Good tv.

'Adolescence' on Netflix a challenging watch. The start of the first episode is emotionally powerful in the way it catches the viewer by surprise. In fact the opening scene is so intense that nothing else that follows quite matches it. The actor who plays the father is absolutely brilliant. What a role he has been given -  I had to hold my breath at the point where he recognizes what his son has done.  'The Font' thought it excellent, I found the whole thing too disturbing. The viewer is left to agonize over the strange and alien world of incel, manosphere and red pill that many 13 year old males inhabit. 

Seven am and the delivery trucks are out and about restocking stores after the weekends influx of visitors.

The street that leads to the library eerily quiet. Give it another couple of weeks when exams start to encroach on the students consciousness and the footfall in town will pick up. Today all is calm and innocent.

The fancy cocktail bar now serving lobster rolls. Angus would not make a good politician. If anyone asked him a tricky question about how much a can of soft drink costs he'd say 50p - 60p at most. £3 sounds outrageous.  This is why before a broadcast interview cabinet ministers wanting to show how 'real and in-touch' they are have someone update them on the price of a pint of milk or a loaf of bread.

Sunglasses appear in window displays. Hope springs eternal.

Is there a souvenir shop in town that doesn't have Highland Coo soft toys in the window ? They are everywhere.

This is strangely powerful, beautifully read  and not the sort of thing I ever thought would appear on this blog. #12 is a good starting point. The author is a brilliant Russia scholar and is moving from Yale to Toronto - this tells me something  although I'm not quite sure what that is :https://snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-lessons-read-by-john-lithgow

Clever marketing by a Tyneside fish shop :https://rileysfishshop.com/

Noah Davis at the Barbican :https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/noah-davis

The eclipse that wasn't.

Saturday morning saw a partial solar eclipse. The BBC had informed the nation that a colander as a lens and a piece of white card as a screen would provide a safe way of viewing the event. At quarter to ten a small crowd of parents , village toddlers , assorted dogs and passing bird watchers had gathered by the doocot. Colanders, that most mundane of kitchen accessories, were out in force and literally having their moment in the sun. Five minutes before the eclipse was due to happen a sky obscuring cloud blew in from the bay. Five minutes after it ended the cloud sauntered off. The rest of the day was noted for being cloud free. It goes without saying the village thirty somethings were disappointed about the way things turned out although their offspring were too busy creating mayhem in the daffodil beds to notice. The village dogs were there en masse adding to the chaos.

Overnight the clocks changed. The evenings should now be noticeably brighter.  We're rapidly heading towards the northern time when it's light until well after ten. This morning, without comment,  the radio plays this - which I'd never heard before  and is a sign of the times :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s906oiPNN34

This morning the sun is shining but there's  a piercingly cold wind that is likely to be the bane of any amateur gardeners who have planted their Dahlias out too early.

There's already a Mothers Day queue in the bakers. A group of fashionably  dressed  American girls returning from a Saturday night party agonize over what to buy. They settle on pink concoctions with icing sugar flowers on top.  From their conversation it seems that they intend to eat the cakes while thinking of their mothers. There may be some method in this ' I bought a cake and thought of you'  madness.

The all purpose biscuit has been repurposed .

The Gothic sponges have sold out and replaced by more anodyne offerings in yellow or lilac with Happy Mothers Day piped on top. These artisanal creations are retailing at £16.99 . 

Farmcations go up market :https://fowlescombe.com/  and here :https://loumafarmandretreat.co.uk/

The earthquake explained :https://nautil.us/what-caused-the-devastating-earthquake-in-myanmar-1200737/?_sp=23d0d0fe-f3d5-41c3-98fd-2cb520dd3011.1743275800270

Why did the Scots never think to do this ? :https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-the-irish-pub-became-one-of-the-emerald-isles-greatest-exports-180986252/

Scented statues:https://www.npr.org/2025/03/25/nx-s1-5332367/ancient-greece-rome-statues-smell-study-research

Delish !

