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Two years ago I published a biography of my great-great uncle. He and I were born almost a century apart: he in 1852, I in 1949. We also arrived in South America almost a century apart, in 1870 and 1972 … Continue reading
For a dozen years, from the early nineties, my brother Simon and I ran a dance band. We had played together as children and teenagers but our adult lives had taken us in different directions and it was only when … Continue reading
(Also available as a podcast here) ‘Put it this way – if it was a horse I’d have to shoot it.’ John, the piano tuner came today. It’s an old joke of his. It’s an old piano, too. Although the … Continue reading
(Also available as a podcast here) At this time of year when the air is still and cold, mist gathers over the River Tay and hangs above the salmon pools, making ghosts of the venerable beech trees that line the … Continue reading
Lost in the hills to the south of Perth is a former schoolhouse, one of the four or five buildings in a hamlet gloriously named Path of Condie. The place feels like an eyrie, with brackeny valleys plunging away below … Continue reading
Although he was a prominent part of the soundtrack to my student days, I was never a huge Bob Dylan fan. I found the nasal voice, the rudimentary guitar-strumming and harmonica-playing, grating; and the apparent stream-of-consciousness of the lyrics confusing. … Continue reading
Last time I mentioned the Night For Angus concert, a tribute to the life and music of fiddler Angus Grant, which takes place tomorrow at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. Yesterday, in preparation, I listened to a live recording of a … Continue reading
On Easter Monday I took part in a concert in Dunkeld Cathedral to raise money for Syrian refugees. If that sounds grand, it wasn’t. It was very much a community event, conceived by the cathedral organist, Michael Anderson, and local … Continue reading
Maybe it’s an antidote to the continuing darkness – though it’s not quite as dark as this time last week – but I feel compelled to write about uplifting things at the moment. Last week it was wee Dougie and … Continue reading
The story of Jamie's extraordinary great-great-uncle. Published June 2023 by Scotland Street Press.
Making a deeper connection with words - the acclaimed creative writing programme
12 chapters, 12 authors, the collective wisdom from 15 years of running courses around the world
A masterclass in business writing and communication from John Simmons and Jamie Jauncey.
A gripping story of conflict in a Scotland of the not-too-distant future
A Few Kind Words 