Fay Young
@fayyoung
Writer, editor, old style journalist and newish media collaborator. Woodland gardener, co-editor Sceptical Scot, podcaster Walking Heads. Enjoy music, poetry, food, good company
Ray's memory: "– Portavadie in Argyll, built with Government money – failed to win a single contract." Peter, Guardian's Scottish Correspondent in 1970s delved into his cuttings... "The Portavadie yard built at a £14m cost to the taxpayer, never received a single order..."
#Datacentremania Communities can take control. What Scotland 2026 can learn from Shetland 1974. "A levy on every barrel of oil landed went into a fund to benefit the community long after the oil boom had passed. Today that fund is worth £475 million." sceptical.scot/2026/08/data...
Friday afternoon. Glasgow’s George Square I’m peering through a hole in the hoarding “Ach well, not long now,” says a smiling man over my shoulder. His friend laughs. “Finished by Friday.” Why I love Glasgow
There are ways of improving our lives and the lives of the myriad creatures we depend on that don't cost the earth. Just a little time and care. Take a walk in @thebotanics.bsky.social and do try this at home
On my way through the woods I find a sight reminiscent of the west end of Sauchiehall Street. Grandchildren with a sense of humour (perhaps we’ll add it to #GlasgowMusicTour @dougalperman.bsky.social)
Just filling in latest @bto-gbw.bsky.social for last week. Triggered a 'validation warning' because my list includes American mink 'unexpected in South Scotland'. Well, we're in Central Scotland and definitely trapped a mink this week thanks to expert help of SISI. Good news for our native wildlife
From Scotland and Gaza, two pieces on Sceptical Scot about the power of football and the lasting value of childhood play. Heartwarming but a reminder of what happens when childhood is lost. Or stolen. Both well worth a read Thanks Jackie Kemp @britishredcross.bsky.social sceptical.scot
Watching handsome pair of bullfinches feeding among prolific Geranium phaeum going to seed Not shown in this picture but it is a sight for sore eyes - and hearts. We are not filling bird feeders during the summer so it’s great to see garden providing home grown food. #Birds
Reminding friends in and around London this Ronnie Scott’s debut on 29 June will be good Sadly I can’t be there but I’m listening to Tommy and Morgan rehearsing their musical journey from moonlit woods of rural Perthshire to mist forests of Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Beautiful
The bird has flown - we didn’t see it go but hope it arrive safely on ‘kingfisher island’ to be greeted by its parents. I’ve seen a couple of kingfishers fishing since then. (Not in this clip though)
Can anyone help with advice please? A young kingfisher sitting outside our garden window, presumably stunned after hitting glass. Moves its head occasionally. I expect there’s nothing we can or should do? (We have resident kingfishers on our large pond nearby) #birds #kingfishers
And finally, on the home front, I’m trying to source help with getting rid of a killer mink hunting wildlife round our pond - I’m writing to environmental agencies but autocorrect is not helping. NatureScot might wonder why I want them to eradicate our monk
Very nice to meet @ccarmichaelartist.bsky.social at Kinross Fixit Repair Festival, telling lovely stories engaging children of all ages - and the stone soup story quite stirred my appetite
Lovely can-do feeling in Kinross Fixit Repair Festival, storyteller Caroline Carmichael entranced children while repairs of many kinds - ceramics, shoes, clothes, plants, tech, bikes - magically happened around the Greener Kinross-shire tent. And the sun shone too
Finally did make some wild garlic pesto after a day of too much screen work, and then some therapeutic weeding, got into the woods. Hey presto pesto: chopped up leaves, blitzed with olive oil, salt, Parmesan cheese, a few pine nuts, lemon juice - and chopped walnuts added to the pasta. Not bad.
Good to see bluebells and garlic holding up for weekend visitors. I might just manage to get some pesto made Thanks to Arngask Home Farm for lovely photos from their visit
Because there’s so much more to human knowledge than politics Looking forward to Ray Perman’s talk for the tercentenary of James Hutton, The Genius of Time, at @hutton.ac.uk (where else!)
“Fascists don’t lie to deceive, they lie to change reality.” Just finished Sarah Churchwell’s gripping and chilling description of the persistent racist, fascist hold on American history, written before Trump2 but horribly prophetic of the ‘wrath to come’ UK should also take notice of our reality
Dear Scotland This is a mess. Postcards from 2014 (Credit: The Great Yes, No, Don’t Know Five Minute Theatre Show. National Theatre of Scotland) #ScottishElection26 5 minutes is a very long time in politics
Blue heaven Above and below. Time to remind friends and ‘followers’ the Pond Cottage garden blue season is now open - give me a call, DM to fix a time for bluebells, Meconopsis, Brunnera, camassia - fundraising for @supportchas.bsky.social #scotlandsgardenscheme fayyoung.org/pond-cottage...
A wonderful celebration in words, poetry and music of the life of David Gow, co-founder and co-editor of @scepscot.bsky.social dear friend to the many gathered at yesterday’s event in the Botanics, so generously organised by Gayle Gow. Many unable to come, were there in spirit.
Aha! Wind gusting at over 40mph but wind turbine has turned its brake on. Batteries are full (plenty energy from solar panels too) Time to put the washing machine on #renewable #solarpower #windpower
Husband to Toppings bookseller Edinburgh: “Do you have Nuclear Weapons?” Bookseller to husband, deadpan: “No we don’t sell them.” Husband: “Ha,ha. What about Nuclear Weapons. An International History?” Ah, yes. Now safely home with Prof David Holloway’s powerful timely book
