GRIT Orchestra Celtic Connections 2020 photography and review Pauline Keightley
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 16 January, 2020 A triumphant opening concert with the excellent and exuberant GRIT orchestra! The concert hall buzzed in anticipation of this year’s festival at the opening concert. Some may think – isn’t January a low month – but not with GRIT Orchestra. The Celtic fiddles danced along to the feet-tapping […]
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Celtic Connections 2020
Wrest and Maz O’Connor, Celtic Connections review Fionnuala Boyle
Day two of Celtic Connections 2020 came to a close on Friday 17 January in The Blue Arrow which provided the perfect atmosphere for a night of musical talent. With the low lighting, hanging lampshades and cosy seating areas bringing definite jazz club vibes, a hubbub of laughter and conversation filled the room as Edinburgh […]
Read the full article: Wrest and Maz O’Connor, Celtic Connections review Fionnuala Boyle
Saturday, January 18, 2020 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Celtic Connections 2020, Fionnuala Boyle, blogging about culture, arts and other stuff
The Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz review by Fionnuala Boyle
Like many children, when I was growing up, it wasn’t quite Christmas time without a trip to the panto. A uniquely Glaswegian experience, some might say, considering the UK-wide success of The Krankies in the 70s and 80s turning Glasgow into something of a panto hotspot when the holiday season rolled around. My experience of […]
Read the full article: The Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz review by Fionnuala Boyle
Tuesday, December 24, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Fionnuala Boyle, blogging about culture, arts and other stuff, Pantos and Christmas Shows in Glasgow, Pat's Home Page Blog
The Mackintosh Group, Helensburgh Library
The Mackintosh Group Wednesday, 11th December, 7 p.m. Helensburgh Library, West King Street, G84 8EB Free Event Free wine and mince pies The Mackintosh Group of Writers are not a club but a disparate and relaxed group of writers from the Vale, Balloch and Helensburgh who meet at the Helensburgh Library only to write and […]
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Tuesday, December 10, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews
Mary Irvine’s blog: West Dunbartonshire Book Week November 2019
West Dunbartonshire Book Week November 2019 What a busy week! Monday kicked off with a very icy drive out to the Cove and Kilgreggan Literary Society who had kindly invited me to talk about my life in Greece and how it influenced my writing. I illustrated the talk with a slide show which I must […]
Read the full article: Mary Irvine’s blog: West Dunbartonshire Book Week November 2019
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Wine Tasting at The Lansdowne – Mother India’s Cafe
I spent a very enjoyable and informative evening when I went along to a wine tasting event at The Lansdowne Restaurant – Mother India’s Cafe at Kelvinbridge.. My friend Issi didn’t make it as there was a massive snarl up on the Clydeside Expressway and she was stuck down there. I was a bit late […]
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Sunday, November 17, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Eating and drinking Glasgow West End, Indian Restaurants, Pat's Home Page Blog
The Siren Awakes Book Launch – Linda Jackson review by Pat Byrne
What a Night! There was a fantastic turn out at Avant Garde on Monday for the launch of The Siren Awakes – the first of three memoirs about life as a young singer, growing up in Paisley by Linda Jackson. I had been really looking forward to the even as I had already caught a […]
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Wednesday, November 6, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, What's On Glasgow West End: cinema, clubs, theatre, music, events, festivals, community and more
Scottish Writers Showcase University of Glasgow 2019
Review by Pat Byrne Another brilliant event in a fabulous venue with an eclectic mix of literature presented in the gorgeous University Memorial Chapel. 22 August, 2019. Louise Welsh, Prof of Creative Writing, at Glasgow University welcomed people from across the world to share some of the best of Scottish Literature – writers included: “Ambrose […]
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Monday, August 26, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events
Flour Power – Live Language School Glasgow
A SANDY CAKE FROM RUSSIA WINS TV PRIZE TATIANA Camilleri baked a cake in honour of her Russian grandmother and won the final episode of Flour Power Competition on the new BBC Scotland Channel. Tatiana was one of the four contestants from the Live Language School in Somerset Place, Glasgow taking part in the baking […]
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Thursday, August 8, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews
Govanhill: Portrait of a Community review Pat Byrne
The Deep End – Govanhill Baths Arts Space 21 Nithsdale Street, Glasgow G41 2PZ Part of Govanhill International Festival 2019 Jim and I had a great time at the Govanhill Carnival on Sunday at Queens Park so I though I would venture back across the Clyde to catch some more of the festival. I went […]
Read the full article: Govanhill: Portrait of a Community review Pat Byrne
Tuesday, August 6, 2019 | Filed under: Art, Photography, Exhibitions what's on-glasgow, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Events, Fairs, Festivals and Fundraisers
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Bruce Biddolph Outstanding as ‘The Inquisitor’
Peter Arnott’s play ‘The Inquisitor’ was recently performed by Bruce Biddolph at the Alexandria Library . The audience sat in a semi-circle in front of a table. A man entered. His dress implied he was someone of importance. An official, maybe. Collar, tie, smart jacket and trousers, highly polished shoes. The table became an office […]
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Scottish PEN Writers In Exile review by Pat Byrne
As part of the Refugee Festival Scotland, Scottish PEN’s Writers In Exile committee presented a literary event at The Project Cafe´, Glasgow on 24 June, 2019; they brought together exiled writers and writers who are far from home. Liz Niven chair of Scottish PEN’S Writers in Exile Committee was host the participants were: Samina Chaudry […]
