People make assumptions. For example, I like it when it rains — maybe not all the time but there is something refreshing and invigorating walking in a storm especially if you’re dressed for it — and of course there is the old adage, “today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky.’ So, I like the rain and I know I’m not alone. So why do weather presenters or newsreaders always give the impression that sunshine is the only forecast that will put a smile on our faces? Actually, I just made

A number of years ago I was a volunteer who worked on a care van, which distributed blankets and clothing as well as tea and hot soup to those who were homeless or felt rejected from society. It wasn’t an onerous task as so many people from Edinburgh and Lothian churches and organisations had signed up to help. Basically, teams of eight people would take the van, (which if I remember correctly was held together by sellotape and had to be treated kindly before it would start)

Many years ago as a young probationary minister, still wearing short trousers and wet behind the ears, I was accompanying a grown up cleric who was paying house calls to some of the elderly in the parish. He had been asked beforehand if a short, informal communion service could be conducted in each of the two homes he was visiting. He readily agreed to this. I had no say in the matter being a student. The first home we went to we discovered that they weren’t in. A neighbour p

There is a beautiful story told of two brothers Franz and Albrecht Durer. Their parents were very poor and often had to scrimp and save to put meals on the table. Indeed there were days when the family had to go hungry because there was little money to buy basic ingredients. Now both boys were artistic and were very good at painting and drawing; using chalk and lead shaving they were able to create spectacular portraits of family and friends as well as scenes from the nearby

If you’re in the habit of buying a newspaper, especially one at the weekend you will often find included a free colour brochure; the ones which are full of weird and wonderful gifts. And if you browse through this catalogue you might just begin to think – how on earth can I live without these products? Items as diverse as a wooden stair which you attach to the back of your car so the dog can walk unaided into the boot. Or if you don’t own a dog – or indeed a car – why not tre

Here’s an interesting wee snippet of information which you may not know about me. Apart from six years in my life I’ve always stayed near the sea. Isn’t that fascinating? Yep I thought so as well. Once upon a time — this is not a cue for a fairy tale — I lived in a house right beside the beach. Only the garden wall protected my onions from the waves. In those days I tried to be very avant-garde and had my sitting room upstairs which meant I had an unrestricted view, across th

Once upon a time (unlike the fairy tales this is a true story) in a previous life I ‘volunteered’ to spend a day working with a shepherd. Long story. Nevertheless I was up at the crack of dawn and spent twelve hours in atrocious weather conditions, climbing and descending hills, crossing rivers and sploshing – not sure if that is a word but it’s an apt description – through marshy terrain. I was exhausted afterwards and couldn’t walk for a week but it was one of the most wond

My granny once threw a pound of mince at the telly. I know this to be true because I was there at the time. I can even recall what I was doing before witnessing this wanton act of vandalism. I was assembling a jigsaw, and if my memory serves me correctly the completed puzzle would have resembled a thatched cottage with a variety of wild life rambling round it. But I digress. My granny threw a pound of mince at the telly. Now I have to confess I had never seen her behave like

Let me use a religious metaphor to explain a story. As a young boy I seldom went to the Church unless I was coerced or bribed. I was more interested in Sunday football than Sunday worship. None of my pals went either. We had no idea what took place within those sacred walls but we just knew it was bound to be worse than school, especially when one of our teachers, dressed even more sombrely than normal, with a starched hat cemented on her head, bristled past us. The men who a

Here’s a true story. A few weeks ago on a very sunny early evening, I drove to Cullen beach with the intention of walking my dog along the coast to Portknockie and then back again. It was a plan and the dog and I thought it was a good one. And so we set off and I threw many a ball for her to chase, which she proceeded to drop at my feet, ready for another chase. When both of us started panting it was our cue to head back. This was a good sign because the rain had also begun t

Maisie is a dog. She's my dog although if I was being pedantic I should really describe her as an 'it' because she's had the op, if you know what I mean. But what pet owner would ever refer to their dog as an 'it'? It's impersonal, unfriendly and quite frankly daft. So Maisie the girl is my dog and as an English Springer Spaniel she bounces a lot especially when she's in fields where the crops are twice the height of her. That's where the breed gets the name — spring, bounce