

For Steven, on his birthday
Steven, right, with his brother and sisters in the early 1970s. This is probably while we were staying in Thurso when our dad was working at the nearby Dounreay nuclear plant. Picture improved by a kind soul on Twitter whose name I can't find. I had a brother, once. His name was Steven and today he would have been 63 years old. The second of my parents' four children and their first son, he loved music, comedy and football. Football never really stuck for me, but Steven defin
7 days ago4 min read


The comfort of concrete
The approach to Cumbernauld town centre, in the early 1970s. Cumbernauld town centre does not, to put it mildly, get a good press – but I'll always have massive affection for the place, in all its harsh, leaky, concrete-heavy glory. Built in phases starting in 1963, it's a towering, brutalist gathering of mismatched clumps which looks like it was jammed together by a band of Lego-obsessed giants of varying talent and temperament. It was named 'Britain's most hated building' i
Nov 15 min read


Scamson Ultimate
I was sure the scam had peaked with 'Michael A Marvellous', but then came 'Samson Ultimate'. You might just about buy 'Samson Ultimate'...
Aug 84 min read




















