Born in Yorkshire, 1945. Had a happy childhood – sorry about that! No ‘mispers’ there!Mary Irvine’s Blog: A Sad Day – Murder of Martin Luther King Jr
A Sad Day Fifty years ago, on April 4th 1968, Martin Luther King Jr was murdered on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee. For MLK I am afraid of them They’re black I am afraid of them They’re foreign I am afraid of them They’re disfigured I am afraid of them They’re crippled […]
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Wednesday, April 4, 2018 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, stories and poems
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Open Mic Hits The Sticks
First Monday Open Mic – Function Room Balloch House Hotel Ann MacKinnon (Balloch), George Gibson (Bonhill) and Mary Irvine (Alexandria) were coming home one night from giving readings at the Scottish Writers’ Centre (CCA, Glasgow). George commented on the fact we needed to travel so far from our homes in order to perform at spoken […]
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Friday, March 16, 2018 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
The Magician by Mary Irvine
The Magician looked down on his audience. All smoke and mirrors – that’s all my life has been. All smoke and mirrors. Still it has given me a good living. Brought up in such a progressive country, good education, lots of opportunities. The government there really knew how to manipulate people. A good learning curve, […]
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Wednesday, February 7, 2018 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
The Square, Broomhill, Glasgow – Restaurant Review by Mary Irvine
‘Breakfast, full Scottish to light? Morning coffee with homemade buns/cake? Late up? Try the brunch, great selection. Lunch (business or pleasure) with soups, sandwiches, light plates. A comprehensive á la carte menu for dinner. Festive fare available. All reasonably priced. The children’s menu incredible value. Pleasant surroundings, discreet lighting, a mixture of banquettes and […]
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Monday, December 18, 2017 | Filed under: Eating and drinking Glasgow West End, European Restaurants, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, Scottish Restaurants
Mary Irvine’s blog: Writing about Greece and Byres Road Book Festival
Hello there, Have fallen behind recently with reading/writing reviews/events etc. Gave myself three weeks to finish my novel set on the island of Spetses. What a friend described as ‘a thinly veiled biography’. It is now ‘finished’ and is going through stringent edits, not only proof reading but inconsistencies, loose ends, especially getting rid of […]
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: PC Gone Mad, To Kill A Mocking Bird
Just read a newspaper article re the banning of the book ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird.’ (The Washington Post 17/10/17, ) This is PC gone mad. If we ‘destroy’ art and literature of the past because it is being judged, out of context, to be non-PC are we not destroying/distorting history? Are we not destroying a very […]
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Saturday, October 21, 2017 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Another Musical Musing, October, 2017
I have mentioned before that I don’t have a TV. I tell people it’s because I can’t afford the licence fee but it’s actually because I know it would interfere too much in my life. I listen to the radio quite a lot. There’s quite a calming influence about Radio 4 which I find very […]
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Saturday, October 14, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Leiper’s Attic at Cottiers Glasgow review by Mary Irvine
I recently had dinner with a companion at this newly opened restaurant in the tastefully furbished upper room of this former church, sensitively transformed into a theatre, bar and venue for that special occasion. We were shown to our table and our coats taken – didn’t have to hang them on the back of our […]
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Tuesday, September 19, 2017 | Filed under: Eating and drinking Glasgow West End, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, Scottish Restaurants
Mary Irvine’s Blog:Merchant City Festival Outdoor Stage at the Tron 22.07.2017
The positive – the offer of hours of free music. The negative – the unpredictability of the Scottish weather! Fortunately the former outweighed the latter and I donned wet gear and boarded the train for Argyle Street. A slight digression at this point (you can do that in blogs!) re: Scotrail – use them often […]
Tuesday, August 8, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, Merchant City Festival, Ten Writers Telling Lies
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Review of ‘A Murder of Crows’ – A Debut Novel by Ian Skewis
Have to admit I am not a great reader of the detective novel. However, in order to write a review one does not have to be such. One can review any book on its literary merit. I did, as a teenager – some years ago, own and read those of Agatha Christie. My confession is […]
Friday, July 28, 2017 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Time Out, Glasgow Women’s Library, St Louis Partick,July, 2017
Glasgow Women’s Library Have been quite busy of late finishing off half completed ‘stuff’. A couple of weekends ago I took some time out – away from the computer. Saturday I attended a book launch at the Glasgow Women’s Library. Arriving in the square outside Bridgeton train station, I was surprised to see it decorated […]
Friday, July 21, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Anne and Mary’s Local Tales Review
‘Anne and Mary’s Local Tales’ Book 2 is now available at the Hub, Dumbarton or post free via the email below. Book 2 takes us a wee bit further afield with Burns’ visit to West Dunbartonshire, the contribution of Tobias Smollett of Renton and the Church of St Mahew in Cardross, as well as recognising […]
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Thursday, July 20, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Autumn Voices: Exploring creativity in later life & writing comp for over 60s.