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Tuesday, July 9, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Pat's Home Page Blog
Pure Love – The Voice of Ella Fitzgerald review by Jim Byrne
In ‘Pure Love – The Voice of Ella Fitzgerald’, filmmaker Katja Duregger celebrates the voice and musicality of Ella Fitzgerald – charting her rise, from the low of working as a lookout at a bordello (1930’s), to the high of receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom (highest civilian awards of the United States) in 1992. […]
Read the full article: Pure Love – The Voice of Ella Fitzgerald review by Jim Byrne
Saturday, July 6, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Cinema
An Evening with Multi Award winning author Robin Lloyd-Jones
Hosted by the Helensburgh Library and the Mackintosh Group review by Mary Irvine There was a full house at the Helensburgh Library on Wednesday, 29th May, 2019 for ‘An Evening with Robin Lloyd-Jones’. A brief introduction and Robin took over. He began by reading the very first piece he had had published, which was in […]
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Monday, June 3, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Dan Richards Booked! Festival 2019 review Mary Irvine
Dan Richards ‘Outpost: A Journey to the Wild Ends of the World’ Balloch Library Sunday 19th May 2019 This was my favourite event of this year’s festival. The great intrepid British explorer, risking life and limb to go where no man has gone before (or rarely, in this case) is not of a bygone age. […]
Read the full article: Dan Richards Booked! Festival 2019 review Mary Irvine
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine review: Polly Clarke – the tiger lady! Booked! Festival
Booked! Festival Alexandria Library Friday, 17th May, 2019 Polly Clarke – the tiger lady! Polly Clarke, born in Toronto, now domiciled in Helensburgh and London (where she does her writing on a houseboat) sashayed down the aisle in a stunning, single-tiger print dress which she later confided had been discovered on the Internet – a […]
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Saturday, May 25, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events
Kerry Hudson’s Lowborn Tour, The Mitchell review Pat Byrne
Lowborn – Poverty in Britain Today It really is absolutely hellish: ‘We live in the world’s sixth-richest economy but one-fifth of us live in poverty’. Kerry Hudson. Kerry Hudson’s Lowborn Tour isn’t your usual book launch – her book ‘Lowborn – Poverty in Britain Today’, alongside tour events, aims to inform people about just what […]
Read the full article: Kerry Hudson’s Lowborn Tour, The Mitchell review Pat Byrne
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events
Richard Holloway ‘Waiting for the Last Bus’ review Mary Irvine
Tuesday 14th May 2019 Booked! Festival of Words, West Dunbartonshire For several years now the ‘Booked! Booked! West Dunbartonshire Festival of Words has commenced its series of events with the Alistair Pearson Lecture at the Millennium Hall, Gartocharn. This year a tribute to this extraordinary man was given by James Macrea who gave a brief […]
Read the full article: Richard Holloway ‘Waiting for the Last Bus’ review Mary Irvine
Monday, May 20, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Aye Write 2019! Sara Sheridan introduces Anne Griffin and Anstey Harris
Friday, 22nd March 2019 Mitchell Library Review by Mary Irvine The two authors being introduced were Anne Griffin and Anstey Harris. Both in the fifties, each has recently published her first novel. Anne Griffin is an Irish novelist living in Ireland. She has won recognition for her previous writings but ‘When All Is Said’ is […]
Read the full article: Aye Write 2019! Sara Sheridan introduces Anne Griffin and Anstey Harris
Sunday, April 7, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Aye Write: Tribes of Glasgow review by Pat Byrne
I went along to Aye Write at The Mitchell Library to hear Stephen Millar and Alan McCredie talk about their book ‘Tribes of Glasgow’ (Luath Press) The book arose out of the writer Stephen Millar’s quest to rediscover Glasgow and capture its essence. Born in Glasgow but having been brought up in and lived in […]
Read the full article: Aye Write: Tribes of Glasgow review by Pat Byrne
Saturday, March 30, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events
Aye Write 2019, Tom Shields review by Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival 2019 Tom Shields Mitchell Library Sunday, 24th March 1.15 p.m. One of the many things I love about Glasgow and its people is the humour, the banter and, at the above event, I was not disappointed. Tom Shields is perhaps best known for the humorous ‘Tom Shields’ Diary’ which appeared in ‘The […]
Read the full article: Aye Write 2019, Tom Shields review by Mary Irvine
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Aye Write: Kamal Ahmed: The Life and Times of a Very British Man review Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival Friday, 22nd March, 2019 Royal Concert Hall The main theme of Kamal’s presentation was the notion of being British. What is it that makes anyone British? What is identity? Kamal’s mother was white English, his father Sudanese, making Kamal mixed race or half-caste in the parlance of the70s/80s when mixed marriages were […]
Aye Write 2019: ‘It’s Not About the Burqa’ Mariam Khan, Amna Saleem’ review Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival 2019 3 p.m. Sunday, 17th March, Mitchell library It’s Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race – Mariam Khan, Amna Saleem When, in 2016, Mariam Khan read David Cameron’s comment that linked the radicalization of Muslim men to the ‘traditional submissiveness’ of Muslim women, she felt she should […]
Saturday, March 23, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Aye Write 2019: Henry VIII and the Men that Made Him Tracy Borman review by Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival 2019 3 p.m. Saturday, 16th March, Mitchell library On her first visit to Glasgow this accomplished speaker and author of several books on the Tudor period held a sixty plus audience in thrall – in the nicest possible way – as she brought to life a different, more sympathetic, perhaps a better […]
Thursday, March 21, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry Events