Daybreak. The brisk westerly wind sending the clouds scurrying madly across the sky. The daffodils that have seeded along the edge of the large field are whipping madly to-and-fro in the gusts. All the fishing boats, bar one, have wisely headed back into the safety of the harbour. Puppy, her sister and the farmers wife can be seen walking by the shore in the far distance. The farmer has been at work since five planting out seed potatoes - the whine of the tractors engine rising and falling as it battles the thick clay soil. As we walk yellowhammers, wrens and corn buntings flit in and out of the canopy of thick brambles that trellis the old stone walls. The crows , which have been absent for a week, have returned. A hundred or so are  breakfasting contentedly on the recently sown barley field. 

In some places you can experience all four seasons in a day. In Scotland they can all come and go in an hour. This is one of those days. For a while it's warm(ish) and we have near cloudless skies.

Ten minutes later the clouds are back and we have the outline of a full rainbow arcing across the bay in pursuit of a squall.

By the time I've made it into town the air is nippy but the skies are clear again. This morning the bakers best selling fudge donuts have the word 'Mum' piped on them in white icing. Mothers Day is on Sunday and it is clearly a big thing. They also have a selection of  yellow sponges with piped blue and orange carnations and the timeless phrase 'To Mother with love ' emblazoned across the top. These are so Gothically remarkable I think of buying one. Perhaps tomorrow ? In the window of the new student drop in hub an amplifier and a turntable are just visible. Is this how they mean to keep non-students out ?  Anything that hints at a DJ and the sort of music late teens listen to will deter any but the bravest ( or deafest ) of the towns older inhabitants .

Two weeks today and we should be on a flight to Tokyo from Heathrow. Overnight  we receive an e-mail from the wildly enthusiastic trip organizers in Palo Alto ( I have an image of them all looking like Lily Tomlin in Grace and Frankie ) with a list  of places where we'll be eating. One stop over is described this way : ' This restaurant is best know for bukubuku cha - a tea made of polished brown rice with an unlikely top layer of mashed peanuts. The cold beverage is served in a lacquer bowl and stirred with a bamboo whisk that produces a layer of foam on top. It's refreshing and unique and totally delish ! '. Over breakfast we debate whether a place noted for its 'delish!'  rice tea is a restaurant or a cafe.  It is improbable that either of us will ever describe something as 'delish!' and I am left with the sinking  feeling the Californians are going to find us rather staid and undemonstrative travel companions. 

Changes in Kerala :https://aeon.co/essays/how-did-kerala-go-from-poor-to-prosperous-among-indias-states

The Smithsonian :https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/28/trump-aims-to-remove-improper-ideology-from-the-smithsonian-with-new-executive-order

The great filter :https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/03/all-by-ourselves-the-great-filter-and-our-attempts-to-find-life/

Without wine sales restaurants couldn't survive :https://x.com/econcallum/status/1904963379703529578

The inevitable.

The better weather has the lobster boats out. By first light there's half a dozen of them bobbing away in the bay. This level of activity signals that the fishermen are the recipients of ' I'll buy all you can catch ' orders from the local 5 star hotels. Cuisine in these parts tends to the lobster heavy surf and turf style beloved by the well heeled golfing fraternity.

A group of excited American gentlemen are chatting away to the Starbucks barista who is doing her best to deal with their orders. They are telling her how great it is to be here. " Our flight from Newark arrived an hour early " says a gentleman with a Navy Golf hat. " We got a great deal from our travel agent and  flew business " adds another. The barista smiles non-committaly while struggling with their exotic ( for these parts ) order for Caramel Macchiatos. Angus is surprised anyone still uses travel agents but keeps this thought to himself.

It was only a question of time and this morning the inevitable happened.  'The Font' is displaying the symptoms of the 'savage wee thing'- itchy eyes, a cough and tiredness.

