The old home town was not looking the same when I arrived at Dunfermline Bus Station (why do they keep moving it?) last Saturday morning for the second Outwith Festival. ‘Reminds me of the Gala Day,‘ said my old school friend Marilyn when we eventually caught up with each other, and yes, there was that buzz … Continue reading Past meets present at Dunfermline’s new arts festival: #iamoutwith
My home town of Dunfermline may only recently have acquired a Heritage Quarter but it has never lacked heritage: King Robert the Bruce of Bannockburn fame has his name emblazoned around the abbey tower; more recently Andrew Carnegie lavished quite a few of his millions on the place of his birth, equipping us with the … Continue reading A Lot of Linen Going On
Today a large part of Scotland will be giving a collective sigh of relief as the Forth Road Bridge re-opens to traffic. But for how much longer? When I crossed last September I never imagined it might be for the last time. All of which made me think about how the bridges dominated our lives growing … Continue reading Forth Road Bridge to re-open, but for how long?
Reading and holidays go together like … well you can fill in your own favourite pairing, but how often does a book make a holiday or a holiday location add something to a book? And before settng off, how often do we look for something set in the country or area we’re visiting? Not long after … Continue reading A fictional trip around Scotland, starting with A Kettle of Fish
When Pygmygiant sent out an email asking for non-fiction submissions, I was quick off the mark, and lo! you can see the result here. It’s a piece I wrote a couple of years ago following a trip to my home town in Scotland. Looking at it now it feels a bit self-conscious and wordy, and … Continue reading Afterlife
Ali Bacon / Books and Other Things 