In October 2016 I attended a Luminate event in which Larry Butler and Robin Lloyd-Jones, both over 70 (Robin’s actually over 80!) and still actively writing – not living on past glories), interviewed each other about their work and their projects concerning creativity in later life as well as writing for well-being. There were also […]
Friday, May 12, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Ten Writers Telling Lies book and cd launch review by Mary Irvine
Ten writers telling lies… The date, Thursday 27th April, 2017. The venue, Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow. The event, the culmination of a 15 month project between ten authors and the accomplished musician/songwriter, Jim Byrne. I had attended several ‘taster’ sessions during the project and couldn’t wait to see it in its entirety. And I was not […]
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Wednesday, May 3, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, Pat's Home Page Blog, Ten Writers Telling Lies
Mary Irvine’s blog: Spa Day at the Carrick
It was that time of the year again. A Spa Day (courtesy of my son and daughter-in-law) at the Carrick*. For regular readers – I do believe I have reached double figures – I make no apology for another review of this establishment. It’s good to re-assess restaurants, accommodation etc and spas. Mustn’t let standards […]
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Friday, April 21, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s blog: Lennox Heritage Society review talk in February, 2017
Lennox Heritage Society Talk Feb 8th 2017 Seven thirty p.m., a smattering of people. Was this going to be the worst attended meeting of the year? Were the numbers normally attending boycotting me especially! By the start at half-past 7 there were some fifty plus people ready to hear all about Margaret […]
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Thursday, April 20, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine: Musings from Spetses 3.
Spetses – an interlude on St David’s Day 2017 Did my teacher training in North Wales. Good student days. Even managed some academic work. My son was born there. Got a soft spot for the place. One of the pieces of music that always touches me deeply is a recording of Paul Robeson singing the […]
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Wednesday, March 1, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog, Musings from Greece 2, February, 20, 2017
18 Degrees and Rising. Monday, 20th February, 2017 Esther and Christos, my hosts, have gone to Athens for a couple of days. Did think about going with them. Really love Athens but couldn’t cope with the noise, the traffic, the pollution. Aging problems with mobility a factor as well! Think I prefer to remember her […]
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Tuesday, February 21, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Some musings from Greece, Saturday, Feb 18th 2017
Have just been checking emails. Know I told people not to email incase there was no signal up in the mountains so why am I disappointed the only ones are those we instantly delete. That’s rhetorical! Left home c 3.20 on 15th. Hadn’t been to bed, Needed to keep checking – passport, ticket, money! Son […]
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Monday, February 20, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s blog: A Stimulating Day – Editing Workshop with Alan McMunnigall, Centre for Open Studies, University of Glasgow
Recently attended another day school at the University of Glasgow. Editing! As I’m about to embark on a five week visit to Greece in order to edit a 60,000 word manuscript I thought this was just what I required. Must add here that I signed up for this course as soon as I saw it […]
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 | Filed under: Centre for Open Studies, University of Glasgow, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: The Forgotten Holocaust
When I got up this morning I had no intention of writing what follows but it has been inspired by a discussion I have just heard on the radio. I don’t have a television so listen to radio 4 for news, comedy, drama, documentaries. What I have just heard resulted in my retrieving a book […]
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Thursday, January 5, 2017 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Musical Musings
As I believe I’ve mentioned before Xmas does not involve me in decorations, cards or present buying to any extent so I find I have some ten days in which to catch up on writing related tasks – for myself! A sort of mental tidying up. I wrote down five ‘things to do’ during those […]
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Tuesday, December 27, 2016 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine: blogging about Pilgrimage
I recently attended a talk about the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela of which I may write later but it brought to mind a piece I wrote some time ago. It is taken from a much longer piece which I will revise for later use. In the meantime… Oh, for those of you who may […]
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Saturday, November 19, 2016 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: The Living Memory Association, Leith and The Mitchell Library
Two Visits The first was a visit to THELMA. No, not a new female friend. The Living Memory Association in the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, Leith. The association has been in existence for thirty years and recent moved to their new premises where, as a charity, they do not pay rent! It is not a […]
Tuesday, November 8, 2016 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Music and Literature
Mbira Music Some thirteen years ago a friend, a Chinese doctor of traditional medicine, told me I was never too late to learn. An old adage which in this situation referred to starting tai chi. He was right as I still practice tai chi and have taken up ku fu fan and a couple of […]
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Tuesday, October 11, 2016 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Anne and Mary’s Local Tales, Dumbarton Library
Launch-Ad.pdf Dumbarton Library, Thursday 27 October, 2016 at 7 p.m. until 8.30 p.m. Dumbarton Library, Strathleven Pl, Dumbarton G82 1BD
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Thursday, October 6, 2016 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s blog: Two rants: the metric system and Greece and the refugee crisis
Gallons, quarts and the ilk Have you seen the news re the existence of dinosaurs? They’re alive and well and living in the UK. They belong to the sub-species that hark back to an ill-remembered idyllic past. An idyll that never actually existed in reality. That’s apart from the age of Arthur and Camelot and […]
Thursday, September 22, 2016 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Luminate Scotland’s Festival of Ageing – Autumn Voices 12 – 15 October, 2016
www.luminatescotland.org/ See the full programme at Luminate
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Mary Irvine’s blog: Broken Threads by Mary Edward
‘Who Belongs to Glasgow’ The Leven Litts Writers Group recently welcomed the author Mary Edward to speak on ‘Historical Research’ – with particular reference to her book, ‘Who Belongs to Glasgow?’, recently updated. We heard of primary and secondary sources and the caveats associated with ‘history’. Mary speaks very fluently and entertainingly with subtle humour […]
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Thursday, September 15, 2016 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Catching Up with Writing, Re-Writing and Helensburgh Writers Group
A Year In Spetses Have been having quite a busy time of late so will pass on a few of my activities and then I can concentrate on t’other things in my life. My regulars (Hi Linda, Hi sis!, Hi Evelyn) will no doubt be wondering if I’ve fallen out with Greece as I don’t […]
Monday, September 12, 2016 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