Angus does the morning shopping alone. An Easter bunny is bought along with a pack of mint creams. Just because we're away for Easter is no excuse to forego chocolate entirely.

A few Spanish tourists are exploring the town. Their guide shows them where the public lavatories are, tells them they must be back at the coach by seven and then wanders off to enjoy a cigarette with the driver. I have the feeling she finds the first of the day coach tour from Edinburgh to the tierras altas Escocia to be tedious. The Spanish tourists head off to join the American golfers in Starbucks. They'll have lunch in Braemar and be back at their hotel in Edinburgh by five.

What's the betting this doesn't come cheap for NY dog owners :https://www.happytail-dogs.com/

Whales and carbon capture :https://www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/whale-carbon-capture

Europeans disagreeing again :https://www.sciencenorway.no/usa-food-food-and-health/robert-f-kennedy-jr-claims-to-have-found-the-cause-of-the-obesity-crisis-but-is-he-right/2486013

Night owls :https://www.sciencealert.com/night-owls-face-higher-depression-risk-a-new-study-explains-the-link

A bannister that woggles.

They're promoting South Lanarkshire at Glasgow station. A poster by the ticket machines tells us the place 'Has it all'.  Delightful though South Lanarkshire might be this is possibly pushing things just a wee bit too far. 'All' is carrying a lot of weight in the sentence.

After the somewhat alarming modern hotel we stayed in the last time we've gone back to our old favourite. From a distance we see that the trees at the front are still swathed in lights from Christmas.  This gives it a rather welcoming - if seasonally confused -  look.

The hotel decor remains unashamedly eclectic. Tonight, the bathroom is  hidden in a dimly lit  an atmospheric basement accessed by a flight of stairs to the left of the door. At some stage someone or something has fallen, heavily, against the staircase railings which now 'woggle'. The downstairs shower is huge and has a stainless steel tray the size of  football pitch. The architect has presumably never tried to walk on wet stainless steel. Shampoo doesn't make things any less slippery. In combination  the staircase, the loose hand rail and the stainless steel shower tray shout out 'Caution!'. On reflection so does the central bath tub. 

To our favourite restaurant for dinner. There's probably a dozen restaurants in Glasgow where we enjoy dining but this is the only one we'd go to celebrate in. That I guess is ultimate praise. They do a tasting menu but it's sensibly only five courses unlike some other places where a dozen courses are offered. Tasting menus are great for the chef who knows exactly how much food to order but can make dining more of an ordeal than pleasure.

After dinner we pop next door to the old church that's become an entertainment 'hub'. 'Hubs' are the rage these days. We discover this place is owned by the same company that owns the new 'student drop in hub' back in St Andrews. Glasgow is a student city and it seems as if half the youngsters in town are out enjoying themselves. It is  Glasgow Comedy Week and the generally well mannered crowd are living life in a way staid East coasters don't. We leave late ( for us ) although I'm guessing from the queue of twenty year olds at the door it's way early for some.

If you try a ticket to Glasgow the railway company will direct you via Edinburgh and the glory that is Falkirk Grahamstown station. A much prettier route is the track that runs along the Tay to Perth and then onto Stirling with a change in Dundee.

We just miss the connecting London bound express at Dundee due to engineering works at Dunkeld. Within five minutes another train comes rolling in. It's the Aberdeen to Penzance express. The guard tells me that it's the lengthiest journey you can make on the rail network. 13 1/2 hours from start to finish.

If you only listen to one thing today -  Norway rocks :https://youtu.be/secqKvXwuXg?t=7

An interesting ( if lengthy ) insight from a professor at Kings on the background to 9/11 :https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lnlKceN4e9kPvP_NiDk26_9CAElc-RQY/view?pli=1

It's always good to have friends. Canadian heroism. How quickly some forget :https://www.cia.gov/legacy/museum/exhibit/rescue-of-the-canadian-six-n-a-classic-case-of-deception/

Thoughts on smartphones:https://post.substack.com/p/dumbphones-unstacked

An Oxford take on group chat :https://x.com/ArmandDAngour/status/1904947179208290596

Lark song and progress.

