Two stories this week – I was struck by how much Charles Jencks has achieved with the creation of 20 Maggie’s Centres. What a tremendous legacy. And in my quest to avoid waste (and save money) I’m offering to swap my surprisingly large collection of fancy dress costumes… but no-one is taking me up on… Read more »
Posts By: Nicky Marr
From tattie picking to the next generation of foodie jobs
Walking through the Alvie estate in Badenoch a couple of weeks ago we watched hay being made. Of course, the sun was shining. A tractor was methodically ‘eating’ its way across a field. Freshly cut hay was fed into the baler behind, and beautifully cylindrical bales were ejected in its wake. The sight of the… Read more »
Obsessing about autumn, instead of Brexit
Surely it can’t just be me who’s conflicted by this Brexit guddle? I’m sick to the back teeth of all the wrangling , lies and arguments, but feel obliged to keep up because it’s probably the most important political moment of our lives. And yet… if I give myself a break from it all, will… Read more »
It still pays to use a professional…
So, the story has moved on a bit since I wrote this on Monday. Some holidaymakers have been left out of pocket and some airlines appear to be cashing in on the misfortune of Thomas Cook clients who have been let down. There’s also criticism of the directors. But I still believe it makes sense…. Read more »
Shopping! For Scotland, and second-hand.
It’s all about shopping this week – food shopping, where I’m bossily suggesting you think ‘Scotland first’ to support our fabulous Scottish food and drink sector. Its growth is vital to the continued prosperity of the nation, and particularly important for our rural economy. And while you’re thoughtfully choosing Scottish meat cheese and butter, don’t… Read more »
Returning after 23 years to a happy place
They say you should never go back. Well, whoever ‘they’ are, I’ve got news for them. 23 years after Mr Marr and I found an idyllic little campsite on the west coast of Brittany, we have returned. And while everything is different, it’s all exactly the same. It is perfectly imperfect. 23 years ago, there… Read more »
Kick in the butt from a quadruple amputee
I’d been feeling sorry for myself – still limping three months after an accident. But meeting quadruple amputee Corinne Hutton gave me the kick-up-the-butt I needed to change my mindset and attitude.
Yes please to Tourist Tax and for Motorhomes too!
I’m writing this in our motorhome on the shores of a wee Highland loch. Mr Marr and I stayed here last night – blissfully we had the place to ourselves. It was a low-key evening, just as we liked it. Arriving late yesterday afternoon, we lit a fire in a well-used ring of stones by… Read more »
In the Army: Taking biomed to the front line
Once again, I find myself in a quandary. I am immensely proud and vicariously excited, yet a little concerned and fearful. Daughter#2, having completed her third year of a degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Glasgow and been accepted into the Masters Course, has also been approached by the army. As far as… Read more »
Mapping out stuff to do…
Confession time – I love a map. I have almost the full set of OS maps of Scotland and there are quite a few doubles in my collection too. My favourites (if such a thing is allowed) are the local Inverness and Nairn ones (I’ve drawn in my usual cycle routes in highlighter pen) and… Read more »