Category: Posts of Note
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patients and doctors
I have been doing a lot of reading and writing of late. It feels like a total luxury to be spending my days with books and words and I am enjoying it immensely. As well as writing a good chunk of my own book, I have enjoyed reading a lot of other people’s work. I’ve…
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excellent women
Apart from marrying Tom, the other highlight of 2015 for me was the Seven Skeins Club, and the feedback we’ve since had from many members suggest that they really enjoyed it too. Through the club, I was able to launch our newly-developed yarn (a completely new venture for me), create a new book, and have…
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Brenda’s plum cake
It definitely feels like harvest season here: the swallows and housemartins have departed, we are curing our bumper onion crop for the winter, and the trees on the steading are full of fruit. Our neighbour, Brenda, has several beautiful plum trees, which have been very productive this year. So productive, in fact, that Tom has…
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return to the water
Prior to my stroke, I was an enthusiastic swimmer. I found swimming both invigorating and relaxing: a great form of exercise and a useful way to wind down when I was busy and stressed out at work. My body and balance changed radically following my stroke, but I’ve attempted (and enjoyed) the occasional swim, mostly…
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Carbeth star trail cake
I rather like this time of year. Rowan and heather glow upon golden hills, the bracken begins to turn and every breath of wind rocks and lifts the willow herb, which flies about in clouds. The mornings are crisp, but the days are warm and the sky is always varied and amazing. Formerly for me,…
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on woman’s hour!
(over the bridge to the BBC at Pacific Quay . . . ) I am about to take a much-needed break, but just had to pop in and tell you about my forthcoming interview for BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. I’ve been listening to Woman’s Hour since I was a teenager, and the voices of…
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La Mode Ecossaise
I am deep in research and writing at the moment, and thought I’d keep bringing you some of my incidental finds and thoughts as I come across them. Searching through online images of French fashion magazines from the first few decades of the last century (as one does) recently, I came across several references to…
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J Cathcart Wason, Shetland’s knitting M.P.
It’s election time here, and while we were in Shetland, our paths crossed with those of Scotland’s first minister on her campaign trail. The other day I was in the Shetland Archives and came across a fascinating campaign-trail image from over a hundred years ago. I thought you might be interested to see it. J…
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The Buachaille song by Felicity Ford
At the end of last September, I travelled to Shetland for Wool Week. I’d spent several previous months exploring a new-to-me world of yarn development, and the result – Buachaille – was about to be launched with the Seven Skeins Club. At home, so many boxes of yarn had arrived that the bathroom floor had…
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In the steps of Jane Gaugain
In the Steps of Jane Gaugain From the quiet restraint of the Regency buildings that line Edinburgh’s George Street, you would never guess that this, a century and a half ago, was the scene of a knitting revolution. Here the ladies of the city gathered to exchange “receipts,” compare their success with the latest stitch…
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Winners!
Well, we won! Tom and I travelled down to London yesterday and last night at the QEII centre in Westminster were awarded the title of Microbusiness of the Year, 2016! Here I am with two Tims receiving my award: on the right is Tim Lazenby, head of FSB insurance (who sponsored the award), and on…
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Hornsea and me
Among the miscellaneous objects on my rather messy desk is a brown mug, with a broken handle, decorated with a frieze of dancing rabbits. This mug has sat on every desk I’ve ever sat at: I appropriated it for a pen-holder (in its already broken state) when I was a teenager, and it has travelled…
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An exciting announcement!
We recently heard that Kate Davies Designs is a finalist for the award of UK microbusiness of the year! Across all UK business sectors, out of hundreds of different SMEs who entered, we have reached the final four! This is a major endorsement from the UK business community, and really is very exciting indeed. As…
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A History of Rain
It has been one of those really difficult weeks. A good friend of Tom’s has just died (an expected death, but very sad circumstances); I have been laid low with labyrinthitis (truly terrifying) and even poor Bruce is suffering (he’s been in the cone for four weeks now due to a horrible infection on his…
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Desmond’s mince pies
For many years, I’ve had a quiet obsession with riciarelli, which I first came across, flavoured with orange flower water, in Betty’s tea rooms in York. Betty’s only seem to sell these wee macaroon-y treats in Spring for some reason, so I had to persuade Tom (who does not need much persuading where baking is…
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a handmade wedding
Thankyou, all of you, for your lovely comments and congratulations! I thought you might appreciate hearing a little more about the handmade elements of our wedding. A few years ago, Tom decided to have a kilt made. His surname is Barr, and the tartan of that name is also associated with a popular Scottish soft-drinks…