Out here on the coast there are scores of young starlings out and about learning to fly. Some of them seem to find this new skill set easy. Others seem surprised and aren't so sure. Mothers encourage their startled offspring away from the safety of the old stone walls. The young starlings aren't the only ones that are busy. As we head off to the car we're greeted by a wall of lark song from the barley field. There must be scores of them nesting there.

The sun rising behind the ruins of the cathedral as we turn on the road into town. This is a view that can't have changed much in four hundred years.

A huge pile of sand has appeared on the beach where the repair works on the Aquarium are underway. Workmen are already hard at work and the concrete walls for the seal pens are moving along by leaps and bounds. Will they be ready for the Easter holiday and the influx of tourists ?

Progress at the golfing end of town. The hoardings around the drainage works on the Old Course are being taken down. A group of American gentlemen and their Caddies seem oblivious to the work going on behind them. Spring has arrived in these northern parts and summer can't be far behind. We are off to Glasgow soon to visit the Hunterian and go to one of our favourite restaurants.

Climate deniers :https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/climate-skeptics-have-new-favorite

This seems more common than usual this year :https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/24/science/australia-fire-ants-spread-intl-scli/index.html

The pyramids :https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/skeletons-rewrite-history-pyramids-tombos-sudan

Highland observers.

For years and years we've had a subscription to The Atlantic. This morning the BBC news broadcast informs us that someone thinks ' It's a magazine that's going out of business '.  Greenland also makes it into the headlines.

A glorious morning. On our walk two cautious Highland youngsters wander across the village green to say hello.

Some of their brothers and sisters are less keen on talking to humans and decide to give us a wide berth. There is a mad rush to the far end of the paddock. What different personalities !

The arrival of the sun is good news for the local bar owners. At lunchtime yesterday the pavement of the pub by the fountain was packed with teenagers enjoying a quick pint. When we passed three hours later the same youngsters were still there basking in  the sunshine, enjoying the conviviality and holding onto the belief that exams are months away.

In a souvenir shop window a strange stainless steel bowl being held by a reindeer in a bow tie. What possible purpose could it have ?  We are flummoxed. The world of the souvenir shop is rich and varied ... and impractical.

In the next village along the coast folks are enjoying a 'wee blether' in the sunshine. 15 degrees forecast for later today.

Translators are a dying breed :https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/lost-translation-ais-impact-translators-and-foreign-language-skills

The things people do ( or did ) :https://mattlakeman.org/2020/07/10/how-much-would-you-need-to-be-paid-to-live-on-a-deserted-island-for-1-5-years-and-do-nothing-but-kill-seals/

Not sure I believe this :https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-private-schools-use-ai-tutor-rockets-student-test-scores-top-2-country

Spare a thought for the Bolivians :https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bolivias-macroeconomic-freefall-part-iii-fiscal-space-jonathan-fortun-o8ohe

The language course.

Four yellow hammers in the garden this morning. Add to that the three corn buntings nesting in the stone walls in the courtyard and by six am we've seen enough endangered 'red' list birds to make a bird watchers day.

The wind is blowing and the surf is up. Usually, in weather like this, you'd expect the students to be out on the beach but it's a Monday morning and students have an aversion to Monday mornings.  Two ladies out walking a Spaniel find a lobster creel with a lobster in it. The harbour master is called and someone will be along to deal with at soon.

In town the chairs from the Italian restaurant have been borrowed and rearranged by Sunday night 'party goers'. Exams start in six weeks so the more determined students are getting in as much 'fun' as they can before reality intrudes.

The department of the university that deals with floral tributes has been busy. We count three new bouquets of flowers. Did they lay them out last night or first thing this morning ?

