Monday 28 September 2026

NO TIME for breakfast before my first online guitar session…but there’s a short space before lesson number two, so I squeeze it in then.

Once done we nip down to the village for a swim and get back in good time for lunch.

I get some prep done for this evening’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook then my afternoon guitar student arrives.

There’s some other stuff to do int he studio and then I finalise content for the livestream before a walk up the hill through the woods.

Sunday 27 September 2026

GRETA asked if I could engrave names on some keyrings for her coffee morning pals, so after breakfast I knock up a design and process one as a sample then take it along to Betty’s when I go to pick up the car.

Greta loves it and I suggest he drops by on her way home to pick up the rest rather than mailing them to her. There’s only a dozen or so to do and I can do ‘em pretty quick.

When I get back home Catriona, the kids and new puppy Gus have arrived. I say hello then go out to the office to sort the keyrings.

After a coffee with Catriona I hit the studio to sort out the music and prep for tonight’s radio show.

Once I have my ducks in a row I make a video post promoting the show then work on some guitar ideas..then radio time and dinner. Margaret’s made a miso tofu rice thing in the air fryer and it’s magic!

Saturday 26 September 2026

GLAD I made my rolls last night…mean’s I’m not up at 6am on a Saturday!

After breakfast I hit the studio. First on My list today is to try and move the WIldcat song from ‘regular’ guitar to open tuning bottleneck guitar. I mess for a while and settle on an approach then do a little work on it.

Next up, another promo video for next week’s fundraiser show using short clips for the videos we filmed at the Old Kirk.

We’re off to Betty’s later for dinner with Karen, Mark, Greta and Rachel. Betty’s ’comissioned’ Margaret to help prepare the meal so she’s busy making a pavlova and flambé chicken. I have time to do some prep for tomorrow’s radio show before we go.

Friday 25 September 2026

A BIT late getting up and our pal Arthur drops by before we’ve even had breakfast.

Having experimented with producing engraving in different colours/shades on slate I get some coasters on the go – an 80th birthday gift for a local pal.

In the studio I prepare a graphic using a nice press cutting about next weekend’s fundraiser show from the Clydebank Post. While sharing round my socials – and like all my other posts and promos for the show tagging Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust (only admins can post on the page) – I notice that none of my tagged posts have been shared, liked or even feature on the page. In fact, the only reference to the fundraiser show is a share of the event I set up back in July. And on digging further, I see they haven’t even accepted the co-hosting invitation 🙁

Weird – all their other events and stuff seem to get a good airing. Too say I’m disappointed is an understatement…if I was paranoid I’d be thinking they were purposefully excluding the event for some reason.

I think I made it clear when I offered to do a fundraiser that I would provide all sound/light and ‘the show’. Promotion, logistics and everything else would be the trust’s responsibility.

As it worked out, I ended up agreeing to design and have posters printed and set up the ticketting. Of course I’m keen for the event to be a success so over the last few months I’ve sent out news releases to monthly magazines and latterly local and regional press and radio – and generated a fair amount of coverage which I have posted round socials, local community groups and stuff (tagging the trust and event in everything). I’ve also ensured all online listings and events guides have info.

This is in addition to many reels and videos I’ve made to promote the event, again tagging the trust and event each time.

I’m happy to do all of this and want the event to raise a decent mount of cash for the trust….but I’d expect a little reciprocacy and visibility from their end.

I message my main contact and try to diplomatically but firmly point all this out and, to be fair, I get a nice reply saying ‘thank you’ and that someone with ‘sort it’.

My feelings about this may well be well out of proportion but I’m hoping to dissipate my ‘annoyance’ by spewing it all out here!

Undeterred I look out some video that”ll edit into another promo reel to go out tomorrow (Saturday) then go out a walk before my new young guitar student arrives. Eleven-year-old Dottie who’s mad about rock music and has recently got an electric guitar.

The lesson goes well and we get another in the diary then I set about finishing off the late coasters I’ve been working with off-and-on over the day then experiment with some inlay techniques I’ve been thinking about.

Margaret comes home with the shopping and once it’s all put away I hit the studio and trawl through the week’s music submission for the radio show.

Thursday 24 September 2026

UP EARLY to get some camera stuff sorted then I get Margaret to drop me in the village from where I walk up the farm track to meet some of my fellow community hydro society directors and wait for some visitors to the the generator building.

The hydro society is setting up a local energy club and there’s a couple of visits been set up to let interested parties learn about the hydro scheme. This is the only one I’m around for and thought it useful to get some snaps for our archives and also help promote the forthcoming energy club.

