HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026

The year has turned and with it Ishbel has now had her 19th birthday.  She's now in second year at Stirling University being trained to be a paramedic.

She has a car and this is my AI effort to make her a birthday card.

Ellie, Alastair and Harriet were in Edinburugh during the Christmas break.  Here they are at one of our family faviourite spots at the east end of George Street.  The fellow seated on the pedestal is James Clerk Maxwell, with his dog at his feet.  This sculpture is the one which Iain was involved in getting commissioned about 25 years ago.  Jamie Stoddart is the sculptor.  We attended the unveiling along with other good folk of Edinburgh and beyond.  Every time any of us are in Edinburgh we pass by Himself on his plinth and give the wee dog a pat.

And here are the threesome on another occasion in Edinburgh over Christmastime.

Ellie has now had her 11th birthday.  This is another AI bit of art. 

The birthday girl with her rainbow hat.  Mairi in the background.

Alastair who is at Andrews University is still with us during most of January because his classes haven't gone back yet.   These 'ancient' universities operate differently from the others. The academic year is called a session and

"is divided into two main semesters named after traditional Scottish Term and Quarter Days: the Martinmas semester (Setptember to December) and the Candlemass semester (January to May)."

He was back home the week before Christmas and back to classes this week which stated on Monday January 26th.  It will be May before the next break.

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CHRSITMAS ROUND-UP 2025

John's mother, Margaret, visited Glasgow for Christmas.  Here she is with Ellie on her right, me, Harriet and Ishbel.  We had been treated to lunch by John out at Mugdock Park.

* * * * * * * * * * The Turkey * * * * * * * * * * 

A real turkey from a real butcher (yes, we still have one)!

Sage and onion stuffing which I make using my mother's method. Happiness for me is having cold turkey and stuffing sandwiches afterwards!

The turkey with some bay leaves from the garden plus Jamie Oliver's 'take' on dinner rolls at Christmastime. (Rosemary twigs placed in the Christmas tree shape dough.)

Young Alastair carving the turkey.

CHRISTMAS MUZAK

We are now running up to Christmas and theend of the year.  I have been out and about a lot as the weather continues to be more like a wet spring than winter.  Here is Tannoch Loch this week.

But I think my age is showing...all this Christmas carry-on is getting to me....

I went to one of my favourite community halls down on the Clyde last week to attend a wee concert by a fellow playing the guitar.

It was hellish!  It was so loud with his amped up guitar that I lasted 15 minutes and fled.  And that was in one the best halls in the West of Scotland for good acoustics.  It has what is called 'a coffin ceiling' as it is the shape of the upper half of a coffin, ie. bevelled edges on all sides.  I have seen that sort of ceiling in boardrooms in the old buildings in Glasgow e.g. Clyde Port Authority offices in the city centre.

And things really were not great when I went to a church based concert singing Christmas carols.  It really dragged!  Poor "Hark the Herald Angels' was a dirge!  Oh dear... do I blame the organist or the conductor of the choir?!

Never mind... time to dig out Ragna's lovely Norwegian Christmas stocking which hangs on the hall stairs.

And time to get on with the Christmas dinner preparations...

I have ordered a turkey from our local butcher (yes... we still have a proper 'butcher' in the village).  It costs a great deal of money and, if last year is anything to go by, it is just wonderful.  I believe it comes from the other side of Scotland.

I am very partial to sage and onion stuffing. The sage is from the garden.  There are still other herbs growing. Oh! The joy of greenery at this time of year.

Speaking of 'stuffing'.... I have one particular memory of baby-sitting on New Year's Eve for Don and Yvonne Ross.  It was 1958. They had something really new and special... a black and white TV! I remember that throughout the late evening I made myself cold turkey and stuffing sandwiches on white sliced bread with lashings of Miracle Whip salad dressing (BTW never in the shops in the UK).    

At least I have that to look forward to: a great big turkey sandwich stacked full of sage stuffing (and the next best thing to Miracle Whip would be) Helman's Mayonnaise.

MUSIC PLAYED BY HUMAN BEINGS IN REAL TIME

Milngavie Music International Concert Series has now held their first four concerts of the season. That leaves five left to go (one a month from January 2026 until April 2026). Where do the years go? I have been producing these concert posters for about 9 years!

The musicians or their agents send me or tell me where to go on the internet to find images and then I take it from there. Over the years the technology has improved a lot.  Most musicians are able to provide professional images (very impressive!) but some still send me something taken on their iPhone when they have 'artfuly' arranged themselves by, say, a rusty railway line or somewhere in a concerte underpass.

Here are the first four:

It's quite fun to do and I always have a bit of a laugh when they eventually turn up in person and I can see that their hair is now salt and peppery and their faces are a bit more 'characterful'!