rather fine display of orchids in a window in town.

Old surplus undergrad gowns are being repurchased at the university shop. They're not worn as frequently as they used to be but provide a useful defence against the cold North Sea wind.  First years seem particularly keen on them. There are still a few students around but 99% seem to have gone. Trains south have been booked solid.

Peking Duck flavoured seaweed chips in the farm shop. I wonder if you were blindfolded and asked to taste them if you'd recognize that the flavour was Peking Duck ?

The wooden sign at the front of the bakers window display of fudge donuts  says it was the winner of the monthly shop window award. If so this is a 'remarkable' achievement and says a lot about the standard of the other window displays.

Some bar owner has clearly understood how to attract the high rolling American golfers into their premises. The first floor windows are a veritable riot of July 4th red, white and blue.

Great carving :https://x.com/tongbingxue/status/2074043241012551977

When is the mind at its best ?:https://www.psypost.org/when-do-humans-reach-their-psychological-peak-a-new-study-points-to-late-midlife/

More on AI thinking for itself :https://www.noemamag.com/when-the-machines-deserve-our-consideration/

For recent grads a super serious take on how to get on . How this dropped into my inbox I have no idea  :https://www.jessicariedl.blog/p/so-you-want-to-work-in-washington

Football and religion.

As long as you keep walking briskly it's warm enough to be out in shirtsleeves but there won't be any need for sunscreen ( again ) today. Down south they're preparing for a heatwave. The BBC 6 am broadcast leads with the English teams 3-2 victory over Mexico in the World Cup.

Someone has left a pair of Wellington boots on the spot where Patrick Hamilton was burnt to death in the 1520's. The site of his martyrdom is marked by the letters PH set into the cobble stones :https://spookyscotland.net/patrick-hamilton/

It's one of those old traditions that any student who steps on the letters will fail their exams. During term time you often see absent minded teenagers suddenly making abrupt course corrections in order to avoid doing so.

After their graduation ceremony, with the risk of failure a thing of the past,  many of the new graduates make a point of walking on the spot. Some ( as these youngsters in this photo are doing ) even stop to record the moment on their i-Phones. 

Perhaps the Wellington boot owner thought he was going to flunk his exams and got an unexpected 3rd ? He certainly made his point. I wonder how long it will be before the Wellingtons are 'rescued' ?

I've finished reading JD Vance's new book 'Communion'. This dip into doctrine didn't take long to finish. I hope it's not disobliging to say its a lightweight book and not just because its a thin volume set with large typeface. In summary: JD talks while God listens carefully and takes notes. There's no doubting who calls the shots in this dogmatic telling. Things fall off shelves in bars and are interpreted as signs of divine approval. Redemption and shame as concepts are ignored. The book  is outwardly reasonable and will appeal to a target audience all too aware of the mote in their neighbours eye but ignorant of the beam in their own. Politicians need self belief to function and there's a lot of it to be found here.

Turn up the sound :https://x.com/Protect_Wldlife/status/2073357769126662509

Our local Marks and Spencers attracts American golfers looking for Arnica  :https://thefreemanmag.substack.com/p/the-rise-of-grocery-tourism

Surprise of the day :https://news.rub.de/english/press-releases/2026-07-02-philosophy-how-empathetic-rats-are

Quail sound.

The wife of the church elder stops us to let us know that she has a pair of quail nesting in her garden. Quail are apparently unusual birds to find here. She makes a noise not unlike a mobile phone to let us know what they sound like. ' How marvellous ' says 'The Font' to break the slightly embarrassed silence when this strange trilling noise stops :https://www.british-birdsongs.uk/quail/  

By the zebra crossing two new pieces of street furniture. Alongside a defibrillator an ' Emergency Bleed control kit' has been installed on the wall of the Nationwide Building Society. This proves to be a modern take on what you might call a bandage dispenser. You phone an emergency number and the operator gives you a code to open the door.  What will they think of next ? This is the first time I've ever seen an 'Emergency Bleed control kit' dispenser. How did we manage without them ? Will it ever be used ?

A life sized sculpture of a golfer in the window of the antique shop next door to the nail bar. I'll wager it'll be boxed up and shipped back to the States by the end of the summer. Who knows it might even be carried back in the belly of a wealthy golfers Gulfstream to grace the entry of a Bel Air mansion.

Gull chicks with their fluffy grey feathers appearing on pavements everywhere. We watch, hearts in mouth, as they wander into the path of oncoming traffic. They are , in their own noisy way, beautiful. 

Not only the goldfinches who are having a bumper year. The rabbits are also much in evidence on the grass sward down by the harbour.

The worlds biggest annual bonfire :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nrKD3rZjgY  You'd think the local teenagers would light it from the base not the top.

A different world :https://theconversation.com/how-did-it-feel-to-be-an-american-colonist-in-1776-probably-itchy-achy-and-slightly-nauseated-277153

The importance of education :https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/nearly-half-of-americans-dont-know-what-america-250-is-celebrating-poll/

This heard at midnight. You know you've been in Scotland at graduation time :https://youtu.be/OPMYNk_wy5U

Emptying out.

