Space Over the last month there has been two space related events which are particularly notable. From the 25th to the 28th of February 2025 there was an alignment of seven planets – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury and Saturn. This is the last time this phenomenon will be seen so clearly until 2040. … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 144
Record Fair I was excited to stumble across a record fair. I hadn’t heard one was being held in Stirling on the weekend I was in town, so it was good to feel that buzz I get when I see the opportunity to browse music with like-minded folk. Maybe it’s my age, but I was … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 143
Neglected Tropical Diseases A work colleague of mine has an additional role of photographer with the University and provides a visual record for a variety of international visits and cultural exchanges. I was excited to hear that a couple of his photographs had been selected for inclusion at an exhibition at The Royal Society of … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 142
The King I met King Charles III. Spoke a couple of words and shook hands. Very surreal. It was well known he was making a visit to the next town down from me, but as a result of knowing someone who knows someone who was in the village community centre when police and what was … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 141
The Dark Side of the Moon The Glasgow Science Centre Planetarium was hosting The Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd and I was fortunate to get a ticket and go along to listen to what is one of my all time favourite albums. I could spend all day writing about Pink Floyd … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 140
Dali I noted in Part 84 of this blog that one of my favourite paintings, Christ of St John on the Cross by Salvador Dali, was due to come back home to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow after being on loan to Spain and I would arrange to go back and view … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 139
Cupar Next stop was Cupar, a small town of nearly fourteen thousand people. This was chosen as a stopping off point on the way home, and is good for a coffee and stretching the legs. It may sound like a random place to visit, and it is, but you never know what you may come … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 138
Kilconquhar Next stop after Elie was Kilconquhar, which I appreciate isn’t the easiest of place names to pronounce. It isn’t on the coast but only a short drive inland. The estate provides a range of bed and breakfast accommodation along with self-catering properties set in a large wooded area. There is also an on-site restaurant … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 137
Elie Next stop after St Monans was Elie. This village curves around a stretch of golden sand and is a very popular destination. One of the highlights is Lady’s Tower, built for Lady Janet Anstruther, the daughter of a Scottish merchant in 1770. This was put in place to provide her with someplace to change … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 136
St Monans Next stop on my journey down the East Neuk was St Monans, a small fishing village with a population of approximately 1100. I noted in part 110 of this blog that Scotland did have windmills, and the one at St Monans which was used to power the salt industry has survived. During the … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 135
The Fiction Factory 