Tam and Meg gallop out of the cover of a forthcoming book

allowayrapgraphic… artwork for the cover of Alloway Rap. Notice the signal black, white and orange – no where have I seen that before? The TWTC logo possibly?

The font is ‘Cracked’ by the way and it was drawn in illustrator.

 

So that’s the ISBNs for the new books ordered – we’re getting closer!

Getting really very excited about publishing the Conservation Plan for Dunans and the Alloway Rap by Sadie.

Dunans Castle Ltd. gets its own site to signpost everything we’re doing!

We’re about to publish a couple of books, and because of that, and because it often helps external agencies to clarify what an organisation does, we decided to create a new corporate website for what we do.

The new website is here.

By the way the picture is of the date plaque on Dunans Bridge and it was taken in 2013 by Jean Donaldson of PowanMedia

Do we think ‘de minimis’ should be classed a swear word or not?

Frankly, for anyone in Scotland in Community Development work of any type, the present interpretation of State Aid and the de minimis regulations by the the civil servants in Holyrood ensures that ambition and momentum are rewarded with big brick walls! Argh!

The book of the Dunans Conservation plan is shaping up well …

This is one of my favourite spreads at the moment – with a picture taken in October of the full panorama of the top of the building.

We’re copy-editing at the moment and waiting to receive hi-res scans from the National Library of Scotland of some of the early Ordnance Survey maps – which have a surprising amount of the detail on them.

The book will be published in the next 6 weeks or so, with much fanfare and hullaballoo!

Music for putting up shelves while its raining outside …

Ezra Furman – Day of the Dog

Along with the new Jake Bugg album, this inhabits my playlist every day!

Misty, Moisty Tree Tops at Dunans Castle

The view from the cabin in the woods where the ScottishLaird team work.

HANDY Study from NASA has just Ruined my Saturday morning…

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/mar/14/nasa-civilisation-irreversible-collapse-study-scientists

This is credible, specific and convincing. We all know what to do. When will we start doing it?

Laying out TWTC’s play “the Alloway Rap” into a New Book

Bringing Sadie’s modern version of Tam O’Shanter into print form for a new audience. The book will be another month or so in production and then be ready to download and/or buy as a hard-copy. Can’t wait – and the soft proofs I have onscreen now are looking really lovely. Properly readable too for a P1-P7 Cast. Pictures when the boss approves them!

Rules for Writing that every Writer needs to Read

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

Some of these are wonderful. Particularly the short ones. Like Philip Pullman’s. Much rather read this than tick off the books I’ve read, particularly when so many of them make their first rule: Write, just write.

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