The potato plants in the field by the gate have shot up in the summer sunshine. They are now all of two feet high and home to a dozen or so larks who rise, singing lustily, into the sky as we head down the farm track to the shore. Relative to their body size larks make a remarkable amount of noise. The bumper brood of  goldfinches are also out in force again this morning. The young ones launch themselves from the stone field walls and scatter, inelegantly, in all directions as we drift into sight. They flutter fifteen yards before tumbling exhausted into the safety of the stalks of the barley field. Anxious mothers chivvy these small un-aerodynamic bundles of feathers along. For these chicks a day or two of intense flying instruction awaits. By tomorrow night they'll be proficient. The sound of the morning bird song always surprises us.

Graduation week is finally over. Friday afternoon saw the last of the ceremonies and the last of this years processions of new graduands. The piper and the mace carriers lead them out of the exam hall and down the street to the marquees where they are greeted by proud families. These are amongst those rarest of occasions when literally everyone is smiling.

A small mountain of champagne bottles piled up on the pavement outside chapel tells us that last nights  celebrations went on for some time. Tonight is the night of the Graduation Ball. This is usually, to the shock and surprise of the more elderly and Presbyterian townsfolk,  a 'Dionysian' affair.

For the last week the weather has been well behaved. Dry but blustery by day, rainy at night.

The youngsters as always have enjoyed themselves. Some even manage to follow the procession down the road in a straight line.

This morning the last of the parents are heading home and the town is now emptying out. Tonights party goers will linger for a few more days and then hand over their flats in town to a new generation of students. Soon, very soon, those leaving will be starting work and new chapters will start to be written.

Someone has left a cigarette smouldering in a trash can outside the library. An observant passer by has reported some smoke and the fire brigade are out to deal with it. They, thankfully, resist the temptation to sound their sirens. They pour some sand on the sparks and leave.

Here's some music for an American holiday :https://youtu.be/hc-v8CFJzu4?t=38

The hidden side to tattoos :https://www.sciencealert.com/were-only-just-beginning-to-understand-how-tattoos-affect-the-immune-system

It's going to be hot in America :https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/how-climate-change-influences-extreme

The book of Kells :https://x.com/patrickc/status/2072431833699267047

The courtesies that set Scotland ( or at least this corner of it ) apart :https://youtu.be/qj6tZS-Tv10?t=7032

Dreaming while awake :https://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/you-can-dream-awake/

Happiness is egalitarian.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh mingling with other parents at the graduation of their daughter. Happiness is egalitarian. For a Singaporean mother the sudden recognition of who she's chatting to takes the excitement of her sons graduation to a whole new level.

Some speeches can be both brief and profound. This  minimalist example is a joy  :https://youtu.be/II2BLQoLw0I?t=5489  ( Go to 1hr:32 min mark if the links not working ) 

Out here on the coast the farmers brassicas are swelling nicely. Rain at night and sun during the day are the perfect recipe for growth.

The supermarket has strawberries from England, Spain and Scotland. Strawberries do not enjoy long journeys or being chilled so there is only one option. At this time of the year we live on strawberries.

Down on the shore some drug dealers ( presumably ?) have torched a stolen car. This is a highly unusual event for for St Andrews and the lady in the supermarket ( news travels quickly ) is of the opinion that civilisation as we know it is crumbling.

The final day of graduation ceremonies. Tonight the graduating students have their party. We warn old friends staying in the house in town that sleep may be difficult.

Pre-schoolers minds are a  marvel. They see - and absorb - everything :https://x.com/YaronMeirovitch/status/2072068359164731869

An exhibition to visit :https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/fr/evenements/calder-rever-en-equilibre

Americas population :https://danielfetz.io/p/how-many-people-have-ever-lived-in-the-united-states

Science accelerates :https://www.quantamagazine.org/for-the-first-time-a-cell-built-from-scratch-grows-and-divides-20260701/

Provocative ahead of July 4th :https://responsiblestatecraft.org/america-independence-british-empire/

Monitored

Some rain overnight but it's bright and sunny by the time we head out of the courtyard. The farmers 20 year old is off to check on the barley crop but stops for a wee blether. His trip to America was exciting and 'grand'. People were friendly, the afternoons chronically hot, the beers 'dynamically' priced ( ie expensive ) and the Harvard campus a great place to meet girls other football fans. They spent much of their time in just kilt and shoes playing the pipes and trying to keep cool. Bostonians seemed to think pipes were an Irish thing and were surprised to discover 'Scotch' folk played them. Nothing but nothing starts up a conversation like a kilt wearing piper. The train to the stadium cost an eye watering $80 which was four times more than usual. It was always packed to the gunnels and boarding was a 'jovial farce'. Good natured policemen joked with them. Unbidden, waitresses piled extra fries on their plates ( 'you boys look like you need feeding up ' ) and bar staff ( despite their smooth faces ) accepted their ID's with only a hint of incredulity. The hotel receptionist gave them 'upgrades' to rooms on a higher floor which they thought was 'fantastic'. They had 55" tv screens to watch the football on. They went to a baseball game. Almost everywhere (the touristy Cheers bar in Boston excepted ) rounds of drinks were offered and accepted. The six village lads experienced nothing other than unfettered kindness which is, when you think about it, the most reassuring thing anyone can say about America ( and the world ) today. They can hardly wait to go back.

