The Mummy Diaries – “I’ve had enough of this pandemix – I’m off to Gwannies!”

IS THERE finally light at the end of the tunnel? I know that whatever the government decides to do, they are damned either way, but I for one am glad they are taking the ‘go ...

Musings of a Real Tank Commander – Part 27 Baghdad retreat, battlefield booty and boredom

FOR ME AT LEAST, the first Gulf War stopped at 0800 hours local time on 28th February 1991. The Iraqis had now collapsed completely and were streaming back north to Baghdad, and it had got ...

How Scotch beer prospered under the Union – and still can

FROM THE ISLE OF MAN to Edinburgh to Brussels and back I've been getting the hang of brewing strong balanced malty ales. Having worked in Brussels I had the full choice of Belgium's beer to ...

The Mummy Diaries – Theme nights, Valentines & Jamie’s baking assistant!

IT'S BEEN A week of nights in, fancy dinners, treats and pancakes. Joe Wicks is going to have to physically make an appearance and actually sew my mouth up if I’m to complete his ‘lean ...

Why ‘Contagion’ lingers around the Covid pandemic like a bad smell

BASKING in the glow of the UK government’s successful vaccine rollout, Matt Hancock recently admitted it was a Hollywood film, Contagion, that inspired him to buy vast stocks of vaccine for the British population. The film, ...

Musings of a REAL tank commander – Part 26: briefings, de la Billiere, boardgames and body armour

AND THEN, all of a sudden, it was G Day. At 0100 hours GMT on 24 February 1991 it all started – the biggest land operation since the Normandy landings in 1944, so we were ...

The Mummy Diaries – “I’m off to get my nails done Daddy!”

WE MADE IT through the 62 days of January. Well that’s what it felt like! 

Most January’s are tough going but this year felt like the dreaded January-on-steroids. And while we’ve made ...

The pleasure of drawing

DEAR READER, I was asked this week to explain about the pleasure and importance of drawing and why?

So, my thought immediately, was I must begin first by describing the pleasures involved, the challenges and ...

Life on pause is becoming glorified solitary confinement

I HAVE NEVER felt so out of kilter with the world, or so demoralised. In the summer, as the shock of the initial lockdown was wearing off, and we were becoming accustomed to living with ...

Musings of a Real Tank Commander – Part 25 Medals, Mark Urban and the Man from Oz

NONE OF US were particularly enamoured with what little we saw of Saudi social life. We had expected a male oriented society for sure, but I don’t think we were ready for the true extent ...

The Mummy Diaries – Bye bye nappies & dodo’s! Can we have Christmas again please?

I’M SO HAPPY to report the toilet training has been going amazingly well. Lily is now telling me when she needs to go and while we have the odd accident when we don’t make it ...

Perthshire in the snow

Dear Reader,

AT THE BEGINNING of our New Year, I have enclosed for you a photo of a finished painting entitled, Glen of Ice and Fire, with a small piece I wrote ...