Merry Christmas, Coronation Street

I noticed that Nicola Sturgeon followed me on Twitter a while ago when she "liked" a painting by Lowry that I had retweeted. Hannah Currie noticed that Nicola Sturgeon followed me. Hannah Currie - with producer Beth Allan - made a BAFTA Scotland-winning documentary called "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore". I provided the music (except for the song at the end by Withered Hand).

Hannah said she would love it if Nicola saw her film. I know the First Minister is busy running a country in the midst of a global pandemic, but she does seem to make time in her life for a bit of culture, promoting reading lists and what not. Whether she has time to interact with every message that comes her way is another matter, of course. I sent her 'a DM' (me and the zeitgeist are like that) with a link to the film. Hannah tweeted that she hoped Nicola would watch the film. Here is a screenshot from Hannah's phone:

"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" recently got an airing on BBC Scotland and it's an excellent way to spend 12 minutes. If you haven't seen it - here's the link.

If you can't access i-player, for now here's the trailer:



I finished State Of Happiness. I liked it.

I am re-watching the first series of Ghosts. Splendid, silly fun.

Roll on Series 2.

I enjoyed Nico's Menu Mission on BBC Scotland.

Once Upon A Time In Iraq is compelling viewing.

I liked this BBC Radio 4 doc about Mendelssohn's Octet.

I read and enjoyed "Out Of The Frying Pan", Keith Floyd's first autobiography (having read his second one few weeks ago).

What a life. I'm glad I wasn't married to the old rascal but I think I would sit him across from Billy Connolly at my Fantasy Dinner Party. I am still making my way though his various TV series; my nostalgic, televisual equivalent to comfort eating in these troubled times. I'm currently on "Floyd On Africa". Yes I've seen the bit with the emus.

I'm now reading this:

Oh, here's a bluegrass cover of my sole Teenage Fanclub co-write:

You are onboard with Laura Cantrell's new recording project right?

When children get their hands on their mother's phone, knowing full well that their father doesn't like goat's cheese:

In unrelated news it looks like we've gone and got a dog (!). She's beautiful but very timid and could use a bath. Early days. Wish us luck.

Tinkety-tonk!

Jaja Ding Dong

So farewell then, Ennio.

photo by
Roberto Granatiero

Cinema Paradiso was my Morricone epiphany. I saw it by accident (in 1989?) at the Glasgow Film Theatre, back in the daze of my student days. (I thought I was going to see The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover - which I've still never seen - but I managed to get my dates wrong. D'oh.) The curtains opened on some Italian film or other. With subtitles! Oh well I'm here now...

On the subject of brilliant compos... I was glad to work on the music for "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore". It's a jewel of a film. A short BAFTA Scotland-winning documentary made by Hannah Currie and Beth Allan.

It recently got an outing on BBC Scotland so you can play BBC i-player catch-up here.

"Priest School" (featuring my music) was on BBC TWO recently. (Yay!) A great project with which to be involved...

A trainee priest yesterday.

...Seminarians playing football, drinking negronis on balconies and praying an' that. Beautifully shot. Here's the link.

Episode 4 of State Of Happiness but! Am-I-right?!?

Thumbs up for this Radio 4 doc about Sheku Kanneh-Mason rehearsing Elgar's Cello Concerto.

Also Ep1 of Being Beethoven. Ludwig was a far cry from being a happy bunny.

If you grooved to The Story Of Fire Saga as much as me (this song in particular (context helps)), you might dig this article.

Oh! I watched ABBA: The Movie...

...Twas a hoot. No one - and I mean no one - can carry off blue eye shadow like Agnetha Fältskog.

Just remembered - I reckon this was me trying to write a melody with Morricone in mind.

In other news - I have no other news.

Tinkety-tonk, old fruit, and down with the Nazis...

It's July

Tchaikovsky wrote 12 x piano pieces - January, February, March etc. - collectively entitled "The Seasons". One wag wrote in to Radio 3 a while ago to wonder why it wasn't called "The Months" instead. Good question.

Here's one wee cure for the lockdown blues:

Yes - I liked it. Guilty as charged! Slap the cuffs on! In fact it's led me to a minor obsession with ABBA. I had them on my out-for-a-wee-run spotify playlist and even managed an extra lap of the local pond because Does Your Mother Know came on.

Other stuff I have been liking:

State Of Happiness...

This repeated Alan Bennett Diaries doc;

All 6 x episodes of "Billy And Us";

A short story by Elizabeth Taylor called "Taking Mother Out";

This song by Amy Allison:

And I keep dipping back into Tom Lubbock's "Great Works: 50 Paintings Explored". I know so very little about art. I wish Tom was still with us in order to share more brilliant insights.

What else?

Oh! This short BAFTA Scotland-winning film is on BBC Scotland on Monday 6th July at 11.45pm:



It's a gem. I was glad to help on the music.

I'd like to share some Teenage Fanclub news......but I can't.

See ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya.... x