Breakfast time. On our way down to the beach we pass one of the golf club caddies sitting on a bench eating his bacon roll. He seems unaware that every mouthful is being carefully monitored by a crowd of hungry crows and gulls.

Peonies in the window of the house that always sports a vase of fresh flowers . People heading off to one of the graduation ceremonies stop to peer inside.

The hotels and restaurants continue to be booked solid with families visiting for graduation. A line of taxis with Edinburgh registration decals suggests that some folks are having to commute up from the big city. 

Visiting golfers out for an afternoon walk are surprised to discover there's more to the town than the golf course.

Tourist buses en  route to the highlands continue to disgorge their passengers into the town. What do they make of it ? Do the day trippers think the place is always full of youngsters in kilts and that bagpipers can always be found on every street corner ?

An honorary doctorate speech for the students with ( at the 1 hour 33 minute mark )  an accent to die for :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=setHE3kdNd4

The Italian countryside :https://www.lelappe.com/

More easily said than done ? :https://worksinprogress.co/issue/why-we-should-vaccinate-wild-animals/

Unusual advice :https://pradyuprasad.com/writings/how-to-ask-for-help/

Fun times.

July. We're into the second half of the year. I won't ask where the times gone but you have to wonder how it can move by so quickly.

There are two graduation ceremonies every day this week. The first is at ten thirty in the morning the second at two thirty in the afternoon. From breakfast time onwards excited mothers can be found posing outside chapel with their offspring. That unmistakable ' this is for the family album ' smile is much in evidence. Younger siblings dragged off from city and friends for this family event stand around looking extremely bored.  The Turkish barbers open early and are super busy. Those who forgot to book a short back and sides for the great day beg plaintively for a haircut. Prices are adjusted accordingly. All of the world suddenly and briefly appears in this small Presbyterian town. Dourness gives way to broad smiles. This morning a group of fifty or so unsuspecting Hungarian teenagers on a school tour get out of their bus and are surprised to find themselves in this maelstrom of activity. They look bemused. What must they make of it ?

By eight in the morning, photos taken, parents and offspring are left wondering what to do for the next two hours before the first ceremony starts. Starbucks becomes a zoo. The cafe by the old Post Office a throng of mothers in hats bought for the great event. The 'trendy' place by the cinema besieged. Fathers worry about the two hour parking limit. Traffic wardens circle looking for easy pickings.

Flower stalls have sprung up to cater for the big day. A large one has appeared on the street outside the supermarket . It's soon stripped almost bare. Bouquet giving has become a serious business.

The florist we go to for our Christmas wreath has a table of blooms waiting for collection. At this time of the year they can easily sell 200 a day. Local peonies are a big thing . In previous years bouquets were a female only gift. This year the boys are also getting them.

After each ceremony the  bells peel and the new graduates are piped down the street to the chapel. Here they are greeted by family and friends. Family tend to be decorous in their greeting. Friends less so - some much less so. Large lunged members of the rugby club greet each other with raucous delight. Yesterday we saw more fathers weeping with joy than mothers. Scots men are thought to be unemotional but there are occasions when this isn't true. A number of American fathers also seem to have been overwhelmed by the happiness in the air. In large cities this would go unnoticed. In a small town like this it doesn't. The organizers ensure that each ceremony is small and formal enough to make it feel 'special'. I'd like to be critical but it would seem that they get the tone just right. At five champagne corks 'pop' and the Principal in her John Knox outfit circulates and shakes everyones hand.

This weeks reading started with Regime Change. Once picked up I ( almost ) couldn't put it down. 'The Font' also finds it spell binding. I'd thought the most stupid bizarre political move this century was the Brits with Brexit. Having read this I'm coming to the view that I might be wrong on that score. On balance the authors manage to write with a disciplined and dispassionate neutrality. At no time are they disobliging towards any of the figures who appear in their book.

This book on China was excellent and managed to find the balance between historic complexity and easy reading. This is no small literary task.

Earlier today I picked up a copy of J D Vance's Communion from the bookstore. They had ordered one copy which had been put on the 'Religion' sections shelves. The bookstore employee shares a dry joke about being unsure whether to look for it under politics, self help or religion. ' Lucky I tried religion first' he says. I laugh politely.

Tipping culture in Canada is very surprising to Europeans :https://canadianreturnee.substack.com/p/what-canada-could-learn-from-abroad

No more land lines in Finland :https://yle.fi/a/74-20233910

Flying in Bangladesh :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzF5DmnXhC0

Oh dear :https://www.edwest.co.uk/p/the-triumph-of-brand-scotland

Oh dear #2. Definitely not a link for the farmers wife  :https://nypost.com/2026/06/19/us-news/boston-gals-predict-baby-boom-in-9-months-after-partying-with-charming-scots-during-world-cup/