Culture

The Last Mill

Bere is an ancient version of barley and bannocks are Scotland’s spirited response to tandoori roti. Mix the two and you get Lembas

It is unlikely you have come across bere bannocks if you haven’t been to Orkney. Bere is an ancient version of barley and bannocks are Scotland’s spirited response to tandoori roti. Make bannocks from bere and you get a flatbread like none other.

The Ferry To Stromness 

What happened on the crossing to Orkney

So I waited to board the ferry, rubbing my hands in glee. I was in a place called Scrabster. It is difficult to be overwhelmed with excitement when you are in settlement with a name that is a cross between a skin ailment and a crustacean with five pincers, but I swear there was glee all over my hands when an attendant waved me on board.

Kerosene In A Ferrari

On coffee. And instantism

I used to drink instant coffee. In those days, I thought it tasted good. It was cheap and convenient, and I drank it black and piping hot the way they did it in manly movies.

When Satire Slid Smoothly From A Scholar

This post is not about you. Honest

Sometime in the late 1930s or early 40s, a newly minted Canadian schoolteacher by the name of Laurence J Peter saw a door sign in the august institution he was then employed at. It said: ‘Emergency Exit. Authorised Personnel Only’.

Sunburn In An English Village    

We lost an ocean on our doorstep, but gained a forest as back garden

During an intermission in the lockdowns last year, for want of better entertainment, my wife and I moved house, swapping the seaside town we had long inhabited for a quieter place inland.

The Kannur Connection

On the MacLeods of Scotland and the Malayalees of Kannur

The MacLeods of Scotland have much in common with the Malayalees of Kannur. In fact, they are practically cousins.

In Search Of Jesus

And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England’s mountains green?

Thinking of Jesus, I climbed into the ferry at Fowey Town Quay, paid £2.50 to the captain, and set sail for the distant shores of Polruan which loomed out of green waters some 365 metres away.

The Sicilian

Nothing shall stand between Inspector Montalbano and food.

A favourite fictional detective of mine these days is Inspector Salvo Montalbano. He is Sicilian, the creation of Andrea Camilleri.

On Route 66, A Cowboy Rides Into A Dusty Town

The author wishes to assert that all facts in this story are completely true

It was high noon and scorching when I rode into Oatman. “Feed and water him,” I told the boy who came running to take the reins. “Curry him down with the saddle on.”

How The Norwegian Crossed The Road In Nepal 

Mr Brown helps Mr White across a cultural divide 

“It takes courage to cross the street in our part of the world,” Mr Brown said to Mr White. “Not many Westerners have that kind of courage.”

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