Inside the Fiction Factory
Game On I’ve been waiting a good few years for the Games exhibition to come back to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The wait has been worth it. A playable exhibition – yes, you can play these machines – from over fifty years of gaming history. You can experience for yourself, the games … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 124
Piano I decided to treat myself during the summer to a new digital grand piano. I don’t have room for an acoustic one so this is the next best thing. It has eighty-eight full-size weighted keys, hammer action and has the feel of a real piano. It has a small range of piano types, including … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 123
Sherlock Holmes I took time out to go and see the statue of Sherlock Holmes in Picardy Place, Edinburgh. This is in tribute to the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was born close to this spot on the 22nd May 1859. I think it’s a fitting tribute, as a writer, not to have a … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 122
The Georgian House The National Trust for Scotland maintain the property at number 7 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, providing visitors the opportunity to see what a property looked like during the eighteenth century. It was built in 1796 for John Lamont, designed by architect Robert Adam. The square was part of the first phase of … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 121
Gladstone’s Land With my National Trust membership expiring soon, I wanted to make time to take in Gladstone’s Land at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. This property has been in in operation as a commercial and social hub for more than 500 years. There is a real sense of stepping back in … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 120
Threads Social media is a strange thing. Most of the time my posts gain little traction and that’s fine. I deliberately pulled away so I wasn’t having to keep coming up with new content. I tend to recycle my book posts and will do the occasional other photograph. So, in keeping with this I posted … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 119
The Melville Room Regular readers of this blog will know I’ve visited a number of the many sites that were featured in the filming of the Outlanders series and this week has been no exception. I was in Glasgow twice, my first trip for a cyber conference and the second taking advantage of an invite … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 118
Hill of Tarvit I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of hidden treasures located around Scotland, but again I was surprised. The estate known as Hill of Tarvit, near Cupar is a fascinating place, for both the interior collection in the mansion house and the surrounding countryside. What we see today is the product of … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 117
Jacobite Express I visited the Glenfinnan viaduct a couple of years ago. This was made famous by the Harry Potter films, with the iconic scene of the steam train making the crossing. The one hundred and twenty-three year old bridge spans a thousand feet, a hundred feet in the air. Built between 1897 to 1901, … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 116
Silver Badge I donated blood again this week and reached the milestone of twenty-five donations. To mark the occasion I was awarded my silver badge. I should have received a certificate, but they didn’t have any, so it’s just the image of the badge I’ve used to accompany this blog post. Funnily enough it is … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 115
The Fiction Factory 