Le Tout P'ti FC

Stansted express to Liverpool St, switch to circle line and Tower Hill is a couple of stops away. Not much more than a mile on foot.

Oh yes! Their new album Sounds is a sort of best of or retrospective, but songs were redone with Steve Albini as producer this time, which is a name and a half to have on your side. https://sparesnare.bandcamp.com/album/sounds

Very good! They were the main reason I booked up for this, they so seldom tour these days. Started off with The Engineer and just kept going with brilliant songs.

Broken Chanter, De Rosa and Spare Snare in Dundee last night. Absolutely fantastic.

Pleasureland.

Arbroath 1 Brechin 0. A photo of two tins of female magnetiser in a champagne bucket at Tutties Neuk before the game, one for either Campbell brother perhaps. Oh that pie was amazing.

Straight from Ally himself...

Who amongst us can forget Andy Beattie resigning hours before we played Uruguay in 1954? I personally think that our ensuing 7-0 defeat would have been less savage without that particular scandal. And to this day when I hear the words "rough, fit and good" I can think only of Paraguay 1958.

The new Meadowbank.

Anybody looking for a wee boxing day stroll? https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ea721404-0888-11e9-abe2-4909b2eb0130 I managed a walk around the Pentlands yesterday, did the three tops to Scald Law and back down reservoir path to Flotterstone. Cracking views.

Loads of copies in Waterstones Fort Kinnaird on Thursday night.

I've been busy visiting old friends and making new ones. I've visited all eight distilleries on Islay this week, plus the new one soon to be opened. Truly a tremendous place. If my ferry goes down, send frogmen to my car boot, it will be worth your while.

A really brilliant book, he is sorely missed. I often think of him when I walk past the OK in Haymarket, his favourite curry house. His whisky cabinet must have been incredible after researching that book.

Lunch Ardbeg style.

https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/mediareleases/newsid=2585829.html EDIT - from 2021, Scotland has one team in Champions League, none in Europa League, and three in the Petrofac League.

The Calmac hopscotch is alive and well: https://www.calmac.co.uk/island-hopping. I'm on board this beauty headed to Islay. A week of whisky tasting and long walks awaits.

Tannadice

Sorry, have to add a link to this poem read on the night about Rose Reilly, I thought it to be "braw"!

Rose Reilly was a striker. Voted the greatest rebel in Scottish football history just this week at a brilliant event at the Storytelling Centre for Scottish Book Week. Beating a strong challenge by Duncan Ferguson, Craig Levein and, um, Brian McClair. This article is a good tour around her amazing story: Rose Reilly: the Scottish footballer who won the World Cup as Italy captain https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jul/17/rose-reilly-scottish-footballer-world-cup-italy-milan?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Remember all the low paid migrant workers exploited on the construction sites, and the hundreds of them who have died?

Bump.

Glasgow tickets abd hotels for The Cure, Low, Mull Historical, Malcolm Middleton and Aidan/RM bought this morning. A halcyon day for my credit card company. Also got my eye on Rev Magnetic in Edinburgh. Tomorrow I'm economising and going to Cliftonhill.

This is very powerful:

Aidan and RM Hubbert last night in Galashiels, supported by Siobhan Wilson. It was bloody excellent. The banter was top notch. Nice venue. Old church, quite compact, excellent sound, and Tempest Brewery beer on tap at a very decent price. Could quite happily go and see them again on this tour. Pleasance next weekend is looking promising.

I'm a fully paid up member of the Islay fan club. Next heading over in December for my birthday, which I intend to spend mostly inside Lagavulin warehouse. Or Bunnahabhain. Definitely with Ardbeg lunch. This programme is very decent. Sod all to do with whisky, but some stunning footage of Islay and a very interesting war history. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b19q81