Image without substance: Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP

An essay about Scotland's First Minister and her approach to politics.

Musings of a REAL Tank Commander – Part 14 Overrun by Yanks but saved by very cheap Gin

DURING MY MILITARY CAREER I was involved in two major military operations; the biggest by far was the First Gulf War 1990-91, of which more later. The other was Exercise Lionheart in 1984, which ...

Musings of a REAL tank commander – Part 13 Adventuring in Swat with the 13th Lancers

ONE OF THE MAJOR events I took part in whilst 2ic of C Squadron in Tidworth involved taking a number of soldiers adventure training to Pakistan. I was never quite sure whether it was meant ...

The two Brians: Scotland Matters interviews Brian Wilson & Brian Monteith

Brian Wilson & Brian Monteith - What Next For Scotland? - Scotland Matters

With Nationalists set to win the 2020 Scottish Elections how do we stop five more years of incompetent government ...

Musings of a REAL Tank Commander – Part 12 Parading, partying and some training

ALL GOOD THINGS come to an end, and so it was for my all too brief period as troop leader of 13 Troop, D Squadron, 4th Royal Tank Regiment. It was time for me to ...

ThinkMovies: Sixty Years of Psycho – would it be made today?

THIS ARTICLE contains significant spoilers for a sixty-year-old film that you should have seen already. 

When I was young, I had a very good relationship with my maternal Grandfather. He was a ...

Musings of a REAL Tank Commander – Part 11 Jollies and Adventure training

I WOULDN’T want you to think that the life of a subaltern in the #BARITWE was all work and no play, mind. All that stravaiging around the countryside in big, heavy metal beasts took up ...

ThinkMovies: The Pride list

JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s celebrations of all things LGBTQIA+ will be, understandably, curtailed and more sedate than usual. As the situation stands currently, there will be little ...

Musings of a REAL Tank Commander – Part 10 Hairy moments, wild mustangs and Medicine Hat...

THE ULTIMATE training, for us tank soldiers at least, was in Canada, or more specifically at the British Army Training Unit, Suffield (BATUS), in Alberta.  BATUS was, and is, a remarkable training facility which the British ...

ThinkBooks: Uncommon Scottish wisdom from a Galloway shore

Red Rag to a Bull: Rural Life in an Urban Age, by Jamie Blackett

THIS BOOK is balm for the soul. At a time when Scotland is in danger of being overwhelmed by ...

ThinkMovies: why I miss the movies

OVER THESE past few difficult weeks, I’ve enjoyed bringing you the fun little lists that have filled the gap imposed on my brand of entertainment journalism, and life more broadly, by Covid-19. It’s been great ...

Musings of a REAL Tank Commander – Part 9 Mojos, Crab Air and cordite

AND SO TO RANGES, or firing camp as some other regiments called it. This happened once every year or two years depending on which particular training cycle you found your self on. We took it ...