I'm guessing the new student cafe is now open. A man with a van shows up to deliver at least 200 litres of milk. Finding the door locked he leaves the milk 'hidden' between an olive tree and a dustbin.

The church garden looking very Eastery.

Angus takes the view that being able to say 'Make mine a double' is as far as you need to go when learning a new language. By contrast 'The Font' is diligently following a Japanese language course that the Palo Altoans have suggested everyone take before embarking on next months voyage. Angus has reached an age where absorbing new information isn't as easy as it once was. At 17 picking up vocabulary was a doddle. Now the information doesn't so much go in as go right through. The Palo Altoan organizers say the AI enhanced language course combines ' practicality with ease '. Who are they kidding ? The AI tutor has an exceedingly happy accent just like this :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qZ1Qw7nkE0

The breakfast radio offers up a calm start to the day :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLW3Q7vWqOw

Hollywood concerns :https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/drones-spying-robberies-solutions-hollywood-1236166714/

A reopened sight in London :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQnCPaVu2Ig

Antarctica:https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-reveal-what-antarctica-would-look-like-with-no-ice

In Starbucks two gentlemen in Georgia Tech hats are discussing the shock news that's roiling the golf world ( although maybe not the Scottish part of it ) :https://x.com/GolfDigest/status/1903949575209074844

The 3rd most important book of the century.

Sunday morning. The BBC morning news bulletin tells us that Heathrow is operating 'normally' again after Fridays fire. Meanwhile, the government has begun an investigation into what went wrong amid fears we have a 'resiliency' problem. The airport may be operating normally again but it seems that flight schedules will be disrupted for a few more days. We also learn about a Mr. Witkoff who was until recently a New York real estate developer.

Angus finds his energy levels back to where they were before the 'savage wee bug' hit. 'The Font' will go to tonights performance of the St Matthews Passion alone. A residual cough is not something that melds well with musical performances. We had to cancel our planned trip to meet the print maker in Glasgow but have rearranged for this coming week. We've also been able to snag a late minute 'cancellation' at our favourite ( and always booked out ) restaurant there. Miracles happen.

We're still not sure if the new student only cafe is open yet. Through a glass door it looks as if boxes are still being unpacked. There are a lot of pot plants for sale. Must be a Gen Alpha thing. What does a student only policy entail ? How will they police it ? We - and the towns genteel retirees - want to know. 

Large street umbrellas have been restored to the cafes on the street facing the biochemistry labs. The locals are big fans of street umbrellas. They're a sure fire sign that one day, soon, the sun and quite possibly some semblance of warmth will return. In this mornings chill wind dreams of continental style pavement dining seem optimistic.

We stop to marvel at the university flower beds. They are designed to maintain their cheerfulness through the graduation ceremonies in early June.

The souvenir shop owned by the gentleman with the turban has a picture of the Swilken Bridge and a flock of sheep. I'll bet copies of  this will sell like hot cakes and appear in many an Australian kitchen. As we pass the golf course we note that the water board is at last starting to take down the high wooden fence around the drainage works. Visiting golfers will soon be able to enjoy a pristine experience.

A quick detour to the bookstore to pick up a copy of Second-hand time. At the till  the young lady in a green knitted cardigan congratulates me on my choice of reading matter. " It's the third most important book of this century " I'm told. This leaves me non-plussed. Why did I not know this ? Who decides what books are, and aren't,  important ? Should I return this to the shelves and ask for the first and second most important books instead ?  

What did Dodos look like ? :https://jonn.substack.com/p/some-notes-on-the-dodo?

WASP Americans : https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-wasps-are-gone

Medieval medicine :https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1540/medieval-cures-for-the-black-death/

Bright flowers, farewells and exciting travels.