All goes well and I enjoy the walk home. Then it’s into the studio to sort the photos then get onto some gig promo.

Although the Mull shows are not until mid-November I need to get stuff off to one of the local newsletters that comes out monthly so I write up a news release and get it off to them – I can use the same news release for other media nearer the time.

I have an online session with one of US-based guitar students then I hit the office to design an 80th birthday gift for a local pal.

When I go back to the house Betty’s arrived and we have some dinner and then watch the first two episodes in the new series of Slow Horses – Betty doesn’t have Apple TV and was keen to watch as she’d seen the last series while staying with us while work was getting done on her house a few months ago.

Wednesday 23 September 2026

STILL NOT feeling great but I manage to get some work done before our pals from the ‘States come for a visit.

We catch up over coffee and then have lunch – Margaret’s made ‘last minute’ soup. Alison’s been under the weather and chills after lunch and I take Ruben a wander.

Margaret’s taking Betty to Dumbarton early afternoon and gives Alison and Ruben a lift back to Drymen along the way.

The rain’s stayed off so I cut the grass and do some strumming, probably for the last time this year, then David drops by so I can sort some email issues he’s been having.

After a snack we head to Strathblane. There’s a monthly open mic at the bowling club that a couple of pals have mentioned so we decided we’d go and check it out.

The place is mobbed and the lady on the door puts me on ‘the list’….then we bump into photographer pal Martin who’s one of the organisers along with another pal from the village Al Fleming. Then I spot another pal, Fraser, and we grab some seats.

There’s a varied bunch of performers and I’m quite nervous to play but all goes well….and then Al gets Fraser and I up to join him playing Key to the Highway….

Tuesday 22 September 2026

UP EARLY for a Zoom guitar session then I get on with setting up some Facebook ads for the two shows on the Isle of Mull in November.

I’m still feeling like crap so once I’ve got everything I need done out the way I go back to the house and have a lie down.

Back in the studio I try some slightly different ways of playing ‘the new song’ and do a quick demo recording to see how it might work out.

Before I know it the afternoon’s gone and I dash back to the house for my evening guitar student.

Monday 21 September 2026

OUR pal Tom drops in for a coffee after my first online guitar lesson…we chat for a while then I go back to the studio for another lesson.

Next I upload my playlist and radio show to Mixcloud and spread the info round my socials.

The weather’s not great but there’s very little wind so I go for a paddle and take the drone to film some stuff to promote this evening’s WIldcats’ livestream.

I discovered that I can’t use a Bluetooth mic when using the Hoverair app unless I use the mic receiver too…which makes everything a bit clumsy. I find a wired lab mic and use that but despite successful testing before I go out, all but one tiny clip have no sound.More investigations required. At least I get some exercise.

My afternoon guitar student and her mum arrived – Violet and Laura. Violet’s only 11, but one of my star pupils and we always have a good session and a laugh. I start to feel a bit queasy tho’ and have a nap after they’ve gone.

I don’t feel much better when I wake but have to get everything in place for the Wildcats’ Facebook livestream at 8pm.

Despite feeling like shite, the livestream goes fine and when I get back to the house Margaret’s done a chicken in the oven with onion, rice and some kinda herbs and spices. It’s really (REALLY!) good and I enjoy despite my feeling crap. I take some ibuprofen and head off to bed.

Saturday 19 September 2026

AFTER a lazy morning I prep for dinner - lemongrass chicken. Duncan and Irene are coming tonight.

I trim the chicken and put it in marinade then make the nuoc cham sauce before heading to the studio to edit some social media content for upcoming shows and add an appropriate landing page to my website.

We’ve a busy day tomorrow (Sunday) so I get some more prep for tomorrow’s radio show before going back the house to get stuff ready for our guests. A grand evening follows with lots of chat, food and drink….

Friday 18 September 2026

I GET my blog and various admin stuff out the way before a local hydro society board meeting. It’s online so not too big a deal.

After the meeting we go to the village for a swim and a few things from the shop then home for lunch.

A courier drops off some aluminium pop up card wallets. The prototypes I did a while back sold out really quickly the. I had a problem trying to find any more blanks!

The colours are very slightly different but close enough so I get ‘em all engraved and back in stock in my online store.

Once again I’ve not kept on top of music submissions coming in for potential radio play so I spend some time going through stuff then it’s time to go to the local church for a fundraising film show…