I had a visit today from George Kerevan my local East Lothian MP with his good lady Angela and Chris who’s helping his campaign to be re-elected here. We’d been introduced by a mutual friend a month or so ago and had spent a marvellous Sunday afternoon talking politics, gardening and film making over coffee and cake. The conversations continued … Read More

The cascade of splashing water in the Japanese Garden pond can lull me into a trance sometimes. It’s slightly masked by the water margin foliage that’s doubled in recent weeks but that sound with a breeze whispering the maple outside the window can be so calming even when there’s a storm blowing though the office. The big rains finally came … Read More

After the rush of growth in a mini heatwave at the beginning of April it feels like everything has gone into slow motion in the garden.I had to get the fleeces and covers out a week or so ago when a frost bit down on us and the cold winds and low daily temperatures combined with minimal rain has meant … Read More

I’m now about 6 weeks into recovery but the broken wing is still healing and causing me endless frustrations. At least I can now pull a T shirt over my head but as I am feeling the absence of gym time,stretching the waistband of the trousers over to button them is a trial when they first come out the laundry. … Read More

3 weeks into the recovery now and I have to admit I’m feeling a lot more flexible and in a lot less pain than I envisaged at this point. Saying that I am being very careful and not extending myself in every meaning of the word. The sort of thing I have to be really careful of is the instinctive … Read More

  I was down with Simone at my Mum’s today on one of our regular visits as part of the mutual soup exchange programme we have and to pick up a couple of small slabs of smoked haddock from the fish van she’d got for us. As always we were gabbing and reminiscing and my Mum got out a couple … Read More

Three and a half hours at Edinburgh Royal infirmary today being assessed for my forthcoming shoulder operation.Endless questionnaires, blood tests and all the pre op trimmings before a meeting with the surgeon. I’m scheduled in for the 13th which thankfully is a Monday but the bad news kept on coming today. I needed the calm of the waiting room and … Read More

I was taking a wander around the garden today armed with my trusty Polish licensed air rifle having seen a rather large rat scuttling below the bird feeders yesterday. I couldn’t but help notice roses in full bloom and green shoots peeking out of the dark muck. It was minus 5 about a week ago and 10 degrees today, now … Read More

With temperatures dropping a man has to look after his head and I decided with all this heavy frost today a Dr Zhivago moment was apt.The furry bonnet is Russian and belonged to my dad who bought it in Berlin in 1994 at Checkpoint Charlie 10 years after I’d been there during the ‘Childhood ‘ recordings and 16 years after … Read More