Authors Electric

 I paid a visit to Auchmithie Pebble Beach. This was an event organised by the Scottish Geology Trust. We gathered on the beach to look at the pebbles and the local geologists helped us to identify them. You can see from the photograph that this beach has a vast array of pebbles of all sizes and colours.  I enjoy walking on a beach and collecting and looking at pebbles. I was interested in the different stones here. There is Garnet, which is a stone I love, Jasper, Quartz, and Calcite. There is also Rhombo Porphyry which is a beautiful speckled stone. Also, Schist which is characterised by its sparkle. often the stones are dull to look at but when they are collected and polished their real beauty is revealed.  As you can see the Village Hall was set up and decorated to provide a welcoming space for the talks.There was also old photographs of the village which were of real interest to me as an amateur photographer.  There was also tea and coffee and biscuits. On a dul...

 I am a traveller. I enjoy visiting different countries. By far the most interesting place I’ve been is Iceland. I visited in February 2019. Arriving in the cold and dark I wasn’t sure what to expect. I found friendly people and lots to see and photograph. This is the Hallsgrimskirksja right in the centre of Reykjavik. A beautiful church behind the statue of Lief Erikkson.  Inside it is a beautiful place of worship with high ceilings and an organ. Light and airy a place of real reflection. The first sight of the church is awe inspiring it is a remarkable building. It is back lit at night and stands out as you arrive in the city. I am a lover of history and Reykjavik has history round every corner. People are friendly and will talk to you about everything  they know.    I felt inspired when I was there and wanted to write more. Icelandic folklore is rich with stories and fairy tales especially. In Icelandic fairy tales fairy folk are huge,  gigantic creature...

In June 2019 I took a day trip to the The Isle of May which lies in the Firth of Forth, about 5 miles off the coast. The island was the site of St Adrians Priory during the Middle ages. Now it it a nature reserve and home to colonies of birds including; Puffins, Arctic Terns, Cormorants, Guilliemots, Shags, Razorbills and grey seal pups during the winter. It is a magical mix of seabirds, seals and smuggling. The adventure started with the ferry from Anstruther, 45 minutes later we arrived for our day on the Island.   I am new to photography and this was my first real outing with my DSLR camera. This little bird seemed to pose for the shot. Scooting off for fish and then appearing back on this rock . He seemed to enjoy having his photograph taken as we camera experts snapped his best side. The next photograph shows how crowded the Island is with birds, seals, and other wildlife. No social distancing here. Artic Terns will swoop at you to protect their young. Seagulls try to take you...

 Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a British Politician, statesman, army officer and prolific writer. He wrote 33 books in 51 volumes over his lifetime. His fictional output comprised one novel and one short story. His main output however, comprised non-fiction. After he was elected as an an MP,  over 130 speeches and parliamentary answers were published in booklets and pamphlets. He received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953 for “ his mastery of historical description as well as for oratory in defending human values.” What is more surprising is that Churchill suffered from a manic depressive disorder and could spend long periods of time, sometimes months low on energy and totally unproductive. For years Churchill had avoided standing to close to balconies and train platforms. “ I don’t like standing near the edge of a platform when an express train is passing through. I like to stand back and get a pillar between me and the train. I don’t like to stand by the sid...

  Here we are three weeks into a brand new year. I have never been one for Resolutions. I am too fickle to keep them going. The sense of disappointment and self loathing which comes from failing at them is overwhelming. I just don’t do them. I have decided to see what each new year brings. 2020 for me, started as normal. Then lockdown came and my autoimmune problem meant I was working from home. Once the decision was made, I was escorted out of the building clutching my briefcase, my desk calendar and my plant and warned that I would not be back in the foreseeable future. I felt like a kid let out of school early. I could work in my jammies, drink enough coffee to floor a horse,  pig out on chocolate and crisps,do my laundry if I wanted,  in short, be my own master.  Then, new normal hit home and I rode the rollercoaster of emotions and problems which came along with that. I had not realised that I could be so vulnerable to a tiny organism that I had to stay closeted...