Journalist/Dad. Owner @IslayBeachHouse. Former correspondent in London, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong & Rome. Gardening, food, nature. Some politics, dogs & sport.
Islay/Stirling, Scotland
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Loving the big windows on the new Islay ferry, MV Isle of Islay. The non-stop vibration ... not so much.
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Just heard Kemi Badenoch on @BBCr4today describe Jeffrey Archer's convictions for perjury and perverting the cause of justice as "being in tricky situations" - look forward to the Conservative leader showing similar generosity to the "benefits cheats" her party bangs on about
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Ferry breakfast reading: a nice review for Ian Rankin's "multi-stranded and exuberant" new novel The Heights in the @ftweekend - intrigued to read @Beathhigh with a London backdrop and see how it compares to recent state-of-the-city works. Have you got it in yet @TheCelticHouse?
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Excellent contextual perspective on the @ManCity guilty verdict.
Opinion
City fans, genuinely feel for you, we all support clubs through good and bad, and maybe hold our nose at times when something seems too good to be true. Being genuine here, no bs, no clucking, no delight. Could be any supporter today. Needed to say that.
But this now is the biggest football scandal in British football history
nothing comes close.
Expulsion from the Prem and EFL a bare minimum, several billion in fines, Abu Dhabi struck off global football ownership, selling all clubs, an independent commission into all Premier League clubs financial conduct, and where applicable, criminal fraud charges.
English football has been relatively lucky with financial or general cheating Scandals over 150 years ( there have been minor things) but this makes this season's Premier League ( are the practices alleged still happening? How many managers and players today are paid off books in contravention of HMRC and English law?) null and void until sanctions are implemented.
The motion that one club can fulfill fixtures while serious and potentially criminal allegations are pointed at the directors box would make it a circus and grossly unfair on every other club.
We all need to take a harder look at just letting anyone in to own our club on the promise of trophies and memories. Our forebears supported clubs simply for enjoyment and competition, not to end up like this. A mess.
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RT @StanCollymore: Opinion
City fans, genuinely feel for you, we all support clubs through good and bad, and maybe hold our nose at times…
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BBC does not appear to have a single reporter or editor capable of putting the @ManCity guilty verdict into its proper context: it's a £900 million fraud that means the elite division of the national sport was rigged for nearly two decades and must inevitably have involved ..1/2
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Come on @VirginAtlantic - you can do better than this!
Hoping @VirginAtlantic hurry up and call me after bumping me off my flight involuntarily due to overbooking!
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Angus MacKinnon retweeted
@ScotRail Any chance of more carriages on the 6.58 Neilston to Glasgow? With just three, this is how busy it is approaching Central. Every. Single. Day.
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Angus MacKinnon retweeted
Gardeners World pushing hard on the idea that allotments are about communal experiences and friendships
In my experience it’s quite the opposite- it’s predominantly grumpy old men who do it to get away from people
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First fire of the season in Stirling. Our little Cocker Spaniel, Skipper, was initially wary but soon remembered.
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Angus MacKinnon retweeted
New Order’s “Blue Monday” reimagined with 1930s instruments by Orkestra Obsolete.
Theremin, musical saw, harmonium ... pure genius. This cover is absolute magic.
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Oh hang on: awful headline act choices - Level 42 steaming in at number one. Nobody in 🏴 ever liked them. Hue and Cry would have generated more interest as support to Simple Minds
Can't help feeling some grumpy Noel Gallagher negative vibes listening to James Blunt playing in Stirling - weird choice for the audience - though not as bad as a 73-year-old Chaka Khan on Saturday night
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Can't help feeling some grumpy Noel Gallagher negative vibes listening to James Blunt playing in Stirling - weird choice for the audience - though not as bad as a 73-year-old Chaka Khan on Saturday night
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Just catching up with Today at the Test. Echoes of Botham in 1981 from the 21-year-old Pakistan number 9 Razaullah Mashwani - in the hitting and the charisma.
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Painful interview by Emma Barnett with Kemi Badenoch on @BBCr4today - sounded like 11-year-olds squabbling. Followed by Nick Robinson passive aggressively revealing how delighted he was to have been "told" he'd be doing the Gruffalo author interview. 😂
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Just a dash of autumn hues beginning to appear in the Norway Maples beneath Stirling Castle. Lovely day but my days of walking the dogs in shorts are numbered.
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Cherki off and Elliot Anderson on for @ManCity - both as over-rated as Foden The City bubble is about to deflate.
What might an actual Stockport Iniesta have done here? Good illustration of why Thomas Tuchel was right to leave Phil Foden out of England's World Cup squad. English media disease is confusing a good first touch with overall technique. See also: Joe Cole. #ChampionsLeague2026
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What might an actual Stockport Iniesta have done here? Good illustration of why Thomas Tuchel was right to leave Phil Foden out of England's World Cup squad. English media disease is confusing a good first touch with overall technique. See also: Joe Cole. #ChampionsLeague2026
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