When is St Nicholas’ Day, you ask? It’s the 6th of December, and I have written a wee explainer article for Premier all about St Nicholas, Santa and Father Christmas. Enjoy!
As I did last year, I’ve given book-rating site Shepherd a rundown of my top three books from October 2024 to September 2025, ready for people who are buying or requesting books ahead of Christmas. This year they include a murder mystery, a book-based fantasy and a non-fiction exposé of social media.
At a community meal at my church the other night, someone read out a pantoum poem. It reminded me that I wrote a pantoum poem myself, back when I was in school, and I thought it was rather good. In fact, I still do, so I’m going to inflict it on you.
It feels like I’ve had my head down all year and barely registered what I’ve been up to, so I’ve just scrolled through my calendar, photos and blog to find out what I actually did do this year!
It’s been a while since I did any talks related to Hugh Macdonald, the Victorian Glasgow journalist whose book I annotated in 2022. Last year seemed full of them, when the new edition had just come out, but this Saturday was the first in a long time, and possibly the last (although I’m still open to invitations).
Many of you will know that I am a bit of a bridge enthusiast. How it happened is a long and not especially interesting story, but suffice it to say that I am now writing a book on Glasgow’s history told through its bridges. So naturally, I was very excited by the opening of the new Govan Footbridge (or the Pointy Bridge, as I insist on calling it).
People who know me quite well probably know that I’m not very sporty myself and don’t have much interest in watching sport (although those who know me a bit better know that I love watching snooker and clear my diary for the two-day final of the World Snooker Championship every year). So it was an interesting and new challenge to interview former Rugby Union player Peter Browne.
K C Murdarasi 