After a week of solid sunshine the weather has reverted to its changeable norm.  This morning there's an intemperate wind blowing in from the East bringing with it a Siberian chill. The young American family have loaded up their large Skoda estate and are heading North into the Highlands for a weekend camping trip. They stop the car and tell us the decision has been made to return to the US. Visa issues were complex and his  job offer had an acceptance deadline. Career wise it's the right step. Seems that Austin is a big up and coming centre for STEM research.  We wish them well. The mother has had a teaching post at a local primary school where she's upgraded their systems and has become 'indispensable'. I'm guessing she is more integrated into Scottish life than he is and less keen on going back. We wish them well on their exciting new adventures. They'll leave in June.

The woman whose daughter is studying in Seoul ( Archie - the arthritic labradors owner ) heads off next week. ' I'm flying Business Class with Korean ' she tells us as she's told us every time we've seen her over the last two weeks. The mothers enthusiasm excitement is evident. Little is said about whether the daughter is equally enthused at the thought of spending two full weeks with her bubbly mother.

Saturday morning and town is quiet. One really good thing about the little BMW is that it fits nicely into tight parking spaces. The Volvo was much bulkier and broader. This morning it's quiet and  you could be driving a tank and still find parking easy. We're in and out before the weekend day trippers from Edinburgh or Dundee arrive.

7:30 am. The sunlight is only now managing to reach some of the towns less visited nooks. Where darkness lingers the university garden department do their best to provide light and cheer with their jauntily cheerful floral planting schemes.

There's a hint of sea fog in the air and there was, until fifteen minutes ago, a crisp white frost on North facing lawns. Locals know that bud killing frosts can still arrive in these parts well into April.

We stop, briefly, to see who the guest preacher will be in the chapel this Sunday. Our curiosity sated we move on. I wonder if her choir will be singing at the baptism ? :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHe0el4cWwI

The BBC has a retro vibe this morning:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLRCFyLtu7M

Indian art reaches new high at auction :https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/19/record-mf-husain-indian-painting-christies-auction

Living in a car free neighbourhood:https://www.dwell.com/article/culdesac-tempe-car-free-neighborhood-resident-experience-8a14ebc7

$50 coffee

The 'savage wee bug' is living up to its name but the sun is out and we manage a brief walk through town. The news this morning dominated by the 'surprising' fire that's knocked out all power to Heathrow. We pass the local Post Office and the neighbouring Bank of Scotland which are housed in truly awful 1920's era buildings. The architect(s) were big on straight lines. We try, vainly, to find something positive to say about their design.  The two buildings also have their own flagpoles although I've never seen a flag on either.

The upmarket student drop in centre now has olive trees positioned outside the front door. The great unveiling must be drawing nigh. A sign has appeared which  says 'SPACE' in capital letters. It's presumably the sort of name that signals style and conviviality to the average nineteen year old.

Through the - firmly locked - front door I can see a woman filling a shelf with house plants. Angus wonders how many students will pop in for a latte and a ficus but assumes that someone has thought this through.

The menu is more of a surprise.Does $50 for a cafetiere for six together with half a dozen croissants sound reasonable to you ?

Back at home the local Postie delivers some magazines and stops for a wee chat ( from a safe distance ). He and his girl friend are thinking of going to Egypt for their summer holiday. " We can be sure it'll be sunny and the prices are great but we have tae fly frae Manchester ". Angus wonders how long the typical pale skinned Scot would need to spend under the August Red Sea sun before suffering skin burn. Thirty minutes ?  Twenty ? He keeps this thought to himself. 

The front cover of Scottish Field with a Westie amid snowdrops has been designed as an attention grabber.

Private Eyes front cover keeps us abreast of current events.

A piece of art from The Met :https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/656912?

Pineapples:https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/king-of-fruits

A surprise if true:https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/are-there-billions-more-people-than-we-thought-controversial-study-suggests-rural-population-may-be-undercounted-by-50/

Molly the dog explores the local villages :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol4B6Vu0jKE  which links to this, our local salt maker :https://eastneuksalt.com/