mighty meadow

Myself and a guy at work are doing a charity bike ride from Irvine to Ardrossan, round Arran then back to Irvine for Yorkhill Hospital. It's a total of 77 miles which isn't much for a regular cyclist but is a fair distance for me. The furthest I have cycled in the past 5 years is 4 miles to work and 4 miles back (about 3 times). Really need to lose weight and get fit before we attempt this on the 28th June. The training starts now! If anyone would like to donate, even just a £ this is the link to my 'Just Giving' page. justgiving Thanks.

The Philistines Jnr. - If A Lot Of Bands Played In The Woods (original album + covers/remix album)

Bitter Water by Gordon Ferris - Set in post WWII Glasgow (and Kilmarnock, briefly) Douglas Brodie, journalist, ex cop, ex soldier is caught in the middle of an investigation concerning vigilante attacks in the city. Very decent crime story but the author's description(s) of Glasgow at this time takes it a notch above most other Scottish crime books I've read (8.5) - The Missing by Andrew O'Hagan - Local author who was born in the same year as myself and who's family also moved from Glasgow to Ayrshire around the same time. This book led to a TV documentary of the same name which was screened on BBC2 last year. The early part of the book has nothing at all to do with the TV documentary and instead focuses on the author's own childhood and family roots including an interesting bit on an attack by Sinn Fein/IRA on a prison van in Glasgow in 1921. The author tells how some of his ancestors were members of the Republican movement at that time but neither glorifies or condemns it. The part focusing on his own childhood held special interest for me as I remember most of the things he writes about while also learning a few more things which I hadn't previously read about. The second part of the book ties in more with the TV documentary and is the reason I got the book in the first place. Looking at the thousands of people who go missing in the UK every year it is for the most part poignant and sad. The last 40 odd pages of the book examines the Fred West case and in particular the victims and their families. Unexpectedly there is a slight local interest in this case as well with the author's research taking him back to the Bourteerhill area of Irvine. Very well written and sensitive. (9)

I've got an itison voucher for a tour of Clockwork Beer co in Glasgow booked for 3pm today. Unfortunately I can't make it now so although it's short notice, if anyone would like it for free please contact me asap. It's a 45 minute tour for 2 people including tastings + burger or pizza and wine or beer afterwards. I just need to e-mail the voucher to be printed off if anyone fancies it. I would rather someone uses it than it just getting binned.

Bottle of Fyne Ales Maverick.

Debut album from local (Ayrshire) band Culann. http://culann.bandcamp.com/

Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer

This... First full listen ... sounds superb!!!

750ml bottle of Leffe Brune. £2.50 in Asda at the moment. Nice enough beer but pretty one dimensional. Starts off sweet, finishes sweet and sweet inbetween.

Bottle of Grozet.

500ml bottle of Arran Guid Ale.

Bought a bottle of this from the brewery shop on saturday. Will gie it a go later.

Bottle of Alba Scots Pine Ale (from Peckhams) Another winner from Williams Bros.

Aye it's guid stuff!!! I don't even remember having 4 bottles

COCK O' THE WALK 500ml bottle Tesco £1.70

COCK O' THE WALK 500ml bottle Tesco £1.70

COCK O' THE WALK 500ml bottle Tesco £1.70

COCK O' THE WALK 500ml bottle Tesco £1.70

Just finished one of these ... Time for bed noo!

Bottle of Harvest Sun

Finished reading The Yard by Alex Grecian If you are enjoying 'Ripper Street' on telly at the moment then you are sure to like this. Set in London just after the 'Jack the Ripper' killings, the locals are still in fear and highly suspicious. The 'Ripper' is still haunting them and every new murder has them worrying that he is back. Good, fast paced book for my journeys to and from work. - Now reading ... Not far enough in to form even an early opinion yet but promising at least.

Bottle of Banks Bitter. 99p from Aldi. BORING!!!

This ....