My multi-lingual celebrant daughter, tonight desperately trying to find something to say to Santa Claus selling the Big Issue outside John Lewis. A Romanian with no English. Te iubesk*, all she could dredge from memory. Te iubesk said Santa, incredulous. A surreal Christmas Eve moment. * I love you.

Some kind of tectonic shift. Today in London Street.

My 14 year old son Luca took me here after cricket training today. He said there is hope in that sky Mum, I’ve never seen anything like it, the locals said there are half a million starlings here. Keep your families close, hug your children, help those who need us, do a 1000 piece puzzle, enjoy!

A breakthrough development in nanofabrication from @uofgengineering.bsky.social could help support the development of new wireless, flexible, high-performance transparent electronic devices. Read more here: www.gla.ac.uk/news/headlin...

this last reminds me: A neighbour just brought me a copy of my book - 10 Scotland Street; an opinionated history of one house over two centuries - to sign for his mother. I'm reminded that it's Christmas & the hard and paperbacks are on sale in bookshops and online. Alex Strouts' cover is lovely.

#WutheringHeights isn't a romance - it is a psychological thriller about abuse, entitlement and obsession. All these films that stop at the death of Cathy do #EmilyBronte a massive disservice by missing out those parts of the book where Bronte's craft and courage stand out.

Just had to cancel a credit card with three charges not made by myself from what purports to be my computer. Same ID but a different IP. How does that work? (did you have your device somewhere else? say the fraud people. It's a rather large desktop affair which has been nowhere)

This reminds me that yesterday was my anniversary of emigrating to the UK to live. 17 December, 1997. On a spouse visa, then granted Indefinite leave to remain and, in 2005, became a British subject. (That’s the term, or may I say citizen?) Forgot all about it, I’m so used to being here.

I've seen Peter Brook's 9 hour Mahabharata, 7hours of Robert LePage's Seven Streams of the River Ota in Dresden (somewhere in the Scotsman archives there's my 1996 review) Etc. In these wandering was possible. EIF now advising 2.5 hours, with no break, in the Lyceum. Somewhat daunted.

A Christmas song for the ages, from a Spanish Civil War songsheet (brought back from Spain by my grandmother). ♫ Hark the rebel workers sing Down with every priest and king Unearned wealth and hunger wild These cannot be reconciled. ♫ More info here: redthirties.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/h...

#MSPbuspresents 2. For Conservative MSPs A copy of 'Beginner's Guide to Transport Policy and Planning in the 21st century'. And a U22s bus pass invalidator, so they can zap away till the batteries run out, when they'll have to find something else to do for a change.

Not so modest in Scotland. 📚 observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Margaret Macdonald, The Three Perfumes, 1912, Glasgow School artist who was believed to have influenced Klimt #womensart

In my preferred seat, B9, for the members Christmas screening at Edinburgh Filmhouse of Wilder's the Apartment with Lemmon and MacLaine. And mulled wine.

Came out of GOMA with a head full of the Still Glasgow exhibition, walked to the corner and, as it is always wise to do in Glasgow, looked up.

NEW: The editor of The Times in Scotland has been arrested and charged over 'indecent communications' David McCann has been suspended from his role amid a 'criminal investigation', News UK said

Emergency theremin needed. Would that I had one....

Delighted that @sundance.org will world premiere 1st chapter of The Story of Documentary Film, about non-fiction cinema from 1880s - 1929! 4 years in the making, shot around the world, we hope to world premiere the different eras of the film across 2026 fests. festival.sundance.org/program/film...

Is anyone able to identify the uniform here? Taken 1914, No enlistment records I can find, no medal card, and he did not die.

Being a British parent is so weird bc you're actually worried about paying the sky high rent/mortgage & getting GP appointments but the entire press keeps telling you you're worried there's a trans person or immigrant nearby & the vat on Eton means there'll only be two skiing holidays this year

Dear God. Tom Waits is younger than me? When did that happen?

This - Take Four Books - always worth listening to.

Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar and was awarded the Lavoisier Medal for outstanding technical achievement. DuPont made a fortune, Kwolek did not. #women #herstory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephan...

A wee bit I wrote about the hammerblow of watching people from the country that gave us the Glasgow girls and Kenmure Street turn to the right. And about the opportunism of Farage as he heads north. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

@filmedinburgh.bsky.social for the Christmas bash. Very cheery if a bit chilly in the erstwhile home of the old Ropery Company at Forth Ports- First Stage Studios a truly remarkable place which I wish had existed when we were still producing drama. 115K sq-ft shooting space, + all the facilities..

Wondering if the reason Gemini is apparently so good is that Google has twenty years experience of Google Books to draw on. The OCR behind it has greatly improved over the years, though I can't think of anyone remarking on this, or the practices behind it.

A wee bit cheaper and includes the Banana Flats: www.zupagrafika.com/shop/brutal-...

Big questions about energy infrastructure news. 1. Why are we shipping energy across UK fm Highlands to s of England when they have green resources too? 2. Do windfarm communities benefit? 3. Can any of them really object or is this a done deal? A film. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LXy...

Imminent striking off?

@argonautbooks.bsky.social on my irregular zoom with my friend & colleague in Toronto, she told me of a great interview on CBC Radio Canada. As it Happens, a very popular daily programme, 6.30 - 8 featured a small book shop on Leith Walk being menaced by some awful chain ... Excellent interviewee.

RIP Tom Stoppard. Difficult to describe his near- reinvention of theatre at this distance. It was breathtaking.

Scottish women win European silver in a tight contest against Sweden. 🥈 #curling www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...

#OTD 28 Nov 1967 Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered existence of pulsars, detecting a "bit of scruff" on chart-recorder papers that tracked across sky with the stars. Had taken 3 months to check papers by hand. Her supervisor was awarded Nobel prize for the discovery. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocelyn...

#Scotland's women roar into European final with fourth win in row. #curling The final will be live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app at 08:00 GMT on Saturday. www.bbc.com/sport/articl...

The right to trial by jury has been a fundamental feature of the British Justice System for over 800 years. Any attempt by the government to undermine this fundamental freedom - a cornerstone of our democracy and an essential safeguard against authoritarianism - must be opposed

Re A level art being extinct in England Scotland etc - not sure it was ever offered in Scotland except in a few private schools. However my understanding is that Higher and Advanced Higher Art are doing OK in Scottish schools. @helenbarratt.bsky.com

Before Germany’s last elections, hundreds of combustion-engine cars had been vandalised, combined with pro-Green flyers left on site. State investigators now assume a Russian influence operation: #fossilwarfare www.n-tv.de/politik/Ermi...

I'm delighted to say that the recording my Historical Research lecture for @ihr.bsky.social (4 November, 2025) is now available to view online. I reflect on my own experience of writing a 'trade' book, and conclude with a manifesto for #radical #popular #history. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

'asylum heaters' 'foreign weather'

Delighted with Nick Eardley on BBCR4 the Westminster Hour tonight, sounding so Edinburgh as he remonstrated with two squabbling politicians - "It's 10.30 on a Sunday night and you're shouting at each other"

Good programme Dani. BBC Sounds radio 4 . Today 13.30. If at First you don't Secede. @danigaravelli.bsky.social

Can I also just point out there are two small indie publishers shortlisted amongst the big names with their big authors, us and @eyebooks.bsky.social

The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford

'The science select committee should recognise that its remit covers all of research, and conduct an inquiry into the Library, with a view to helping it recover. It could quantify the funding that is needed to properly rebuild the Library’s digital infrastructure'.

Uh this is enormous

This is astonishing

In an open letter shared with The Edinburgh Minute, architect Malcolm Fraser, known for his work on the Scottish Poetry Library, Scottish Storytelling Centre, DanceBase and Dovecot Studios, argues against plans to demolish Argyle House: www.edinburghminute.com/three-reason...