Monday 4 November, 2024
This is the final tale tapped into my iPad during our October winter sun break in Mallorca.
Those familiar with my Masie Kaywood stories will recognise some of the characters in this tale.
It is set in the north west of Ireland during The Troubles and features David Abernety aka Biscuit in the role of a sniper armed with a telephoto camera tasked with watching the comings and goings at a remote farm.
Suspend your critical faculties and travel back to the 1980s, long before the advent of digital photography.
Saturday 2 November, 2024
This is a story which came to me on the veranda during our recent winter sun break on Mallorca.
It is based on a recurring vibrant memory of Glasgow Fair Friday in July 1964.
Please do not take offence at the nickname assigned to Sidney Goldman. He accepted it, even welcomed it as it gave him a chance to add his Jewish comedy routines when performing to an audience. And Sid loved and audience - as did Willi.
Put on your time traveller’s bunnet and read on.
For ease of reference, here are the You Tube links which will take you quickly to the songs referred to in the text:
Song of the Clyde
https://youtu.be/iZX0h4X7s1c?si=Cju7wFMJ6vxsj3CP
My Way
https://youtu.be/qQzdAsjWGPg?si=bMJ1rUbRMESk2CP_
Fever
https://youtu.be/JBANWpzsHts
Nice work if you can get it
https://youtu.be/FB1MxIZrmCk?si=0-J9eZfgbeTjb64I
Begin the Beguin
https://youtu.be/sYHXTJxoZqo?si=tFrwnRLfd-uNNK1C
Fly me to the Moon
https://youtu.be/ZEcqHA7dbwM?si=_N4wEdZ5l4kZIiY-
I can’t tell a waltz
https://youtu.be/QI8z5gBNDWk?si=DXiP4S-LJrE2iR9A
Jimmy Shand medley
https://youtu.be/vhxtmqYyI_w?si=0tUl6Exs0Ee0FnxV
The Day we went to Rothesay-O
https://youtu.be/xvHgHxu4cbQ?si=9Zdwb4EQPuozGmhn
Where or When
https://youtu.be/tbnA78ravpY?si=JI2l1NgwHCKZc-ft
Will ye no’come back again
https://youtu.be/JyaCv41-VM8?si=8TzvKmObS66QMVwa
Auld Lang Syne
https://youtu.be/i4pN0zn16jk?si=8mbB5vF9BijRcttg
Monday 28 October, 2024
This is another tale concocted while tapping on my iPad on the veranda during our recent sun seeker holiday in Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca.
In the past we have called this island Majorca but Mallorca seems to be preferred nowadays.
It is a tale which begins in Largo in the East Nuke of Fife, moves to Mallorca then to Tenerife and finally to Gran Canaria.
It is a mystery/thriller/romance.
You may at first think it ‘unlikely’ but perhaps it could be true.
Self-edited using Read Aloud in Word so please forgive typos and use you best judgement.
Saturday 26 October, 2024
We have just returned from Mallorca after ten nights in Puerto Pollensa, an end of year Winter Sun break.
Sitting on our veranda early while my Princess slept on, I tapped this tale onto my iPad then cleaned it up back here at home.
I had been working on another story (Snatch!), not yet published here. The November Writers’ Circus theme for Snatch! was: ‘A Stormy Night.’
This entirely fictitious story follows the same theme.
It recounts a tale of misadventure by a group of young men, Venture Scouts, who attempt to climb Ben Lomond on a day when a storm if forecast.
Read on and discover what happens.
Spoiler alert: not all stories have happy endings.
Monday 7 October, 2024
This is another Maisie Kaywood romp.
Maisie is a modern-day Robin Hood character, choosing for herself what wrongs she chooses to put right.
Yes, it is fantasy fiction but I hope it may entertain.
The first three chapters set the scene after which Maise and her XCD Team from Lab 5 at Global Bio-Genetics spring into action.
I suggest you give it a whirl. I hope it may grab you.
This complicated tale started writing itself a few years ago and go mislaid in the editing process. I found it again a few weeks ago and polished it using the “Read Aloud” tool in Microsoft Word. If you find errors, please use your best judgement as to spelling or meaning. Thanks.
(Please also check out the other Maisie Kaywood stories and “Living with Myra”, the story about Maisie’s mother.
Note:
I have added a Table of Contents which enables readers to navigate to each chapter.
Sunday 29 September, 2024
This story crept into my mind while I was thinking about two friends who have had recent spells in hospital.
Apart from a two day spell in the Victoria Infirmary as a three-year-old to have my tonsils removed, I have been fortunate never to need hospitalisation. Long may this situation continue!
This short piece is purely from imagination.
Make a coffee and have a delve.
(This was previously called Pastures New.)
Saturday 21 September, 2024
This story was written in response to a Writers’ Circus challenge to create a story inspired by a song or piece of music.
The story started with me listening again to Paslm 23, The Lord’s my Shepherd, sung to the tune Crimond by the long defunct Glasgo Orpheus Choir under the direction of Sir Hugh Roberton. This choir’s SABT rendering is in a distictive Kelvinside accent and has long been a favourite of ours.
It stirs me, often to the edge of tears.
Here is the hyperlink:
https://youtu.be/7BciFYFtmbY?si=oLWu9LnpwSEUgqgA
We have just returned from a short stay at Siverdyke Caravan park, Anstruther where the the first version of this tale was tapped out on my iPad, becoming one of a small batch of stories created by a similar process.
Without further ado, I invite you to read on.
Wednesday 11 September, 2024
This tale arose from a Writers’ Circus challenge ---- “Autumn Leaves”.
In the years before the wide-spread use of contraceptives and vascetomies, infidelity leading to children born out of wedlock and ‘accepted’ by the marriage partner were much more common occurences than in modern times.
Or are they?
Thursday 18 July, 2024
This story has its origins from a ‘sighting’ on a train journey to Oxford, long before Covid.
Our train was diverted to Banbury and a lady joined us at a four-seater table.
She was wearing and unusual brooch.
At Banbury, we changed to a bus which took us on to Oxford. They lady went her way and we went ours.
The story began in my head and then I started to tap it out on my iPad and, as happens from time to time, it was ‘lost’ among other snippets to be completed.
Well, here it is at last, perhaps eight years later?
It opens in Harrogate then tracks the life of a girl from Glasgow to Leeds.
To discover more, you must read on. . ..
00000
This story has been self-edited using ‘Read Aloud’ in Word.
Since there are around 40,000 words there must be errors and if you find one, please make your best judgement and read on.
Thanks.
Note: I have added a Contents listing which enables readers to move directly to a Chapter heading with a single CLICK.
Friday 21 June, 2024
This story began about six years ago when ‘a certain person’ mentioned the word Twingling as we headed back to our hotel room after breakfast.
It is another Maisie Kaywood story involving her XCD team as they strive to right wrongs and dispose of the baddies.
To learn more about Maisie her XCD team (and her mother Myra), try at this website under ‘Maisie Kaywood Stories’.
Essentially this is a romance involving two clever people trapped in a dilemma involving viscious industrial espionage.
Make a coffee and delve in!
My thanks once again to Kareth Paterson who edited the original, pre-Covid version.
This version was finalise using Read Aloud. If you spot an error, please make your best judgement and read on. Thanks.
Note: I have added a list of Contents which enables readers to move directly to Chapters by one CLICK.